Understanding and Treating Generalized and Focal Dystonias (R21)

-Purpose. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), in conjunction with the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) and the Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation, Inc., invite research grant applications aimed at understanding or treating generalized and focal dystonias. The aim of this FOA is to encourage basic, translational and clinical studies, to determine the patho-physiology of dystonia, to stimulate the development of basic and translational resources to further dystonia research, to accelerate research into promising therapeutic approaches for dystonia, and to stimulate progress in dystonia research through encouraging and facilitating interdisciplinary interactions. -Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Exploratory/Developmental (R21) award mechanism and runs in parallel with another FOA of identical scientific scope (PA-07-397) that solicit applications under the NIH Traditional Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism. -Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.