Research and Funding Opportunities Daily Update

• o For new studies related to COVID-19, AHRQ is interested in critical research focused on evaluating topics such as innovations and challenges encountered in the rapid expansion of telemedicine in response to COVID-19, effects on quality, safety, and value of health system response to COVID-19, and the role of primary care practices and professionals during the COVID-19 epidemic. AHRQ is particularly interested in understanding how digital health innovations contributed to health system and healthcare professional innovation and challenges and solutions to meeting the needs of vulnerable populations including older adults, people living with multiple chronic conditions, in rural communities and uninsured and underinsured populations. AHRQ expects to dedicate $5 million to this program. The agency plans to release the Funding Opportunity Announcement for these grants in early May 2020, with an expected deadline in June 2020. The Notice of Intent for this initiative can be found here.

CDC has released updated guidance on testing for SARS-CoV-2 based on current knowledge of COVID-19. Other information on topics related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including information on testing, clinical care, and infection control, as well as guidance for specific communities including institutes of higher education can be found here.

• CDC will award approximately $560 million to states, localities, territories, and tribes using “existing networks to reach out to state and local jurisdictions to access this initial funding." A breakdown of funds funneled to states and jurisdictions can be viewed here.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Fund received $300 million in the COVID-19 emergency supplemental package. This fund was created in FY 2019 and had roughly $100 million in reserve funding prior to the emergency supplemental. This funding can be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an infectious disease emergency, domestic or international. Money from this fund has previously been used to respond to an Ebola outbreak in the Congo. CDC has not yet posted specific opportunities; when postings are available, we will update this page.

CMS updated recommendations on delay of adult elective surgeries, non-essential surgeries, and non-essential medical and dental procedures.

CMS sent a letter on behalf of Vice President Mike Pence to the nation’s hospitals to request that “hospitals report COVID-19 testing data to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in addition to daily reporting regarding bed capacity and supplies to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity Module.”

CMS has released a series of FAQs on flexibilities, exemptions, waivers, and other changes regarding availability and use of telehealth services, coverage of prescription drugs, the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increase, Medicare Provider Enrollment, and enforcing Open Payments deadlines.

Congress at an Impasse on Next COVID-19 Relief Bill; Additional Unemployment Benefits Expire

House Democrats Announce $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Package

House Democrats announced they will introduce the Moving Forward Act, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package. While this legislation predates discussion of COVID-related stimulus legislation of a much greater scale and scope, the bill would allocate $30 billion for healthcare infrastructure modernization to upgrade hospitals to increase capacity and strengthen care, help community health centers respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies, improve clinical laboratory infrastructure, support the Indian Health Service’s infrastructure and increase capacity of community-based care. Speaker Pelosi is planning to have the house pass the bill before the July Fourth recess. A summary fact sheet was released in advance of the full bill text.

1. Tests, Treatments and Vaccines – Accelerate Research and Development
2. Disease Surveillance – Expand Ability to Detect, Identify, Model, and Track Emerging Infectious Diseases
3. Stockpiles, Distribution, and Surges – Rebuild and Maintain Federal and State Stockpiles and Improve Medical Supply Surge Capacity and Distribution
4. Public Health Capabilities – Improve State and Local Capacity to Respond
5. Who Is on the Flagpole? – Improve Coordination of Federal Agencies During a Public Health Emergency’

• The Joint Program Executive Office - Chemical, Biological, Radiological Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) released a new Area of Interest for COVID-19 Neutralization Assay Services under its Medical Countermeasures Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) in support of the President’s Operation Warp Speed Mission.
• Through this opportunity, the government specifically seeks to:

• Technologically transfer a high throughput qualified or validated neutralization assay for SARS-COV-2 in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) laboratory to a new site in compliance with [Good Clinical Laboratory Practices] GCLP (Contract Base period) and subsequent validation and
• Test serum samples from human subjects enrolled in clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines using the new validated assay in compliance with GCLP.

• Masks/Fiber/Materials
• Screening & Diagnostics
• Gloves/Gowns
• Pharmaceuticals

• Significantly reduce potential for spread of disease;
• Serve as a repeatable, automated, and industrial solution to be placed on ships or other mission-ready environments;
• Utilize technologies that will not damage infrastructure, electronics, and other mission-ready environment specifications; and
• Demonstrate use and efficacy in tailored spaces (I.e. sleeping quarters, surgical suites, transit spaces, and more).
• Proposed solutions should be readily available and commercially viable for the FDA review process within six to twelve months of award. Upon evaluation of solution briefs, proposers may be invited to provide a pitch and subsequently submit a full proposal. Solutions briefs are due June 14, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST.

• UPDATED: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support Medical Directorate extended the deadline to May 18, 2020 for its Request for Information (RFI) of April 8 to identify near-term specific products, potential sources, and availability and/or challenges to meeting Medical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements to protect against COVID-19. DLA also seeks to identify alternatives or additional PPE items necessary to protect against viral contamination of COVID-19. See Announcement on April 8^th for list of PPE items needed. New item needed: Human Remains Pouches

• Point-of-care diagnostics to rapidly identify infected individuals
• Predictive analytics that can forecast potential hot spots and empower decision makers’ response actions

• Mobile communications capabilities including synchronous audio/video, asynchronous messaging, and access to continuous monitoring
• Clinician-facing web portal and/or mobile-based application (goal is availability on every device)
• Capability for basic documentation in real-time as well as data collection and reporting
• Cloud-based information storage including ability for later offloading via PDF or HL7

• Naval Depot Modernization and Sustainment
• Digital Logistics
• Deployable Systems Manufacturability
• Rapid Reconstitution of Communications and Compact Hardware Solutions

• Investigator-Initiated Research Award: This award is designed to support research with the potential to yield highly impactful data that could lead to critical discoveries or major advancements” in Emerging Viral Diseases and/or Respiratory Health. Research projects should focus on basic laboratory research through translational research. CDMRP anticipates a total of $12 million available in funding for four awards. Pre-applications are due by May 28, 2020 at 5:00pm ET and applications are due by June 12, 2020 at 11:59pm ET. The full solicitation can be found here.
  • Technology/Therapeutic Development Award: This product-driven award supports the translation of preclinical findings into products for clinical applications for Emerging Viral Diseases and/or Respiratory Health. Products should be tangible items, such as a pharmacologic agent or device or a knowledge-based product. CDMRP anticipates a total of $25 million available in funding for four awards. Pre-applications are due by May 28, 2020 at 5:00pm ET and applications are due by June 12, 2020 at 11:59pm ET. The full solicitation can be found here.
  • Clinical Trial Award: This award supports the “rapid implementation” of clinical trials for Emerging Viral Diseases and/or Respiratory Health. Clinical trials may be designed to evaluate “new products, pharmacologic agents (drugs or biologics), devices, clinical guidance, and/or emerging approaches and technologies.” Projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials to large-scale trials. CDMRP anticipates a total of $30 million available in funding for five awards. Pre-applications are due by June 8, 2020 at 5:00pm ET and applications are due by June 22, 2020 by 11:59pm ET. The full solicitation can be found here.

• Medical Examination Gloves, Aprons, Face Masks (N95 Respirator), Face Shields, Hand Sanitizer, Surgical Masks, Swab Viral Transport Kits, Viral Transport Swabs, SWAB Nasopharyngeal and Medical Thermometers.

• Combating the Spread (predictive analytics, next hotspot, threat to current activities, decision support, etc.)
• Welfare of citizens (effects to transportation, movement of people and goods, education and development, physical training, regular HR functions, job transition, etc.)
• Readiness (continuing operations through the outbreak, coordinating with allies and partners, continuing long term projects, etc.)
• Logistics (security and protection, supply chain protection and assessment, etc.)
• Industrial base impacts (small businesses, payments, contracts, large system programs, protection and expansion of critical assets, etc.)
• Medical (telehealth, medical capacity and sustainment, medical supplies and equipment, etc.)
• Other solutions that support the national response to COVID-19

• The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) announced that it is seeking white papers for an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) to support COVID-19 prototypes in two areas:
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Re-Use and Decontamination
• Prototype PPE: N95 Equivalent Masks

• Seeking approval for advance payments for Navy projects to ensure sufficient funding to continue research activities
• Initiating a Special Notice under the existing long-range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeking submission of proof of concept and proof of prototype proposals up to $294,000
• Considering a Special Funding Opportunity Announcement for development of OnLine K-12 STEM products aimed at small/medium and for/non-profit entities
• Issuing an out-of-cycle solicitation for the SBIR/STTR programs for critical Navy needs including COVID-19 response activities
• Issuing flexibilities for University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) and Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC)
• Funding of Navy basic research grants in 12 month increments
• Approving and expanding advance payments on research grants for salaries and benefits

• Indicating a possible forthcoming Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant notice, ED announced a new information collection for application materials for institutions of higher education (IHE) left out of the original CARES Act funding allocation (Section 18004(a)(1)) for emergency financial relief because the required Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) enrollment data and Federal Student Aid (FSA) Pell data were not available.
• Previewing forthcoming reporting requirements for grantees under Section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES Act, ED announced a new information collection for the budget and expenditure reporting form for institutions of higher education (IHE) eligible to receive funds designated for IHEs with the greatest unmet needs related to coronavirus from Secretary of Education through Section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES Act.

ED published a notice establishing a deadline of August 1, 2020 for institutions of higher education that did not initially apply for their allocations from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to submit their applications.

On May 6, ED announced, through the Federal Student Aid office, the initial reporting instructions for the CARES Act’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) aid received by institutions of higher education. The guidance states, “The Department will provide instructions for providing the required information to the Secretary in the near future. In the meantime, each HEERF participating institution must post the information listed below on the institution’s primary website.” The detailed information required includes the total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received, the total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students, among other information.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released details on the CARES Act-funded Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund’s specific allocations for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other designated Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and low-resourced institutions serving over 50 percent needy students. These new allocations of funding are on top of the general institutional and student grants funds already announced by ED, but do not have the same requirement to expend at least 50 percent of this new allocation on student grants. Application deadline is August 1, 2020.

• The DOE Office of Science recently clarified grant and other administrative/financial flexibilities it is providing during COVID-19, which are consistent with guidance from OMB Memo M-20-26 on Administrative Relief issued on June 18:
• Investigators, staff, and students may continue to charge salaries and benefits to Office of Science awards if the recipient institution permits salaries to continue to be paid in the event of emergencies or disasters.
• The Office of Science is continuing to extend deadlines for proposals, pre-proposals, letters of intent, and progress reports.
• The Office of Science is committed to awarding no-cost extensions promptly.
• Supplemental requests continue to be considered, subject to availability of funds.
• The only flexibility that has been curtailed is that the recovery of costs not normally chargeable to awards, such as cancelled events and travel, are no longer allowable costs and will not be reimbursed.

DOE launched a National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL) to open up DOE national laboratory user facilities and specialized instrumentation to academic researchers and industry to address COVID-19. The NVBL lists all relevant DOE capabilities, such as light and neutron sources, nanoscale science centers, sequencing and bio-characterization facilities, and high performance computer facilities to help respond to COVID-19. Examples include developing innovations in testing capabilities, identifying new targets for medical therapeutics, providing epidemiological and logistical support, and addressing supply chain bottlenecks.

• Flexibility with SAM registration;
• Flexibility with application deadlines;
• No-cost extensions;
• Continuation requests;
• Allowability of salaries and other project activities;
• Allowability of costs not normally chargeable to awards;
• Exemption from certain procurement requirements;
• Extension of financial, performance, and other reporting;
• Extension of closeout reports; and
• Extension of single audit submissions.

• Details on HHS allocations of approximately $114 billion of $175 billion provided by Congress for healthcare provider relief may be found here.
• Funding has been allocated as follows:
• HHS allocated an additional $3 billion to certain acute care facilities that were not previously eligible for funding under the safety net hospitals allocation. HHS additionally allocated $1 billion to suburban hospitals that were not eligible for the rural hospital allocation but serve a certain threshold of rural patients.

• $50 billion in relief funding to hospitals and healthcare providers to help mitigate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including lost revenue from cancelled elective procedures. $30 billion was automatically distributed to providers based on their share of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) reimbursements in 2019. $20 billion will be distributed to Medicare providers and facilities based on their share of 2018 net patient revenue.
• $10 billion to rural health clinics and hospitals based on operating expenses.
• $12 billion to hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots, based on capacity and the number of COVID-19 cases. Additional funding may be allocated for this purpose.
• $400 million for Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities based on operating expenses.
• An unspecified amount to reimburse providers at Medicare rates for providing treatment and care to uninsured COVID-19 patients on or after February 4. Additional information on registration and reimbursement is available here.
• HHS has also stated that a portion of the remaining funding will be used to provide separate funding to certain providers, such as dentists and providers that solely take Medicaid. No further details have been announced.

• S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) maintains information about their response to COVID-19 on their website. Notable announcements include:
• USCIS affirms it has flexibility to excuse a nonimmigrant’s failure to file an extension of stay (EOS) or change of status (COS) application if the delay was due to the extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as noted on their special situations page. Nonetheless, USCIS encourages all nonimmigrants to file timely EOS and COS applications and petitions to mitigate the immigration consequences of COVID-19, which they continue to accept and process.
• Petitioners should expect a delay in data entry and receipt notice generation for fiscal year (FY) 2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions until at least May 1, 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19. Nonetheless, the specified filing window on registration selection notices will not change. More information can be found here.

• Federal agency partners in the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) are leveraging the existing Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) TechWatch program to engage with industry, academia, and other stakeholders to accelerate technologies related to the novel coronavirus. Traditionally, TechWatch is a virtual meeting with BARDA scientific, technical, and contracting staff, as well as representatives from other interested federal agencies. For CoronaWatch, representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Agriculture, among others, will be contacted to participate as relevant and needed. There are specific submission options for therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics, and other products through CoronaWatch. Additional information on CoronaWatch, as well as submission instructions, are available here.
• The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an Easy Broad Agency Announcement (EZBAA) on February 5 seeking proposals for the development of novel COVID-19 diagnostics. The solicitation notes that “the diagnostics must utilize platforms already cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with a viable plan to meet requirements for the FDA to consider Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) within 12 weeks of an award.” Information is available here. The most recent version of the BAA, updated on March 9, is available here.

The DHS Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) updated its COVID-19 FAQ document on July 6 to include brief information on the new Fall 2020 guidance related to exemptions for nonimmigrant students.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated a notice that the agency will extend flexibility for 60 calendar days for responses to Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny, and other documents if the issuance date is between March 1 and September 11, 2020.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it is preparing some domestic offices to reopen and resume non-emergency public services on or after June 4.

• Masks/Fiber/Materials
• Screening & Diagnostics
• Gloves/Gowns
• Pharmaceuticals

1. Proactively Address Harmful COVID-19 – Related Propaganda and Disinformation from Malign State and Non-State Actors Targeting the United States and its Partners
2. Strengthen Influencers’ Capacity to Recognize and Counter COVID-19 Related Propaganda and Disinformation

• Poverty/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Unemployment; and
• Broadband availability

• Work on missions currently in development (Phases A, B, and C) will continue remotely. Missions undergoing testing and integration are likely to experience greater repercussions. In the latter group, NASA will continue work to the extent practicable using smaller teams. Dr. Zurbuchen noted this will impact the James Webb Space Telescope, but that NASA remains committed to launching the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover this summer as scheduled.
• Funding for individual investigator awards will be impacted. NASA is making modifications to ROSES 2020 program elements and will announce future modifications on NSPRIES. At this point, SMD has determined the following opportunities will be affected:
  • Step-1 due dates for the “Emerging Worlds”, “Solar System Observations”, and “Yearly Opportunities for Research in Planetary Defense” program elements will be postponed.
  • Step-2 due dates for the “Applied Information Systems Research” and “Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research” are now shifted to April 17, 2020.

• May change all Step-1 deadlines in the next 30 days to mandatory Notices of Intent.
• Will no-cost extend or re-phase existing awards on a case-by-case basis.
• Will exercise leniency in enforcing solicitation deadlines with accommodations made on a case-by-case basis.

• Research Awards application deadline extension. The Research Awards application deadline has been extended to help applicants dealing with the effects of COVID-19. See the Research Awards guidelines for more information.
• Budget Revisions. You may transfer among direct cost line items in your budget without prior written approval from us. This means if your approved budget included salaries/wages or artist fees in your budget, you can direct your grant award money toward those costs. You must maintain documentation of all costs charged to the award.
• Allowability of Costs not Normally Chargeable to Awards. If your organization incurs costs related to the cancellation of events, travel, or other activities necessary and reasonable for the performance of the award due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may charge these costs to your award. Awardees are required to maintain appropriate records and cost documentation to substantiate the charging of any cancellation or other fees related to interruption of operations or services. If you have contracts with artists or other vendors, you must adhere to terms of the contract’s cancellation clause(s), as appropriate.

• Investing in fundamental research to understand the COVID-19 disease
  • Developing and retooling testing technologies
  • Developing and repurposing therapeutic treatments for COVID-19
  • Advancing vaccines and other prevention methods to mitigate the spread of the virus
  • Expanding knowledge of COVID-19 related health disparities and access to care in

• Wastewater detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
• Exosome-based non-traditional technologies toward multi-parametric and integrated approaches for SARS-CoV-2
• Chemosensory testing as a COVID-19 screening tool
• Predicting Viral-Associated Inflammatory Disease Severity in Children with Laboratory Diagnostics and Artificial Intelligence (PreVAIL kIds)
• Multimodal COVID-19 surveillance methods for High Risk Populations in densely populated facilities
• Novel Biosensing for Screening, Diagnosis and Monitoring of COVID-19 from Skin and The Oral Cavity
• Automatic detection and tracing of SARS-CoV-2

New NIH Research and Funding Opportunities

As previously reported, the National Cancer Institute released a Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Serological Sciences Centers of Excellence. NCI expects to publish the final Funding Opportunity Announcement on June 10, with the first due date on July 20.

1. Research about the relationship between immunity, recent infection, antibody production, and other immunological markers, including:
   • The role and value of animal models andin vitro assays for determining the relationship between antibody production and immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
   • The types and titers of antibodies important for immune protection and the mechanism of such protection.
   • Whether cross-reacting antibodies from prior infection by other coronaviruses confer immunity.
   • Whether antibodies to coronaviridae can cause immunopathogenesis (e.g. ADE).
   • Genetic or other host factors that could predict antibody production and innate or adaptive immunity.
   • Specific virologic factors that mediate the generation of effective host immunity, especially humoral immunity vs. cell-mediated immunity.
2. Clinical utilization of serological testing, including:
   • Design strategies for clinical trials and population-based observational studies optimally addressing the most critical research questions, including biospecimen sampling/biobanking considerations, safety and ethical considerations.
   • Characteristics and performance standards needed for serological testing, whether for seroprevalence surveys or point-of-care tests.
   • Approaches to rapidly increase capacity for high-quality serology testing in the U.S. by leveraging existing infrastructure, especially in underserved communities.
   • How to use and interpret serological testing results safely, effectively, and equitably.

• Funding for the Capacity Building Centers will be provided via a contract mechanism. NCI anticipates awarding between four and eight academic and/or private sector organizations with funding up to $3 million in total costs per year for each site for up to five years.
• Funding for the Serological Centers of Excellence will be funded through the Specialized Center – Cooperative Agreements (U54) mechanism. An estimated four to eight centers will be funded for awards up to $2 million in total costs per year for up to five years.
• Funding for the Serological Sciences Projects will be funded through the Research Project – Cooperative Agreements (U01) mechanism. An estimated five to ten investigators will be awarded with grants up to $500,000 in total costs per year for up to five years.

COVID-19 Update: NIH Common Fund Special Interest Webinar

• Improve knowledge and understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
  • Characterize basic virology and immunological response to infection
  • Understand disease dynamics and natural history
  • Develop relevant animal models of disease
• Develop diagnostics and assays to identify and isolate COVID-19 cases
  • Speed the development and evaluation of diagnostic platforms and approaches
  • Develop assays to bolster understanding of infection and disease incidence
• Characterize and test potential therapeutics and treatments for COVID-19
  • Identify therapeutic candidates
  • Conduct treatment studies to advance therapeutic development
• Develop effective vaccines to combat SARS-CoV-2
  • Use reagent development and adjuvant characterization and development to spur vaccine development

1. RFA-AI-20-028 Partnerships for Countermeasures against Select Pathogens (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)Deadline date: June 29, 2020Funding Amount: anticipated at $10.5M for 10-15 awardsThe purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to solicit research applications for milestone-driven projects focused on preclinical development of lead candidate therapeutics, vaccines and related countermeasures against select NIAID Emerging Infectious Diseases/Pathogens. Applications must include a Product Development Strategy attachment and demonstrate substantive investment by at least one industrial participant.
2. PAR-20-139 Investigator Initiated Extended Clinical Trial (R01 Clinical Trial Required)Deadline date: May 13, 2020Funding amount: Budgets are not limited but must reflect project needsThis Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications for implementation of investigator-initiated clinical trials requiring an extended project period of 6 or 7 years. The trials can be any phase, must be hypothesis-driven, and related to the research mission of one of the participating NIH Institutes/Centers (IC). Consultation with IC staff is strongly encouraged prior to the submission of the clinical trial implementation application. This FOA is not intended for support of clinical trials that do not require an extended project period of 6 or 7 years.
3. PA-20-135 Emergency Competitive Revision to Existing NIH Awards (Emergency Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional)Deadline date: See NOSIFunding amount: See NOSIThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) hereby notify the applicant community that funds may be available for applications based on a presidentially declared disaster under the Stafford Act, a public health emergency declared by the Secretary, HHS, or other local, regional or national disaster. Applications in response to Emergency Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) will be routed directly to the NIH awarding component signed on to the Emergency NOSI. Only applications submitted in response to an Emergency NOSI published by an NIH Institute/Center (IC) will be allowed to apply to this FOA.

• The Division of Environmental Biology within the Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO) will hold office hours the second Monday of each month, 1-2 pm EST.
• The Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences within BIO will hold office hours the second Wednesday of the month.
• Slides from the early-April BIO-wide office hours are available here.
• The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) within BIO will host its office hours on May 21 at 1-2PM (EST).
• The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) within the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) held virtual office hours in early April. More information, including slides is available here. The next EAR virtual office hours will be held on May 21 at 3-4:30PM (EST). More information here.
• A presentation on the NSF response to coronavirus from the Directorate for Engineering Advisory Committee meeting held on April 7 is available here.
• The Division of Chemistry within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences announced office hours to be held on May 15 at 4-5PM (EST). Details available here.

• NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on March 5 inviting supplemental funding requests and RAPID proposals for research utilizing data or software approaches to research on COVID-19 related challenges. NSF is also accepting proposals for use of NSF advanced cyberinfrastructure to conduct COVID-19 related research. More information is available here.
• NSF released a Dear Colleague Letter on March 4 for proposals “to conduct non-medical, nonclinical-care research that can be used immediately to explore how to model and understand the spread of COVID-19, to inform and educate about the science of virus transmission and prevention, and to encourage the development of processes and actions to address this global challenge.” The solicitation invites researchers to submit proposals through the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism. The Dear Colleague Letter is available here.

OMB issued Memorandum M-20-26 extending certain administrative flexibilities for recipients of federal grants. This guidance extends provisions included in three earlier memoranda issued in March and April that provided administrative, financial, and audit requirement flexibilities to assist grantee institutions during pandemic related disruptions and closures.

Due to uncertainties associated with reopening and ramping up efforts, M-20-26 provides an extension of the allowability of salaries and other project activities, allowing grantee institutions to continue to charge salaries and benefits to active federal awards, through September 30, 2020. In addition, M-20-26 provides an extension of the extension of single audit submission provision through December 31, 2020. Agencies may allow grant recipients that have not yet filed their single audits with due dates from March 30-June 30, 2020 to delay submission up to six months.

OMB recently released Memorandum M-20-21 to provide guidance for federal departments and agencies on how to distribute and rapidly execute supplemental funding and economic relief mechanisms provided in response to COVID-19 through recent legislation. The memo directs agencies to use existing financial transparency and accountability mechanisms, and to consider ways to use data and evidence to achieve program objectives; rapidly issue awards and fund programs to meet critical needs; and provide clear, accurate public reporting on awards. Agencies will be expected to incorporate reporting of performance on objectives for COVID-19 relief funding, such as loans, loan guarantees, and other awards, into their existing mission performance plans. The memo directs agencies to consider whether they can meet existing reporting deadlines on awards and financial assistance programs in light of the surge in funding and requests.

On April 9, OMB released Memorandum M-20-20 to allow federal awarding agencies to repurpose federal assistance awards and grants, in whole or in part, to support COVID-19 response. The exception follows Administration direction that all federal departments and agencies should marshal all legally available resources to combat the crisis. Under the exception, medical equipment, medical devices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased with federal grants as well as resources such as labor, supplies, and contract services funded through federal grants may be donated to hospitals, medical centers, and other local entities serving the public for COVID-19 response. The full memo can be found here.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would receive $9 billion in emergency appropriations for relevant programs and activities including:
• $4 billion for an influenza vaccination campaign, given concerns around an anticipated double wave of influenza and COVID-19 in the year ahead.
• $2 billion for Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreements to support state and local public health emergency response activities.
• $1 billion to improve capabilities at state and local public health laboratories.
• $1 billion to strengthen global public health preparedness and response capacity.
• $400 million to modernize public health data surveillance and analytics.
• $400 million for the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund.
• $200 million for public health workforce development activities.

• $3.5 billion for advanced research development, manufacturing, production and purchase of vaccines and therapeutics.
• $500 million for antibacterial research and development to address antimicrobial resistant infections.
• $500 million to fund construction of or improvements to domestic vaccine manufacturing facilities.

• $150 million for the Defense Health Program
• $758 million in procurement for second, third, and fourth tier suppliers
• $450 million in operations and maintenance for COVID-19 recovery and resupply

• Point-of-care diagnostic that provides rapid and accurate determination on exposure to COVID-19.
• Prophylactic(s)/Therapeutic(s) that can prevent and/or treat in a rapid manner (few hours to 2 days) potentially in a non-hospital environment. Repurposing FDA-approved drugs/biologics for prevention/treatment of COVID-19 or testing of drugs/biologics that have already demonstrated safety in humans for the prevention/treatment of COVID-19 are preferred.
• Disease predictive modeling that provides early warning through data capture from several different streams of data to include social media and artificial intelligence (AI) parameter decision tools that would provide actionable information to medical service providers and command structures.
• Patient monitoring, tracking, and management system for in-home or non-hospital environment patient tele-health services to include interface into the Cerner electronic health record.

• “Point-of-care diagnostic that provides rapid and accurate determination on exposure to COVID-19.
• Prophylactic(s)/Therapeutic(s) that can prevent and/or treat in a rapid manner (few hours to 2 days) potentially in a non-hospital environment. Repurposing FDA approved drugs/biologics for prevention/treatment of COVID-19 or testing of drugs/biologics that have already demonstrated safety in humans for the prevention/treatment of COVID-19 are preferred.
• Disease predictive modeling that provides early warning through data capture from several different streams of data to include social media and artificial intelligence (AI) parameter decision tools that would provide actionable information to medical service providers and command structures.
• Patient monitoring, tracking, and management system for in-home or non-hospital environment patient tele-health services to include interface into the Cerner electronic health record.”There is currently no funding commitment at this time, but “MTEC believes that there may be tens of millions of dollars available for combating COVID-19 programs with a likelihood of follow-on funding.” Responses are required no later than 15 days after the official RPP release date. MTEC’s preannouncement can be found here, and we will continue to monitor for formal release of opportunities.

On June 5, President Trump signed into law the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act of 2020 (H.R. 7010). The bill provides flexibilities by giving recipients more time to spend Payment Protection Program (PPP) funds and lowers the threshold on how much of the funding needs to be spent on payroll.

The WHO will hold its first “Infodemiology” Conference through July 16^th in a closed session. The objective of the discussion is to define the scientific discipline of infodemiology and establish an international community of practice and research meant to manage the over-abundance of information, some accurate some not, that occurs in tandem with an epidemic. The results of the closed session will be reported to the public in a Public Summary, and there will be a public interactive webinar on July 21^st presenting a discussion of the conclusions of the scientific conference and next steps.

WHO initiated a global platform, the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT Accelerator) to accelerate cooperation on developing a vaccine for COVID-19 and to share research, treatment protocols and medicines worldwide on a virtual summit. Governments and philanthropies (including the Gates Foundation) pledged $8 billion to the accelerator, though the United States did not participate. The European Commission and the advocacy group Global Citizen hosted another pledging summit which raised an additional $6.9 billion in support for the global COVID-19 response. While several governments pledged to multilateral initiatives and global platforms including the ACT Accelerator, WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund, the Global Fund, the Vaccine Alliance GAVI and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the United States pledged $545 million to Coronavirus relief without stipulating through which institutions those funds will be directed.