The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the Canadian Stroke Network (CSN) invite applications that evaluate why research translation for stroke has not been successful; propose a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary strategy to address these issues; and identify the research resources needed to facilitate validation and replication of promising therapies by conducting milestone-driven pre-clinical trials.

Applications must have a consortium structure comprised of at least three participating laboratories at different institutions and a coordinating center that is responsible for data coordination and site and steering committee communication. Each pre-clinical site should have two stroke models (species) available with one model common to all sites within the consortium. A steering committee of external advisors, NIH staff, and consortium investigators will be responsible for protocol development. Mechanistic studies of stroke, brain hypoxia/ischemia or hemorrhage, or single site studies that are solely for pre-clinical therapeutic development or clinical trials are not responsive to this RFA.

Deadline: February 18, 2008. Optional letter of intent due January 15, 2008. Applications from non-Canadian foreign institutions will not be considered as the parent application but may serve as a collaboration site within a U.S. or Canadian consortium application.

Please see the program web site for full details: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-08-001.html