Brain Inc

COBRE GRANT

THE CENTER FOR NEUROSCIENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND PREDICTION (NEUROMAP)

15/21 ABCD-USA CONSORTIUM: RESEARCH PROJECT SITE AT LIBR

PURPOSE: CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT FUNDS AWARDED AS ECONOMIC RELIEF U.S. AIRPORTS AFFECTED BY THE PREVENTION OF, PREPARATION FOR, AND RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A 27,000 SQUARE FOOT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT BUILDING TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT BY PROTECTING IT FROM ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A 8,560 SQUARE FOOT AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIREFIGHTING BUILDING TO ASSIST THE AIRPORT IN MEETING SAFETY REQUIREMENTS OF 14 CFR PART 139 AND EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT BY PROTECTING IT FROM ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE FINAL PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE SECOND PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF 19,000 SQUARE FEET OF MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AND SUPPORT AREAS. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

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FIRST-IN-HUMAN (PHASE 1) STUDY TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY, TOLERABILITY, AND PHARMACOKINETICS OF IBC-AB002 IN PERSONS WITH EARLY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) - ABSTRACT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE (AD) AND RELATED DEMENTIAS ARE HETEROGENEOUS MULTIFACTORIAL DISEASES, IN WHICH MANY ETIOPATHOGENIC MECHANISMS ARE INVOLVED, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO NEURONAL DEATH AND LOSS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO ARREST THE DISEASE, OR TO SLOW DOWN ITS PROGRESSION BY DIRECTLY TARGETING ITS MAJOR HALLMARKS - AMYLOIDOSIS, PATHOLOGICAL NEUROFIBRILLARY TANGLES, AND LOCAL NEUROINFLAMMATION; NONE HAVE SHOWN MAJOR CLINICAL IMPROVEMENT TO DATE. A NOVEL, PARADIGM-SHIFTING APPROACH FOR TREATING AD AND OTHER NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS IS TO HARNESS THE BODY’S OWN MECHANISMS OF MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. AMONG SUCH COMMON PATHWAYS IS THE SYSTEMIC IMMUNE RESPONSE, WHICH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DISPLAY SUPPORTIVE EFFECTS ON BRAIN MAINTENANCE, PLASTICITY AND REPAIR. STUDIES INITIATED BY THE LABORATORY OF PROF. MICHAL SCHWARTZ AT THE WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE IN ISRAEL AND SUPPORTED BY OTHERS, OVER TWO DECADES, HAVE ILLUMINATED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTRICATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE PERIPHERAL IMMUNE SYSTEM, AND HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE POTENTIAL FOR BENEFIT OF LEVERAGING THE BRAIN-IMMUNE RELATIONSHIP FOR THE TREATMENT OF AD AND NEURODEGENERATION. IMMUNOBRAIN CHECKPOINT (IBC) IS PROPOSING TO CONDUCT A FIRST-IN-HUMAN (FIH) STUDY IN AD USING ITS NOVEL IMMUNOTHERAPY APPROACH OF TARGETING THE PERIPHERAL IMMUNE SYSTEM BY TRANSIENT BLOCKADE OF THE INHIBITORY IMMUNE CHECKPOINT, PROGRAMMED DEATH-LIGAND 1 (PD-L1). THE PRE-CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES WITH VARIOUS MOUSE MODELS FOR AD AND DEMENTIA REVEALED THAT SINGLE ANTIBODY ADMINISTRATION WAS SUFFICIENT TO EVOKE A CASCADE OF EVENTS LEADING TO A REDUCTION IN BRAIN PATHOLOGY AND RESTORATION/MAINTENANCE OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES. THESE STUDIES INDICATED THAT THE THERAPEUTIC DISEASE-MODIFYING EFFECT OF ANTI-PD-L1 ANTIBODY ADMINISTRATION REQUIRES INTERMITTENT REPEATED INJECTIONS OF A SHORT-LIVED ANTIBODY WITH LONG INTERVALS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE INJECTIONS. THESE OBSERVATIONS SET THE BASIS FOR IBC’S UNIQUELY ENGINEERED ANTIBODY, IBC-AB002, AND FOR THE PROPOSED FIH CLINICAL STUDY DESIGN. IBC IS PROPOSING TO CONDUCT A FIH STUDY TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY, TOLERABILITY AND PHARMACOKINETICS AND PRELIMINARY EXPLORATORY ACTIVITY OF IBC-AB002 IN PERSONS WITH EARLY AD. THE PLANNED STUDY WILL BE A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY OF ESCALATING MULTIPLE IV DOSES, COMBINING SINGLE- AND MULTIPLE- ASCENDING DOSE COMPONENTS. THE STUDY WILL HAVE AN ADAPTIVE DESIGN AND WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN 2 PARTS. PARTS A WILL COMPRISE A SINGLE-ASCENDING-DOSE (SAD) STUDY AND PART B WILL CONTINUE DOSING OF PART A SUBJECTS AS A MULTIPLE-ASCENDING DOSE (SAD) STUDY, WITH 12 WEEKS INTERVAL BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIONS. DATA EMERGING FROM THIS STUDY WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT DECISIONS REGARDING FURTHER CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT OF IBC- AB002, MOST IMPORTANTLY THE SETTING OF DOSE, DOSE INTERVAL AND BIOMARKER COLLECTION STRATEGY FOR ANY FUTURE PHASE 2 STUDIES.

KIPIYECIPAKICIIPE "COMING HOME": ESTABLISHING CLINICAL CULTURAL NEUROSCIENCE AS A TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT IN MITIGATING SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND DISORDER - PROJECT SUMMARY INEQUITIES IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUDS) AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN (AI) POPULATIONS PERSIST DESPITE DECADES OF AWARENESS AND RESEARCH. ADVANCEMENTS IN HERETOFORE SEPARATE AREAS OF SUD RESEARCH HAVE (1) UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY BASED AND CULTURALLY GROUNDED RESEARCH APPROACHES IN AI POPULATIONS AND (2) SHOWN THE PROMISE OF CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE'S ROLE IN ADDRESSING SUD. MERGING THESE APPROACHES THROUGH CLINICAL-CULTURAL NEUROSCIENCE IS A MISSING LINK IN THE FIELD WHICH HOLDS LARGE PROMISE FOR ADVANCING BOTH SUD DISPARITIES RESEARCH IN AIS AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, AND THE NEUROSCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF SUD AND RECOVERY MORE BROADLY. THIS PROPOSAL INTEGRATES COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH (CBPR) AND CLINICAL-NEUROSCIENCE APPROACHES TO BETTER DELINEATE THE BRAIN PROCESSES THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR SUD AND THAT ARE IMPACTED BY TRADITIONAL CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT (TCE). THE STUDY AIMS TO LEVERAGE THE LARGE PROMISE OF MULTIMODAL NEUROIMAGING TECHNIQUES AS A METHOD FOR PROBING TCE USING OBJECTIVE MARKERS OF BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION. CONCEPTUALIZATION OF TCE WILL BE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS FROM THE SHAWNEE TRIBE (ST). THIS PARTNERSHIP IS CRITICAL TO THE CURRENT PROJECT AS CULTURE COMPRISES A BROAD CATEGORY OF HUMAN EXPERIENCES COMMON TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND IS OFTEN CONFLATED WITH RACE, ETHNICITY, GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION, AND RELIGION. THIS COMPLEXITY HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO PARSE THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL FACTORS AND MEANINGFULLY INCORPORATE TCE INTO DISEASE AND TREATMENT MODELS. RECENTLY, ADVANCES IN HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH AMONG AI COMMUNITIES HAVE CONCEPTUALIZED FEATURES OF TCE UNDER THE FRAMEWORK OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDH) TO DELINEATE SPECIFIC RISK AND RESILIENCE FACTORS FOR SUD. FURTHERMORE, TCE HAS BEEN SUPPORTED AS PROTECTIVE AGAINST AND AS TREATMENT FOR SUD. THE ST RECOGNIZES THE IMPACT OF HISTORICAL LOSS AND DEGRADATION OF CULTURAL PRACTICES AS A KEY FACTOR IN THE PREVALENCE OF SUD AND IS COMMITTED TO CENTERING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION EFFORTS INFORMED BY AND INTEGRATING TRADITIONAL CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES. KIPIYEECIPSAKICIIPE “COMING HOME” IS A SHAWNEE WORD CHOSEN BY THE ST PARTNERS TO REPRESENT THE EFFORT OF ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF TCE IN MITIGATING SUD DISPARITIES. A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD OF SHAWNEE ADULTS WILL OVERSEE THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND INTERPRETATION OF THE STUDY. A THREE PHASED APPROACH WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE A MULTI-LEVEL UNDERSTANDING OF TCE AS A PROTECTIVE SDH. PHASE 1 WILL CONSIST OF FOCUS GROUPS AIMED AT REFINING A CONCEPTUALIZATION OF TCE SPECIFIC TO THE ST TO PROVIDE DEEP CONCEPTUAL VALIDITY FOR BEHAVIORAL PROBES AND STIMULI FOR NEURAL PROBES OF TCE. PHASE 2 WILL EXAMINE NEURAL PROBES OF TCE AND NEUROBEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE RISK FACTORS FOR SUD ACROSS INDIVIDUALS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF TCE AS DEFINED BY THE CAB. PHASE 3 WILL EXTEND RESULTS TO A SAMPLE OF INDIVIDUAL WITH SUD AND HEALTHY CONTROLS. THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING ANALOGOUS CULTURAL FACTOR ACROSS OTHER RACIAL MINORITY GROUPS TO ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.

EYE-TRACKING RAPID ATTENTION COMPUTATION

BACKYARD BRAINS: BRINGING NEUROPHYSIOLOGY INTO SECONDARY SCHOOLS

INTEGRATED NEUROCOGNITIVE AND SLEEP-BEHAVIOR PROFILER FOR THE ENDOPHENOTYPIC CLASSIFICATION OF DEMENTIA SUBTYPES (INSPECDS)

EFFECTS OF PANDEMIC-RELATED DISRUPTION TO SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS ON THE BRAIN AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING IN ADOLESCENTS - PROJECT SUMMARY THE SOCIAL REORIENTATION OF THE ADOLESCENT PERIOD IS ACCOMPANIED BY EXTENSIVE NEURODEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES. TO UNDERSTAND THE NEURODEVELOPMENTAL NETWORKS UNDERLYING RESPONSES TO SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND HOW SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS INFLUENCES NEURODEVELOPMENT, MANIPULATION OF SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AMONG YOUTH IS REQUIRED, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE IN A LARGE-SCALE SETTING. IN 2020, THE COVID PANDEMIC HAPPENED, IN THE MIDST OF LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN COGNITION DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) STUDY, INDUCING DRAMATIC CHANGES TO SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS IN ADOLESCENTS IN THE STUDY. BECAUSE THE LEVELS OF STAY-AT-HOME RESTRICTION WERE IMPOSED AGNOSTICALLY TO PARTICIPANTS' PRE-PANDEMIC STATUS, THIS BECOMES A NATURALLY OCCURRED EXPERIMENT ON SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AMONG ADOLESCENTS. TOGETHER WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PRE-PANDEMIC ASSESSMENTS, LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP WITH SURVEYS AND GEOLOCATION DATA COLLECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC PERIOD, AND THE RESUMPTION OF MULTIMODAL IMAGING SCANS AND REGULAR ASSESSMENTS RESTARTING DURING, AND CONTINUING AFTER 2021, WE CAN USE LONGITUDINAL ABCD DATA TO CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND NEURODEVELOPMENT AMONG YOUTH. IN PARTICULAR, WE PROPOSE TO USE ABCD DATA TO INVESTIGATE 1) THE NEUROBIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS (PRE-PANDEMIC) THAT RENDER AN INDIVIDUAL MORE SENSITIVE TO THE DISRUPTION OF SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS (PERI-PANDEMIC), CONTRIBUTING TO EMOTIONAL TURMOIL DURING AND BEYOND THE PANDEMIC PERIOD; 2) THE MODULATING FACTORS THAT BUFFER/EXACERBATE THE EMOTION RESPONSES DURING A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SOCIAL DISRUPTION (PERI-PANDEMIC); AND 3) THE EXTENT OF DEVIATION IN NEURODEVELOPMENT AFTER THE PANDEMIC (POST-PANDEMIC) IN RELATION TO THE VARYING LEVELS OF SOCIAL DISRUPTIONS IN ABCD PARTICIPANTS DURING THE PANDEMIC. WE WILL PURSUE THESE AIMS BY UTILIZING A NOVEL COMBINATION OF METHODS FROM HIGH-DIMENSIONAL DATA ANALYSIS AND POPULATION INFERENCE, INNOVATIVELY TAILORING THE ANALYTIC STRATEGIES TO AVOID POTENTIAL BIASES AND SPURIOUS ASSOCIATIONS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS OF HIGH PUBLIC HEALTH INTEREST BECAUSE THE IDENTIFIED NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TOWARD THE DISRUPTION OF SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS WILL PROVIDE NOVEL INSIGHTS FOR THERAPEUTICS AND PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS IN ADOLESCENTS, DUE TO THE POPULATION-INFORMED ABCD SAMPLE. BY SHARING OUR DEVELOPED TOOLS AND DERIVED SOCIAL VARIABLES FOR THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM, WE WILL IMPACT THE FIELD IMMEDIATELY. THESE NOVEL ANALYTIC TOOLS ENABLE US AND OTHERS TO MORE DEEPLY INVESTIGATE WITH ABCD DATA, NEURODEVELOPMENTAL PROCESSES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS. RESULTS CAN INFORM PERI- AND POST-PANDEMIC CLINICAL PRACTICE TO REGAIN AND IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUTH.

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NEURAL RESPONSE TO INFLAMMATORY CHALLENGE IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER - PROJECT SUMMARY: CHRONIC INFLAMMATION LIKELY UNDERLIES THE PATHOGENESIS OF MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CASES BUT WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THESE INDIVIDUALS GET STUCK IN AN INFLAMMATORY STATE. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THIS SUBGROUP OF DEPRESSED PATIENTS HAS A DEFECTIVE HOMEOSTATIC OR REGULATORY RESPONSE TO INFLAMMATORY STIMULI SUCH THAT APPROPRIATE, ACUTE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES FAIL TO RESOLVE, LEADING TO CHRONIC INFLAMMATION WHICH INCREASES THE RISK FOR (A) DEVELOPING DEPRESSION, (B) ITS RECURRENCE, AND (C) TREATMENT FAILURE. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE PROPOSE CHALLENGING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OF BOTH MDD SUBJECTS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS (HC) WITH AN INFLAMMATORY STIMULUS (LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE, LPS) TO INDUCE A HOMEOSTATIC RESPONSE. SPECIFICALLY, 90 MDD AND 90 HC PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RANDOMIZED (2:1) TO LPS (0.8NG/KG) OR SALINE. SERIAL BLOOD DRAWS WILL BE OBTAINED TO QUANTIFY THE PATTERN OF INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE USING SEVERAL INFLAMMATORY MARKERS. AT THE SAME TIME, PARTICIPANTS WILL COMPLETE CLINICAL RATINGS AND UNDERGO A PRE- AND POST-LPS MRI SCAN TO MEASURE HOW THE TRANSIENT INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE AFFECTS THE BRAIN PROCESSING OF INTEROCEPTIVE (BODILY- RELEVANT) STIMULI. PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO RETURN ONE DAY AND ONE WEEK AFTER LPS/SALINE INFUSION TO COMPLETE IDENTICAL PSYCHOMETRIC MEASURES AND BLOOD DRAWS. THE MDD GROUP, ONLY, WILL ALSO COMPLETE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS ONCE PER MONTH FOR 6 MONTHS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ACUTE RESPONSE TO LPS PREDICTS THE CLINICAL COURSE OF MDD. THE MAIN HYPOTHESES ARE THAT: (1) RELATIVE TO HC, THE MDD GROUP WILL SHOW A GREATER ACUTE INCREASE IN INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS BUT A BLUNTED ACUTE RESPONSE OF THE NEURAL CIRCUITRY MEDIATING INTEROCEPTIVE PROCESSES (INSULA AND CINGULATE CORTEX) IN THE LPS VS. PLACEBO CONDITION. FOR THE ACUTE OUTCOMES WE FOCUS ON THE CHANGES THAT OCCUR AT THE PEAK OF THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE, I.E. 2 HOURS POST-INFUSION. (2). WITHIN THE MDD GROUP, LPS-ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN INTEROCEPTIVE PROCESSING AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY WILL BE CORRELATED WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE ACUTE PRO-INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE. (3) THESE ACUTE EFFECTS WILL BE MORE SALIENT IN MDD PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION (BASELINE CRP ³3MG/L). THAT IS, RELATIVE TO THE LOW INFLAMMATION MDD GROUP (CRP £1MG/L), THE HIGH INFLAMMATION MDD GROUP WILL DISPLAY A BLUNTED HEMODYNAMIC RESPONSE OF THE INSULA AND CINGULATE DURING INTERNALLY-FOCUSED ATTENTION. IN EXPLORATORY ANALYSES WE WILL ALSO EXAMINE WHETHER THERE IS A SEX BY DIAGNOSIS INTERACTION EFFECT ON INFLAMMATORY AND INSULAR RESPONSE TO LPS AND WHETHER THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF LPS WILL RELATE TO DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS OVER THE 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. THIS RESEARCH IS INNOVATIVE AND HIGHLY IMPACTFUL BECAUSE IT WILL OPEN UP A NEW PROGRAM OF RESEARCH THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DRAW STRONG CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE FAILURE TO RESOLVE INFLAMMATION-RELATED DEPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. THIS KNOWLEDGE CAN ULTIMATELY BE USED TO DEVELOP NEW BRAIN OR IMMUNE-BASED TREATMENTS TO JUMP-START THE NEURAL CIRCUITRY NORMALLY ENGAGED BY INFLAMMATORY STIMULI, AND TO TARGET THESE INTERVENTIONS AT SPECIFIC PATIENT POPULATIONS.

A NEUROCOMPUTATIONAL ASSAY OF GASTROINTESTINAL INTEROCEPTION IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA - PROJECT SUMMARY GIVEN THAT ANOREXIA NERVOSA (AN) HAS THE HIGHEST MORTALITY RATE OF ANY PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS AND CURRENT TREATMENTS SHOW LIMITED EFFICACY, THERE IS A CRUCIAL NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BRAIN MECHANISMS DRIVING THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THIS DISORDER. THIS PROPOSAL COMBINES AN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE APPROACH FOCUSED ON GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) INTEROCEPTION WITH COMPUTATIONAL MODELING TO PROBE NEURAL CIRCUITS OF INTEROCEPTION AND APPETITE-RELATED GASTRIC PROCESSING IN AN. THE GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY PERCEPTUAL AND NEURAL MARKERS FOR AN AT THE INDIVIDUAL PATIENT LEVEL AND APPLY MACHINE LEARNING METHODS TO TEST CLINICAL OUTCOMES PREDICTION LONGITUDINALLY. SUPPORTED BY OUR PRELIMINARY DATA, THIS PROPOSAL IS BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF AN INCLUDES A COMPUTATIONAL DYSFUNCTION MANIFESTED BY COGNITIVE SUPPRESSION OF THE EXPECTED PRECISION OF AFFERENT INTEROCEPTIVE SIGNALS ASSOCIATED WITH HUNGER, WHICH REDUCES THEIR MOTIVATIONAL INFLUENCE AND FACILITATES MALADAPTIVE AND AVOIDANT EATING BEHAVIORS. WE PROPOSE A CASE-CONTROL STUDY WITH 65 AN AND 65 HEALTHY COMPARISONS WHO WILL UNDERGO EXTENSIVE BASELINE TESTING USING A NOVEL GI INTEROCEPTION PROBE DURING MEASUREMENT OF SYMPTOMS, BEHAVIOR, CIRCUITS, AND PHYSIOLOGY. SENSORY STIMULATION WILL OCCUR DURING THE PREMEAL PERIOD, ANCHORING RESPONSES TO AN ANTICIPATORY CONTEXT WITH HIGH RELEVANCE TO THE DISORDER. THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE FOLLOWED FOR 180 DAYS TO EXAMINE CLINICAL OUTCOMES. A COMPUTATIONAL APPROACH WILL EXAMINE THE BASIC HYPOTHESIS THAT AN INDIVIDUALS HAVE LOWER SENSORY PRECISION FOR GI INTEROCEPTION AND THAT THE DEGREE OF SENSORY IMPRECISION IS RELATED TO CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS. MOREOVER, WE WILL EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP OF THIS IMPRECISION TO CIRCUIT AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES. WE WILL THEN APPLY MACHINE LEARNING APPROACHES TO THESE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND PERCEPTUAL MEASURES TO LONGITUDINALLY TEST THE PREDICTION OF CLINICAL OUTCOMES. ACHIEVING THE AIMS OF THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE UNIQUE INSIGHTS INTO THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF AN BY ARBITRATING WHETHER AN IS A CONSEQUENCE OF “TOP-DOWN” OR “BOTTOM-UP” DYSREGULATION IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, WHICH COULD TRANSFORM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW INTRINSIC INTEROCEPTIVE DISTURBANCES LEAD TO AN. PRAGMATICALLY, IT WILL RESULT IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR IDENTIFYING INTEROCEPTIVE DYSFUNCTION AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, ALLOWING PSYCHIATRY TO DEVELOP DIAGNOSTIC AND PREDICTIVE BIOMARKERS OF AN. THUS THE NEUROCOMPUTATIONAL ASSAY OF GASTROINTESTINAL INTEROCEPTION IN AN COULD BE USED TO DEVELOP LOW-COST, SCALABLE, AND OBJECTIVE TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING DYSFUNCTION IN INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS, TO FACILITATE NEUROBIOLOGICALLY-BASED DEFINITIONS OF RECOVERY, AND TO PREDICT THE RISK OF RELAPSE FOLLOWING TREATMENT. FINALLY, THIS PROPOSAL LAYS THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF PRECISION PSYCHIATRIC INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS PERCEPTUAL RETRAINING THERAPIES TO TARGET (AND RECALIBRATE) ABNORMAL BRAIN- BODY INTERACTIONS.

EMOTION REGULATION TRAINING FOR TREATING WARFIGHTERS WITH COMBAT RELATED PTSD USING REAL-TIME FMRI AND EEG-ASSIGNED NEUROFEEDBACK

PLASTICITY-BASED ADAPTIVE COGNITIVE REMEDIATION FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA

PLASTICITY OF AVERSIVE SALIENCE IN OPIOID USE DISORDER - ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY NOT-DA-20-012 GIVEN THAT DEATHS LINKED TO OPIOID ADDICTION ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE IS A CRUCIAL NEED TO UNDERSTAND BRAIN MECHANISMS IMPEDING VERSUS PROMOTING RECOVERY, A PROCESS MARKED BY PROLONGED ABSTINENCE AND USE OF INTERNAL/EXTERNAL RESOURCES TO RESOLVE DRUG PROBLEMS. THE BROAD AIMS OF THIS PROPOSAL ARE TO UNDERSTAND HOW BRAIN CIRCUITRY IMPLICATED IN THE SALIENCE OF AVERSIVE INTERNAL (BODILY SIGNALS) AND EXTERNAL (STRESSFUL, LOSS) STIMULI TRACKS RECOVERY WITHIN AND ACROSS INDIVIDUALS WITH OPIOID ADDICTION TO (1) INFORM FUTURE TARGETS FOR INTERVENTION (E.G., BRAIN NEUROFEEDBACK); AND (2) AID THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT TO REDUCE DRUG-RELATED DEATHS. WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF TREATMENT, 50% OF SUBSTANCE USERS RELAPSE, TAKING DRUGS TO AVOID AVERSIVE BODILY STATES LINKED TO CRAVING, WITHDRAWAL, AND STRESS. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT OPIOID USERS SHOW GREATER NEGATIVE AFFECT, HIGHER INTENSITY OF INTERNAL SENSATIONS, AND FASTER PAIN REACTIVITY THAN HEALTHY CONTROLS, PAIRED WITH LOWER SALIENCE- RELEVANT BRAIN RESPONSES DURING ATTENTION TO BODILY SIGNALS AND ANTICIPATION OF MONETARY LOSSES HOWEVER, IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER AVERSIVE SALIENCE-RELATED BRAIN CIRCUITRY IMPROVES AND TRACKS RECOVERY DURING THE VULNERABLE FIRST THREE MONTHS DURING TREATMENT. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THIS PROPOSAL TEST HOW SALIENCE-BASED BRAIN CIRCUITRY DIFFERS BETWEEN 200 TREATMENT-SEEKING INDIVIDUALS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER AND 50 HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AT FOUR TIMEPOINTS DURING EARLY OPIOID RECOVERY (2 WEEKS AND 1, 2, AND 3 MONTHS), IDENTIFYING WHAT SELF-REPORT, BEHAVIORAL, AND BRAIN VARIABLES CAN BE USED TO IDENTIFY OPIOID USERS AT HIGH RISK FOR RELAPSE VERSUS THOSE WHO MAINTAIN ABSTINENCE. FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (FMRI) PARADIGMS INVOLVING BODILY AWARENESS, MONETARY WIN/LOSS, AND STRESS/DRUG CUES, SUBSTANCE USE ASSESSMENTS, AND NIDA SELF-REPORT/BEHAVIORAL PHENOTYPING BATTERIES WILL BE COLLECTED AT EACH TIMEPOINT. ONCE THE PROPOSED AIMS ARE COMPLETED, THE FINDINGS FROM THIS DATASET WILL BE EVALUATED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE PREDICTION METRICS CAN BE VALIDATED IN ADDITIONAL TREATMENT-SEEKING SAMPLES.

A YOUTH-SPECIFIC HELMET FOR PREVENTING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY - PROJECT SUMMARY SAVIOR BRAIN’S SOFTSHOX IS THE WORLD’S FIRST WEARABLE HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBER. SOFTSHOX USES LIQUID MOMENTUM TRANSFER TO DISSIPATE IMPACT ENERGY, RESULTING IN DRAMATICALLY REDUCED LINEAR AND ROTATIONAL FORCES FOR A GIVEN IMPACT EVENT. BRAIN INJURIES, INCLUDING NEARLY 4 MILLION CONCUSSIONS PER YEAR, ARE COMMON AMONG THE NEARLY 40 MILLION PARTICIPANTS IN ORGANIZED YOUTH SPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DESPITE RECENT TECHNOLOGIES MARKETED TO REDUCE CONCUSSION RISK, BRAIN INJURIES CONTINUE TO RISE AMONG YOUTH ATHLETES. IMPROVED PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED THAT PROVIDES MAXIMAL PROTECTION ACROSS THE RANGE OF IMPACT ENERGIES INCLUDING THE LOWER, YET STILL DANGEROUS, IMPACT ENERGIES EXPERIENCED AT THE YOUTH LEVEL. IF BROUGHT TO WIDESPREAD MARKET USE, SAVIOR BRAIN SOFTSHOX TECHNOLOGY COULD DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF BRAIN INJURY IN YOUTH AND ADULT USER POPULATIONS. IN OUR PHASE I PROJECT, WE INTEGRATED SOFTSHOX TECHNOLOGY INTO A YOUTH-SPECIFIC FOOTBALL HELMET, DEMONSTRATED THE FEASIBILITY OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN LINEAR AND ROTATIONAL FORCES MEASURED IN LABORATORY IMPACT TESTING. IN THIS PHASE II PROPOSAL, WE ARE REQUESTING FUNDING FOR MATURATION OF SOFTSHOX TECHNOLOGY AND PREPARATION FOR COMMERCIALIZATION: 1) ADAPTING AND OPTIMIZING SOFTSHOX TECHNOLOGY TO MULTIPLE HELMET MAKES AND MODELS, 2) DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING A PRODUCTION-READY DESIGN, MANUFACTURING SYSTEM AND COST PROJECTIONS, 3) FABRICATING AND TESTING A PRODUCTION-QUALITY HELMET, REPRESENTATIVE OF COMMERCIALIZED FORM, MATERIALS, AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, AND 4) CREATING AND ANALYZING COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OF SOFTSHOX TO PREDICT EFFICACY IN A VARIETY OF PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR IN APPLICATIONS BEYOND YOUTH FOOTBALL. AT THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE PHASE II PROJECT, SAVIOR BRAIN WILL BE IN A STRONG POSITION TO DEVELOP A HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN AND ENGAGE IN MARKETING DISCUSSIONS WITH PROSPECTIVE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER (OEM) HELMET CUSTOMERS. AIM 1: PROTOTYPE SOFTSHOX TECHNOLOGY FOR MULTIPLE HELMET MAKES AND MODELS. AIM 2: DESIGN FOR COST-EFFECTIVE MANUFACTURE OF SOFTSHOX COMPONENT ASSEMBLIES. AIM 3: FABRICATE AND TEST A PRODUCTION-QUALITY FOOTBALL HELMET WITH SOFTSHOX TECHNOLOGY. AIM 4: PREDICT THE EFFICACY OF SOFTSHOX IN SINGLE IMPACT HELMETS.

RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF CLOSED-LOOP ALLOSTATIC NEUROTECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE SENSORY FUNCTION AND PAIN MANAGEMENT AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

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AN APPROACH-AVOIDANCE, COMPUTATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PREDICTING BEHAVIORAL THERAPY OUTCOME IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

HOME SLEEP THERAPY SYSTEM FOR MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT - SEVERAL FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A DEFICIT IN DEEP SLEEP (STAGE N3) WITH INCREASED AGE IMPAIRS ONGOING MEMORY CONSOLIDATION POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE MEMORY DECLINE OF MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI). FURTHERMORE, IMPAIRED N3 SLEEP ALSO CAUSES INADEQUATE EXCRETION OF BETA AMYLOIDS AND TAU PROTEIN, WHICH OVER MANY YEARS OF POOR SLEEP MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE LONG TERM NEURAL DEGENERATION LEADING TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD). THE EVIDENCE TO DATE IMPLIES A VICIOUS CIRCLE: THE BUILDUP OF NEUROTOXINS IMPAIRS THE SLOW WAVE STAGE OF DEEP SLEEP, AND THE DEGREE OF SLEEP DEFICIT APPEARS TO PREDICT THE BUILDUP OF NEUROTOXINS AND THUS PROGRESSION TO AD [1]. THE PRESENT PROJECT WILL CREATE THE NEUROSOM® ELECTRIC SLEEP THERAPY (NEST) SYSTEM TO ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO CONDUCT TES STUDIES TO IMPROVE SLEEP IN SENIORS WITH MCI IN THEIR HOME SETTING. THE SYSTEM INCLUDES A SIMPLE BATTERY-OPERATED BLUETOOTH HEADBAND FOR ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) AND TRANSCRANIAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (TES), LINKED WITH A POWERFUL BEDSIDE NANOCOMPUTER FOR SLEEP EEG ANALYSIS AND MACHINE LEARNING CLASSIFICATION OF SLEEP STAGES. COMMUNICATION WITH CLOUD SERVICES PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR DATA ANALYSIS, MEMORY ASSESSMENT, AND REPORTING TO THE PATIENT AND PHYSICIAN. BY IMPLEMENTING AND TESTING THE NEST SYSTEM IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVE TOOLS FOR MONITORING PHYSIOLOGIC AND BEHAVIORAL MEASURES SLEEP QUALITY AT HOME. IN ADDITION, IT WILL ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO DEVELOP TES PROTOCOLS FOR MANIPULATING SLEEP NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, SUCH AS SYNCHRONIZING SLEEP SPINDLES AND THE SLOW OSCILLATIONS OF N3 SLEEP IN AT-RISK POPULATIONS. ALTHOUGH OUR FOCUS IS ON TES TO EXTEND N3 SLEEP, THE EEG HEADBAND ASSESSMENT WILL ALSO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE SLEEP QUALITY OUTCOME MEASURES TO EVALUATE VARIOUS APPROACHES TO SLEEP THERAPY IN SENIORS WITH MCI, INCLUDING: SLEEP HYGIENE, IMPROVED EXERCISE, COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA, AND NEW PHARMACOLOGIC AGENTS. THE REALISTIC GOAL FROM THIS PROJECT IS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SLEEP AND MEMORY FUNCTION IN OLDER PERSONS WITH MCI. IF IT PROVES FEASIBLE TO IMPROVE SLEEP OVER MANY YEARS, THE MORE AMBITIOUS GOAL COULD BE TO DELAY OR EVEN AVOID THE ONSET OF DEMENTIA IN MILLIONS OF HEALTHY SENIORS. TO PROVIDE PRELIMINARY DATA ON THIS LONG-RANGE GOAL, THE PHASE II TRIAL WILL INCLUDE SERIAL PLASMA MEASURES OF BETA AMYLOID EXCRETION (AB40, AB42) TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT IMPROVED DEEP SLEEP MAY IMPROVE GLYMPHATIC CLEARANCE OF TOXIC METABOLITES.

INTRODUCING NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROCOMPUTATION CONCEPTS TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS USING BRAIN-BASED NEUROROBOTS - PROJECT SUMMARY UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN IS A PROFOUND AND FASCINATING CHALLENGE, CAPTIVATING THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC ALIKE. THE LACK OF EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR MOST BRAIN DISORDERS MAKES TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NEUROSCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS AND PHYSICIANS A KEY CONCERN. HOWEVER, MUCH NEUROSCIENCE IS PERCEIVED TO BE TOO DIFFICULT TO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOL. TO MAKE NEUROSCIENCE ACCESSIBLE AND ENGAGING TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, BACKYARD BRAINS IS DEVELOPING SPIKERBOTS: FUN AND AFFORDABLE ROBOTS THAT LOOK LIKE BRAINS AND ARE CONTROLLED BY COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OF BIOLOGICAL BRAINS. THE SPIKERBOTS AND ASSOCIATED SOFTWARE AND CURRICULUM REQUIRE NO BACKGROUND IN NEUROSCIENCE OR PROGRAMMING, AND ALLOW STUDENTS TO INVESTIGATE MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS ABOUT MIND, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR BY DESIGNING ARTIFICIAL BRAINS THAT MAKE THE ROBOTS’ BEHAVIOR LIFE-LIKE, SENSORY-GUIDED AND GOAL-DIRECTED. THESE BRAIN DESIGN EXERCISES ENGAGE STUDENTS IN ACTIVE, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, WHICH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE STEM OUTCOMES, ESPECIALLY AMONG DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS. IN PHASE I, WE SHOWED THAT SPIKERBOTS WITH CAMERA-EYES, MICROPHONE-EARS, SPEAKERS, 2-WHEEL DRIVE AND WIFI, CONTROLLED BY SPIKING NEURAL NETWORKS SIMULATED ON LAPTOPS, ENABLED 295 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN A 1-WEEK WORKSHOP TO LEARN NEUROSCIENCE CONCEPTS, SOLVE BRAIN DESIGN CHALLENGES, AND DEVELOP SELF-CONFIDENCE IN NEUROSCIENCE. IN PHASE II, WE WILL (1) DEVELOP PRODUCTION-READY SPIKERBOT HARDWARE THAT REDUCES COSTS AND IMPROVES DURABILITY, (2) DESIGN A CLOUD-BASED APPLICATION FOR CROSS-PLATFORM FUNCTIONALITY ON LOW-COST LAPTOPS, AND (3) DEVELOP A CURRICULUM AND SET OF TEACHER ONBOARDING MATERIALS, INCLUDING RECURRING TEACHER WORKSHOPS, HELD AT 3 SCIENCE MUSEUMS, ON EMPLOYING INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING TO TEACH EFFECTIVELY USING THE SPIKERBOT. EDUCATION RESEARCHERS AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY WILL CONTINUE TO CONDUCT EVALUATION OF STUDENTS’ AND TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES AND LEARNING GAINS. WE INTEND TO SELL OUR NEUROROBOTS DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMERS, AND THROUGH OUR EDUCATION CHANNEL PARTNERS AT A PRICE OF $150 PER ROBOT. WHILE THE SPIKERBOT IS DESIGNED FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION SECTORS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES CAN ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE TECHNOLOGY. OUR LONG-TERM AIM IS TO ENCOURAGE EDUCATION POLICY MAKERS TO ADOPT MORE NEUROSCIENCE SCIENCE STANDARDS BY DEMONSTRATING AN EFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE CURRICULUM ORGANIZED AROUND BIOLOGICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL CONCEPTS THAT EMBRACE THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS. BY COMBINING NEUROSCIENCE, A MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD THAT SPANS BIOLOGY, MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGY, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING, WITH ROBOTICS AND ACTIVE, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, OUR SPIKERBOT AND CURRICULUM WILL IMPROVE STEM-EDUCATION AND INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS AND PHYSICIANS.

IMPROVING SPATIOTEMPORAL PRECISION IN NONINVASIVE ELECTRICAL NEUROMODULATION

PLASTICITY-BASED ADAPTIVE COGNITIVE REMEDIATION (PACR) FOR OIF/OEF VETERANS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

INFLAMMATORY TRANSCRIPTS, GENES AND POSITIVE VALENCE SYSTEM FUNCTION IN ANHEDONIA

PURPOSE: CONSTRUCT/REHABILITATE/MODIFY/EXPAND SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT BUILDING. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A 27,000 SQUARE FOOT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT BUILDING TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT BY PROTECTING IT FROM ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. . THIS GRANT FUNDS THE THIRD PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION OF 6,500 SQUARE FEET OF SAND AND DEICING CHEMICAL STORAGE SPACES. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

DEDICATED BRAIN PET DEVICE OPTIMIZED FOR BRAIN IMAGING

ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT

THE TOWN OF BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS, WILL BE AWARDED $2,000,000 FOR TWO DAM REMOVALS IN THE MONATIQUOT RIVER WATERSHED. THE WORK WOULD CREATE IMMEDIATE ACCESS FOR ALEWIVES AND OTHER DIADROMOUS SPECIES AS WELL AS INCREASE THE RESILIENCE OF AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY. THE PROJECTS WILL COMPLETELY REMOVE THE DAMS AND RESTORE THE RIVER CHANNEL THROUGH THE FORMER IMPOUNDMENT. THE REMOVALS PARALLEL ONGOING EFFORTS TO REDEVELOP AN ADJACENT DEGRADED INDUSTRIAL SITE INTO WATERFRONT ACCESS FOR THE PUBLIC. DAM REMOVAL WILL REDUCE THE FLOOD ELEVATION BY UP TO 9 FEET, ELIMINATE THE THREAT DAM FAILURE POSES TO A COMMUTER RAILROAD AND HIGHWAY, AND COINCIDE WITH THE REMOVAL OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS IN THE RIVER. OUTREACH IS PLANNED FOR THE COMMUNITY AND A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL WILL BE CREATED TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE RIVER.

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STTR PHASE II: A NOVEL RETINAL IMAGING DEVICE

UNIFIED HIGH PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF IMAGING BIOMARKERS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

IDENTIFYING AND QUANTIFYING GENETIC EFFECTS ON NEURODEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORIES IN ADOLESCENTS

IMAGING SOFTWARE OF FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY MRI FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

PROCESSES AND CIRCUITRY UNDERLYING THREAT SENSITIVITY AS A TREATMENT TARGET FOR COMORBID ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION - PROJECT SUMMARY NEARLY HALF OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) HAVE A COMORBID ANXIETY DISORDER (AD), WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT RESISTANCE, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY. YET, THE UNDERLYING PROCESS DYSFUNCTIONS THAT CHARACTERIZE COMORBID AD AND MDD (AD-MDD) ARE POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THE PREMISE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS THAT EXAGGERATED THREAT SENSITIVITY IN GENERAL, AND POTENTIAL THREAT VS ACUTE THREAT IN PARTICULAR DIFFERENTIATES AD- MDD FROM MDD. THIS PROJECT BUILDS ON OUR PILOT DATA SHOWING THAT PEOPLE WITH AD-MDD HAVE EXAGGERATED THREAT SENSITIVITY COMPARED TO THOSE WITH MDD ACROSS SEVERAL LEVELS (SELF-REPORT, STARTLE ELECTROMYOGRAM [EMG], FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING [FMRI] AND BEHAVIORAL), AND AIMS TO DELINEATE AND QUANTIFY THE NEURAL CIRCUIT DYSFUNCTIONS UNDERLYING THREAT SENSITIVITY (POTENTIAL AND ACUTE THREAT) IN AD-MDD RELATIVE TO MDD AND AD. IF CONFIRMED, THE PROPOSED STUDIES WOULD PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL, NEURAL, AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES THAT CAN BE USED FOR BOTH QUANTITATIVE SEVERITY ASSESSMENT AND AS A TREATMENT TARGET FOR AD-MDD. WHEREAS BOTH AD-MDD AND MDD INDIVIDUALS SHOW BLUNTED REWARD AND INTEROCEPTIVE/SALIENCE PROCESSING, ONLY AD-MDD SHOW EXAGGERATED THREAT SENSITIVITY. HOWEVER, THE NEURAL BASIS FOR THREAT SENSITIVITY IS COMPLEX AND CONSISTS OF BOTH POTENTIAL THREAT (PT; “ANXIETY”) AND ACUTE THREAT (AT; “FEAR”) RELATED PROCESSES, WHICH INVOLVE DIFFERENT CIRCUITS, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN EXAMINED IN AD-MDD. THIS PROPOSAL FOCUSES ON THIS CRUCIAL GAP TO BETTER DELINEATE THE NEURAL CIRCUITRY. BENZODIAZEPINES ARE COMMON ANXIOLYTICS WHICH ARE GABAERGIC AGONISTS AND REDUCE PT RATHER THAN AT. WE PROPOSE TO USE THE BENZODIAZEPINE LORAZEPAM, AS AN ACUTE PHARMACOLOGICAL PROBE TO CAUSALLY STUDY THREAT CIRCUITRY AND DELINEATE NEURAL MECHANISMS CONTRIBUTING TO AD-MDD, MDD AND AD. THIS PROPOSAL'S AIMS FOCUS ON: (1) PROBING DIFFERENCES IN PT AND AT AT MULTIPLE LEVELS OF ANALYSIS BETWEEN AD-MDD, MDD AND AD; AND (2) DETERMINING HOW PHARMACOLOGICAL MANIPULATION TARGETING PT DIFFERS IN ITS ACUTE NEUROLOGICAL, ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS ON AD-MDD VS MDD VS AD. WE PROPOSE: (1) THE INTERACTION OF INCREASED THREAT SENSITIVITY AND REWARD/SALIENCE BLUNTING CONTRIBUTES TO UNIQUE NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER DISEASE BURDEN FOR AD-MDD THAN MDD; AND (2) THIS SENSITIVITY IN AD-MDD IS MECHANISTICALLY RELATED TO SPECIFIC NEURAL ACTIVATION CHANGES IN TARGETABLE CIRCUITS ASSOCIATED WITH PT. THIS MECHANISTIC R01 USES A BENZODIAZEPINE WITHIN AN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE MODEL APPROACH TO CAUSALLY MODULATE THE THREAT PROCESSING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED CIRCUITS IN AD- MDD (N=55), MDD (N=55), AND AD (N=55). IN A CROSSOVER DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A SINGLE 1MG DOSE OF LORAZEPAM AND PLACEBO AND COMPLETE THREAT TASKS THAT DELINEATE PT/AT DURING EYEBLINK STARTLE EMG (AIM 1/3) AND FMRI (AIM 2/3). THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO ESTABLISH TREATMENT TARGETS FOR AD-MDD FOR NOVEL INTERVENTIONS AND PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR THE SEPARATION OF MDD AND AD-MDD IN FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS.

MOTION COMPENSATED BRAIN PET IMAGING FOR NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH

COMPUTERIZED SOCIAL COGNITION TRAINING FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA

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LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION OF HIGH PURITY HUMAN CORTICAL GLUTAMATERGIC NEURONS

SOURCERER IC: A WEB-BASED INTEGRATIVE MULTI-MODAL WORKFLOW FOR EPILEPSY SURGICAL PLANNING - ABSTRACT THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CREATE SOFTWARE THAT IMPROVES THE USE OF INTRACRANIAL EEG TO QUALIFY PATIENTS WITH MEDICATION-RESISTANT EPILEPSY FOR NEUROSURGERY. ONE MILLION PEOPLE IN THE US SUFFER FROM CONTINUAL SEIZURES THAT ARE NOT CONTROLLED BY MEDICATION. THE CURRENT ESTIMATE IS THAT HALF OF THESE COULD BE TREATED EFFECTIVELY BY SURGICAL RESECTION OF THE EPILEPTIC CORTICAL TISSUE, AND YET THE MAJORITY OF THEM WILL NOT RECEIVE THE SURGERY (ENGEL & WIEBE, 2012). THERE ARE 200 COMPREHENSIVE EPILEPSY CENTERS IN THE US THAT ARE CERTIFIED TO PROVIDE BOTH THE EPILEPSY RESECTION AND THE MULTIMODAL PRESURGICAL EVALUATION (CLINICAL SEMIOLOGY, NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT, EEG, MRI, PET, AND INTRACRANIAL OR ICEEG). A PROBLEM FOR THIS EVALUATION IS THE SOFTWARE FOR INTEGRATING THE MULTIPLE IMAGING AND ASSESSMENT MODALITIES IN THE PRESURGICAL WORKUP TO ALLOW CONFIDENCE IN THE NEUROSURGICAL PLAN. THE LOCALIZATION OF THE ICEEG ELECTRODES IS OFTEN PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE OF BRAIN SHIFT (MOVEMENT AND DEFORMATION OF THE BRAIN FROM THE PREOPERATIVE IMAGING TO THE POSTOPERATIVE CT USED FOR ELECTRODE POSITION IMAGING). WITH RECENT ADVANCES IN DENSE ARRAY EEG (DEEG) WITH INDIVIDUAL HEAD CONDUCTIVITY MODELS, ELECTRICAL SOURCE IMAGING CAN PROVIDE NONINVASIVE ESTIMATES OF THE SEIZURE ONSET ZONE, WHICH COULD THEN GUIDE MORE FOCUSED AND EFFECTIVE ICEEG PROBES, AND POTENTIALLY MORE CONFIDENT AND LIMITED NEUROSURGICAL RESECTIONS. THE PRESENT SBIR RESEARCH BUILDS ON OUR EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH ICEEG ELECTRODE LOCALIZATION, MULTIMODAL NEUROIMAGE REGISTRATION, DEEG SOURCE IMAGING, AND USER INTERFACE DESIGN TO CREATE SOURCERER IC, A SOFTWARE PLATFORM OPTIMIZED FOR BRINGING MULTIPLE FORMS OF EVIDENCE TO INTERPRET ICEEG MEASURES AND IMPROVE THE LOCALIZATION OF THE SEIZURE ONSET ZONE. THE KEY INNOVATIONS OF THIS PROJECT ARE: THE INTEGRATION OF MULTIMODAL NEUROIMAGING DATA (MRI, DWMRI, FMRI, PET) REGISTERED PRECISELY WITH STRUCTURAL MRI IN A DICOM FORMAT FOR EXPORT TO THE NEUROSURGEON’S NEURONAVIGATOR SOFTWARE; THE CAPACITY FOR NONINVASIVE DEEG SOURCE LOCALIZATION OF SPIKES AND SEIZURE ONSET WITH INDIVIDUAL HEAD CONDUCTIVITY MODELS IN PREPARATION FOR ICEEG ELECTRODE PLACEMENT (AS VALIDATION RATHER THAN EXPLORATION); THE CORRECTION OF BRAIN SHIFT DUE TO SURGICAL IMPLANTING OF ICEEG ELECTRODES BY REGISTERING THE POSTOPERATIVE CT TO THE PREOPERATIVE MRI; AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE INTEGRATION OF ALL COMPONENTS OF THE PRESURGICAL WORKUP WITHIN AN INTUITIVE AND USABLE SOFTWARE WORKFLOW WITH FULL QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION AND VALIDATION FOLLOWING FDA GUIDELINES. SOURCERER IC WILL BUILD ON THE MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH YALE’S BIOIMAGE SUITE, SUCH THAT PHYSICIANS AND TECHNICIANS ACCESS THEIR COMPONENTS OF THE WORKFLOW THROUGH SECURE WEB INTERFACES, AND THE NETWORKED DATABASE MAINTAINS AND INTEGRATES ALL TRANSACTIONS TO COORDINATE COMPUTATIONAL AS WELL AS DATA RESOURCES FOR EFFICIENT COMPLETION, REVIEW, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN OPTIMIZED NEUROSURGICAL PLAN.

PURPOSE: RECONSTRUCT TAXILANE; REHABILITATE TAXIWAY; RESEAL/RESURFACE RUNWAY PAVEMENT. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT RECONSTRUCTS 68 FEET OF THE EXISTING TAXILANE G PAVEMENT THAT HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS PROJECT REHABILITATES 720 FEET OF THE EXISTING PAVED TAXIWAY A AND CONNECTORS TO MAINTAIN THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE PAVEMENT AND TO MINIMIZE FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS TO EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS PROJECT RESEALS 6,512 FEET OF EXISTING RUNWAY 5/23 PAVEMENT AND JOINTS AT A NON HUB PRIMARY AIRPORT TO EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS GRANT FUNDS PHASE 1, WHICH CONSISTS OF REMOVING THE TAXIWAY A2 CONNECTOR. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE FINAL PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

A NOVEL PLATFORM TO FACILITATE PROVIDER ADOPTION OF COGNITIVE CARE PLANNING - SUMMARY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS (AD/ADRD) ARE PROGRESSIVE DISEASES IN WHICH PATIENTS’ PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES DECLINE PRECIPITOUSLY OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH THERE IS CURRENTLY NO CURE AND VERY FEW PHARMACEUTICAL-BASED TREATMENT OPTIONS, SOME INTERVENTIONS CAN HELP IMPROVE PATIENT HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE. COGNITIVE CARE PLANNING (CCP) REFERS TO THE PRACTICE OF SYSTEMATICALLY COMPILING AND COMMUNICATING PERSONALIZED RECOMMENDATIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP CARE TO AD/ADRD PATIENTS. THIS ACTIVITY CAN LEAD TO BETTER CARE MANAGEMENT, THUS BENEFITING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF BOTH PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. DESPITE THIS, CCP IS SCARCELY SEEN IN ROUTINE CARE AND SEVERAL BARRIERS ATTRIBUTE TO THE SLOW ADOPTION RATE. FIRST, CCP IS TIME CONSUMING DUE TO THE SIZABLE AMOUNT OF CONTENT TO ASSEMBLE; COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT DATA, EMOTIONAL HEALTH STATUS, AND CAREGIVER KNOWLEDGE, TO NAME A FEW. SECOND, THE EXPERTISE REQUIRED TO INTERPRET PATIENT INFORMATION AND GENERATE INDIVIDUALIZED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CARE CAN BE DAUNTING TO NON-SPECIALISTS; WHEREAS DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF DEMENTIA SPECIALISTS, THE BURDEN OF CARE FOR THIS PATIENT POPULATION MOST OFTEN FALLS TO NON-SPECIALIST PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS (PCPS). THE CONSIDERABLE TIME INVESTED INTO DEVELOPING A CARE PLAN RESULTS IN A FINANCIAL BARRIER AS WELL. IN 2018 A NEW BILLING CODE WAS ESTABLISHED TO ADDRESS THIS BUT REIMBURSEMENTS RATES REMAIN LOW. BRAINCHECK HAS AN OVERARCHING GOAL TO ENHANCE THE ADOPTION OF FORMAL CCP AS PART OF ROUTINE CARE FOR AD/ADRD PATIENTS. WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN APP-BASED TOOL THAT INTEGRATES ASSESSMENT SCORES, PROVIDER INPUT, AND PATIENT/CAREGIVER REPORTED DATA TO GENERATE AN INDIVIDUALIZED, EASY-TO-READ DOCUMENT TO BE DELIVERED DURING A CLINIC VISIT. A PROTOTYPE OF THIS TOOL, BC-CARE™, WAS POSITIVELY RECEIVED BY AN INITIAL GROUP OF SPECIALIST AND NON-SPECIALIST USERS AND THEIR FEEDBACK WAS USED TO ITERATE ON KEY FEATURES AND USER INTERFACE DESIGN. MOREOVER, CLINICAL PRACTICES REPORTED GREATER SUCCESS IN CLAIMING MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT AFTER USING BC-CARE. BASED ON THIS PRELIMINARY WORK, WE BELIEVE BC-CARE MAKES CARE PLANNING FASTER, MORE ACCESSIBLE, AND MORE LIKELY TO BE REIMBURSED. HERE, WE PROPOSE PHASE II STUDIES TO SYSTEMATICALLY VALIDATE THE IMPACT OF BC-CARE ON THE ADOPTION OF CCP. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL: MEASURE THE TIME SPENT ON CARE PLANNING, CARE PLAN COMPLETION RATE, AND REIMBURSEMENT SUCCESS RATE FOR PROVIDERS USING BC-CARE (AIM 1); COMPARE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PROVIDERS ADOPT CARE PLANNING BEFORE AND AFTER GAINING ACCESS TO THE BC-CARE TOOL (AIM 2); AND TRACK SPECIFIC IMPACTS ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AMONG PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS WHO RECEIVED A CARE PLAN VIA BC-CARE COMPARED TO THOSE RECEIVING CARE-AS-USUAL (AIM 3). BY ADDRESSING THREE OF THE MAJOR BARRIERS PREVENTING PROVIDERS FROM OFFERING CARE PLANNING SERVICES TO THEIR PATIENTS WITH AD/ADRD, WE PREDICT OUR TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTION WILL SUBSTANTIALLY ENHANCE ADOPTION, THUS OFFERING A REALISTIC PATH TOWARD IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BY IMPROVING THE APPROACH TO ROUTINE COGNITIVE CARE.

PURPOSE: CONSTRUCT/MODIFY/IMPROVE/REHABILITATE HANGAR. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A NEW 8,060 SQUARE FOOT TWO-BAY BOX HANGAR FOR AIRCRAFT STORAGE, MAINTENANCE, OR SERVICE TO ASSIST THE AIRPORT TO BE AS SELF-SUSTAINING AS POSSIBLE BY GENERATING REVENUE. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE SECOND PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

A NOVEL APPROACH TO ASSESSING COGNITIVE STATE DURING REAL-WORLD TASKS

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ACCELERATING FUNCTIONAL MATURATION OF HUMAN NEURONS FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING

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PURPOSE: RECONSTRUCT PERIMETER SECURITY FENCING. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT RECONSTRUCTS 16,050 FEET OF EXISTING PERIMETER FENCING AND 2 EXISTING GATES REQUIRED BY 49 CFR 1542 THAT HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIVES. THIS GRANT FUNDS PHASE 1, WHICH CONSISTS OF RECONSTRUCTION OF 13,050 FEET OF FENCING AND 2 GATES. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

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RAPID ASSESSMENT OF DISTRIBUTION LINE DAMAGE VIA AUTONOMOUS UAV

PURPOSE: RECONSTRUCT TAXILANE; REHABILITATE HELIPAD; ACQUIRE AIRFIELD EQUIPMENT. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT ACQUIRES A NEW BI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA TO ENHANCE SAFETY. THIS PROJECT RECONSTRUCTS 550 FEET OF EXISTING TAXILANE TLA-004 PAVEMENT THAT HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS PROJECT REHABILITATES 6,400 SQUARE FEET OF EXISTING AIRPORT HELIPAD TO EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE FINAL PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

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NEURAL BASIS OF MEAL RELATED INTEROCEPTIVE DYSFUNCTION IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA

APPROACH-AVOIDANCE CONFLICT-A MULTI-LEVEL PREDICTOR FOR EXPOSURE THERAPY RESPONSE

SBIR PHASE II: NON-INVASIVE NEONATAL BRAINSTEM MONITORING TO IMPROVE SLEEP, MINIMIZE DISRUPTIONS AND ENHANCE FEEDING STAMINA LEADING TO EARLIER DISCHARGE AND HEALTHIER DEVELOPMENT

PURPOSE: RECONSTRUCT TAXILANE; RECONSTRUCT AIRFIELD DRAINAGE/EROSION CONTROL; RECONSTRUCT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT; REHABILITATE HELIPAD. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT RECONSTRUCTS 550 FEET OF EXISTING TAXILANE TLA-004 PAVEMENT THAT HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS PROJECT RECONSTRUCTS EXISTING DRAINAGE STRUCTURES TO ADEQUATELY HANDLE STORM WATER RUNOFF THAT HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIVES. THIS PROJECT REHABILITATES 6,400 SQUARE FEET OF EXISTING AIRPORT HELIPAD TO EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS PROJECT REPLACES EXISTING SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT INCLUDING A CARRIER VEHICLE WITH PLOW ATTACHMENT THAT HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE. THIS GRANT FUNDS PHASE 1, WHICH CONSISTS OF DESIGN. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

THE NEURAL BASES OF PATHOLOGICAL FOOD PERCEPTION AND CHOICE IN MAJOR DEPRESSION

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SBIR PHASE II: HACKING EYE MOVEMENTS TO IMPROVE ATTENTION

STTR PHASE II: A LOW COST ROBOTICS KIT FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

NEUROPROTECTION BY SCAVENGING BLOOD GLUMATE AS A STRATEGY TO PROTECT AGAIN BRAIN DAMAGE &COGNITIVE EFFECTS PRODUCED BY NERVE AGENT-INDUCED SEIZURES

NEUROIMAGING ABNORMALITIES IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: EFFECT OF INFLAMMATION

IN VIVO INFLAMMATORY CHALLENGE TO ELUCIDATE THE ROLE OF THE TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR 4 PATHWAY IN DEPRESSION - PROJECT SUMMARY APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) DISPLAY INFLAMMATION THAT IS BELIEVED TO PLAY A CAUSAL ROLE IN THE DISORDER, BUT THE PRECISE MECHANISMS ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD. EXPERIMENTAL ENDOTOXEMIA STUDIES IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS HAVE SHOWN BEHAVIORAL, IMMUNOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES LEADING TO A TRANSIENT DEPRESSIVE-LIKE STATE THAT RESOLVES 4-5 HOURS AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE (LPS). WHILE INFORMATIVE, THESE STUDIES CANNOT REVEAL PUTATIVE, ABERRANT INFLAMMATORY AND REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN MDD. HENCE, A MECHANISTIC APPROACH IS REQUIRED TO PINPOINT WHICH IMMUNOREGULATORY MECHANISMS ARE DEFECTIVE IN MDD. THIS PROPOSAL WILL LEVERAGE AN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE STUDY INVOLVING ACUTE ADMINISTRATION OF LPS OR SALINE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD AND HEALTHY CONTROLS (HC) TO IDENTIFY DEPRESSION-RELEVANT CHANGES IN THE TLR4 PATHWAY AND ITS REGULATION BY MICRORIBONUCLEIC ACIDS (MIRNAS) IN BOTH THE BLOOD AND THE BRAIN. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT TLR4 SIGNALING IS SENSITIZED IN MDD BY A HISTORY OF EXPOSURE TO EXOGENOUS (E.G. PATHOGENS, LPS FROM LEAKY GUT) AND/OR ENDOGENOUS (E.G. CHRONIC STRESS) LIGANDS, AND THUS, TLR4-MEDIATED INFLAMMATORY AND REGULATORY MECHANISMS ARE IMPAIRED IN MDD SUBJECTS COMPARED TO HC. TLR4 DETECTS PATHOGEN- AND DAMAGE-ASSOCIATED MOLECULAR PATTERNS (PAMPS AND DAMPS) FOR PRODUCTION OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, SUCH AS INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6) AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF), WHICH ARE ELEVATED IN SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD. WHILST PAMPS, LIKE LPS PLAY A ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF MDD, STRESS-ASSOCIATED PRODUCTION OF DAMPS MAY ALSO ACTIVATE TLR4. DESPITE THE THEORETICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE TLR4 PATHWAY, THE EVIDENCE BASE IS CURRENTLY SMALL, THE EXTANT CLINICAL DATA ARE CROSS-SECTIONALLY DERIVED, AND TLR4 DOWNSTREAM SIGNALING HAS NOT BEEN ASSESSED DESPITE ABERRANT EXPRESSION OF TLR4-RESPONSIVE MIRNAS IN MDD. THESE MIRNAS CAN BE ISOLATED FROM EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES (EVS) THAT CROSS THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER, THUS, ISOLATING EVS OF GLIAL ORIGIN WILL PROVIDE A READOUT OF CNS-ASSOCIATED TLR4 REGULATION IN MDD. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT THE INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, IL-6 AND TNF, AS WELL AS TLR4 ARE INCREASED IN MDD COMPARED TO HC IN RESPONSE TO LPS. THE K99 PHASE WILL IDENTIFY PERIPHERAL AND CENTRAL TLR4-MEDIATED IMMUNE SIGNALING MECHANISMS IN MDD WITH THE USE OF HIGH-SENSITIVITY, IMMUNOASSAY DETECTION TO IDENTIFY CHANGES IN CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND TLR4 PATHWAY PROTEINS AND SUPPORT THE PI’S TRAINING IN FLOW CYTOMETRY, MIRNA EXTRACTION, ASTROCYTE-ENRICHED EV (AEEV) ISOLATION, AND RNA-SEQ. THE R00 PHASE WILL IDENTIFY PERIPHERAL AND CENTRAL TLR4-MEDIATED REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN MDD WITH THE USE OF NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING TO IDENTIFY MIRNAS DYSREGULATED IN MDD AND WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR TRANSITION TO AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR SPECIALIZING IN CNS-DEPENDENT TLR4- INFLAMMATORY MECHANISMS IN DEPRESSION. THE ABILITY TO DELINEATE TLR4-MEDIATED PERIPHERAL AND CNS IMMUNOREGULATORY RESPONSES WITH CUTTING EDGE TECHNIQUES, STILL NOVEL TO THE FIELD OF PSYCHIATRY, WILL MOVE US ONE STEP CLOSER TO UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING INFLAMMATION-ASSOCIATED DEPRESSION.

INVESTIGATING FLOTATION-REST AS A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR REDUCING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING A POSITIVE VALENCE TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOL USE DISORDER WITH ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION - PROJECT SUMMARY ONLY 20-30% OF INDIVIDUALS WITH ALCOHOL USE DISORDER (AUD) EXHIBIT LONG-TERM BENEFITS WITH LEADING PHARMACOLOGIC (E.G., ACAMPROSATE, NALTREXONE) AND BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES (E.G., COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY, CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT). NEARLY HALF OF INDIVIDUALS SEEKING TREATMENT FOR AUD EXPERIENCE CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS (ANX/DEP), WHICH RELATE TO WORSE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES. POSITIVE VALENCE SYSTEM (PVS) DYSFUNCTION IS A COMMON AND PERNICIOUS FEATURE OF BOTH AUD AND ANX/DEP THAT IS PREDICTIVE OF POOR FUNCTIONING AND PROGNOSIS. ALTHOUGH PVS DYSFUNCTION REPRESENTS A SHARED PATHOPHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISM ACROSS AUD AND ANX/DEP, IT IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY TARGETED BY EXISTING TREATMENTS. OUR TEAM DEVELOPED A BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION, AMPLIFICATION OF POSITIVITY (AMP), TO ENHANCE PVS FUNCTION THROUGH INCREASING EXPOSURE AND RESPONSIVITY TO NON-DRUG REWARDS. IN OUR PREVIOUS WORK, AMP WAS FOUND TO INCREASE POSITIVE VALENCE OUTCOMES (E.G., POSITIVE AFFECT, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, LIFE SATISFACTION), ENHANCE REACTIVITY OF PVS NEURAL CIRCUITS (I.E., STRIATAL RESPONSE TO SOCIAL REWARD), AND DECREASE NEGATIVE VALENCE OUTCOMES AND SYMPTOMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ANX/DEP. WE HAVE BEGUN TO MODIFY THIS INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF CO-OCCURRING AUD AND ANX/DEP (AMP-A), COMPLETING AN INITIAL PILOT FEASIBILITY STUDY. FOR THE PROPOSED STUDY, WE WILL FURTHER DEVELOP AND REFINE AMP-A BASED UPON QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE FEEDBACK FROM CLINICIANS AND PARTICIPANTS AND COMPLETE A PILOT STUDY OF THE PROTOCOL WITH EIGHT INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH AUD AND REPORTING CLINICALLY ELEVATED ANX/DEP SYMPTOMS - FURTHER REFINING THE PROTOCOL BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM THIS PILOT. WE WILL THEN RECRUIT 60 INDIVIDUALS WITH AUD+ANX/DEP AND RANDOMIZE THEM TO COMPLETE AMP-A OR COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) – A FIRST-LINE TREATMENT FOR AUD THAT HAS SMALL EFFECTS ON THE PVS. ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL COMPLETE CLINICAL AND SELF-REPORT MEASURES BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THERAPY AND AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. THIS PROJECT WILL ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING AIMS: (1) FURTHER DEVELOP AND REFINE AMP-A TO OPTIMIZE ITS ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL CLINICAL UTILITY; (2) DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF AMP-A COMPARED TO CBT ON THE PVS, AS MEASURED BY SELF-REPORT OF POSITIVE AFFECT, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, WELL-BEING, AND REWARD PROCESSING; (3) DETERMINE WHETHER INCREASES IN PVS FUNCTION ARE ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER CLINICAL IMPROVEMENT OF ALCOHOL USE, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. RESULTS WILL HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF AUD AND CO-OCCURRING ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION BY DETERMINING THE UTILITY OF DIRECTLY TARGETING THE PVS, WHICH WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE RESEARCH SEEKING TO REMEDIATE THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THESE CONDITIONS.

PLASTICITY-BASED ADAPTIVE COGNITIVE REMEDIATION PROGRAM (PACR) FOR THE TREATMENT

TONIC AND PHASIC ALERTNESS TRAINING FOR THE TREATMENT OF HEMINEGLECT

INTRODUCING NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROCOMPUTATION CONCEPTS TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS USING BRAIN-BASED NEUROROBOTS

IMPROVE EXISTING AIRPORT

CHARACTERIZING NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS IN POST-ACUTE SEQUELAE OF COVID-19 - ABSTRACT POST-ACUTE SEQUELAE OF COVID-19 (PASC), OR LONG COVID, IS AN EMERGING GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS WITH AN URGENT NEED FOR OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS TO QUANTIFY NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS. THIS PROPOSAL AIMS TO VALIDATE AND LEVERAGE A NOVEL MOBILE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) PLATFORM TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, COST-EFFECTIVE COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM NEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF PASC (NPASC). OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGESTS THAT EEG/EVENT-RELATED POTENTIAL (ERP) BIOSIGNATURES, INCLUDING DELAYED NEURAL RESPONSES DURING AUDITORY AND MEMORY TASKS, ARE SENSITIVE TO COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS IN NPASC. HOWEVER, THE TRAJECTORY AND SPECIFICITY OF THESE DEFICITS REMAIN UNCLEAR. THIS STUDY WILL VALIDATE THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN A LARGER COHORT (N=52) AND LONGITUDINALLY MONITOR CHANGES OVER ONE YEAR TO MAP RECOVERY OR DETECT EARLY SIGNS OF PERSISTENT COGNITIVE DECLINE. THE INNOVATIVE APPROACH INTEGRATES RESTING-STATE EEG WITH MULTIPLE TASK-BASED ERP PROTOCOLS, ENABLING COMPREHENSIVE PROFILING OF NEURAL DYSFUNCTION ASSOCIATED WITH NPASC. LEVERAGING ADVANCED BRAIN MONITORING'S FDA-CLEARED MOBILE EEG PLATFORM AND VALIDATED ANALYSIS PIPELINES WILL PROVIDE A SCALABLE SOLUTION FOR WIDESPREAD CLINICAL USE AND REMOTE ASSESSMENTS. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS STUDY WILL DELIVER A QUANTITATIVE EEG/ERP BIOMARKER PROFILE SPECIFIC TO NEURO-PASC, ENABLING OBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF COGNITIVE DEFICITS. LONGITUDINAL MONITORING WILL ELUCIDATE THE NATURAL TRAJECTORY, IDENTIFY POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS FOR PERSISTENT IMPAIRMENT, AND PROVIDE OUTCOME MEASURES FOR FUTURE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS. THIS INNOVATIVE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL WILL EMPOWER PATIENTS AND CLINICIANS BY PROVIDING OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE OF NPASC SEVERITY AND TREATMENT EFFICACY.

IMPROVE EXISTING AIRPORT ACQUIRE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT

TONIC AND PHASIC ALERTNESS TRAINING FOR COGNITIVE DECLINE IN AGING

NEUROSCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION OF CULTURAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN AMERICAN INDIANS - PROJECT SUMMARY AMERICAN INDIAN (AI) POPULATIONS HAVE HAD THE LARGEST INCREASE IN SUICIDE RATES OF ANY ETHNIC GROUP IN THAT PAST DECADE AND HAVE HIGH RATES OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS SUCH AS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS, SUBSTANCE USE, ANXIETY, AND MOOD DISORDERS. HOWEVER, PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND PRELIMINARY ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED THAT AIS ACTUALLY DISPLAY LOWER LEVELS OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS THAN BROADER POPULATIONS WHEN ACCOUNTING FOR INCREASED LEVELS OF RISK FACTORS, (E.G., TRAUMA EXPOSURE). EXTANT LITERATURE INDICATES THAT FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AI CULTURE ARE PROTECTIVE AGAINST POOR MENTAL HEALTH. YET, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW CULTURAL FACTORS (E.G., ENCULTURATION, SOCIAL SUPPORT) PLAY A PROTECTIVE ROLE. THERE ARE NO PUBLISHED STUDIES EXAMINING NEURAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF AI CULTURAL FACTORS. FILLING THIS GAP IS A CRITICAL STEP IN SUPPORTING AN EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS APPROACH TO DEVELOPING CULTURALLY INFORMED PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION EFFORTS. COGNITIVE CONTROL IS A NEUROCOGNITIVE FUNCTION THAT IS IMPLICATED ACROSS NUMEROUS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, CAN BE ASSESSED WITH VALIDATED BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROIMAGING TASKS, AND HAS BEEN WELL-DELINEATED IN REGARD TO UNDERLYING NEURAL CIRCUITRY. THE AIMS OF THE PROPOSAL ARE TO (A) DETERMINE WHETHER CULTURAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS RELATE TO BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL INDICATORS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL, AS MEASURED DURING ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY AND FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND (B) DEVELOP AN EXPERIMENTAL, CULTURAL IDENTIFICATION PARADIGM TO SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR FUTURE CULTURALLY-INFORMED NEUROSCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INTERVENTION/PREVENTION EFFORTS. A COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH (CBPR) FRAMEWORK WILL BE USED TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED MULTIMODAL NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL, CLINICAL INTERVIEWS, SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SYMPTOMS AND GLOBAL FUNCTIONING AS PART OF A PREVIOUS STUDY. THEY WILL COMPLETE SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF ENCULTURATION, SOCIAL SUPPORT, GLOBAL FUNCTIONING AND A CULTURAL ENHANCEMENT INDUCTION PARADIGM DEVELOPED USING A CBPR FRAMEWORK. THESE DATA WILL PROVIDE AN ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING CULTURALLY INFORMED, EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION EFFORTS AIMED AT REDUCING THE MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG AIS. THE PROPOSED TRAINING PLAN WILL EXPAND DR. WHITE EXPERTISE IN NEUROSCIENTIFIC MECHANISMS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL THROUGH MENTORSHIP, COURSEWORK, AND HANDS-ON TRAINING IN ADVANCED STATISTICAL METHODS, MULTIMODAL (EEG/FMRI) NEUROIMAGING, CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE, AND CULTURALLY INFORMED RESEARCH. HE HAS ASSEMBLED A TEAM OF MENTORS WELL SUITED TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DIVERSITY OF EXPERTISE HE NEEDS TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE. DR. MARTIN PAULUS WILL PROVIDE EXPERTISE NEUROIMAGING AND ADVANCED DATA ANALYTIC EXPERTISE. DR. AUPPERLE WILL BRING EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE RELATED TO NEUROIMAGING AND CLINICALLY RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE APPROACHES. DR. LOWE WILL PROVIDE EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCES IN AI CULTURALLY INFORMED RESEARCH. THE TRAINING AND ASSOCIATED RESEARCH WILL BE CONDUCTED AT LIBR, A STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTITUTE DEDICATED TO NEUROIMAGING RESEARCH AIMED AT DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS.

A YOUTH-SPECIFIC HELMET FOR PREVENTING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

PURPOSE: CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT FUNDS AWARDED AS ECONOMIC RELIEF U.S. AIRPORTS AFFECTED BY THE PREVENTION OF, PREPARATION FOR, AND RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A 27,043 SQUARE FOOT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT BUILDING TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT BY PROTECTING IT FROM ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A NEW 11,200 SQUARE FOOT BOX HANGAR HANGAR FOR AIRCRAFT STORAGE, MAINTENANCE, OR SERVICE TO ASSIST THE AIRPORT TO BE AS SELF-SUSTAINING AS POSSIBLE BY GENERATING REVENUE. THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A NEW 12,000 SQUARE FOOT BOX HANGAR FOR AIRCRAFT STORAGE, MAINTENANCE, OR SERVICE TO ASSIST THE AIRPORT TO BE AS SELF-SUSTAINING AS POSSIBLE BY GENERATING REVENUE. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE DESIGN PHASE. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

CYTOMEGALOVIRUS, BRAIN ALTERATIONS, AND DEPRESSION: DECODING NEUROINFLAMMATORY PATHWAYS FOR EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION - PROJECT ABSTRACT/SUMMARY DEPRESSION AFFECTS AT LEAST ONE IN EVERY SIX PEOPLE, AND IDENTIFYING TARGETABLE RISK FACTORS IS URGENTLY NEEDED TO FACILITATE EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION. THE LITERATURE AND THE APPLICANT'S PILOT STUDIES SUGGESTING THE NEUROTROPIC HERPES VIRUS, SUCH AS CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV) INFECTION, IS CAPABLE OF INDUCING NEUROINFLAMMATION, WHICH HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEPRESSION IN VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS. THE OBJECTIVE FOR THE PROPOSED K01 AWARD IS TO USE CMV INFECTION AS A MODEL TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING THAT CMV INFECTION-ASSOCIATED NEUROINFLAMMATORY MECHANISM PREDICTS DISRUPTION OF FRONTOTEMPORAL CIRCUITRY AND INCREASED ODDS OF DEPRESSION. THE APPLICANT WILL USE A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL NEUROBIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS THAT MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF DEPRESSION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CMV INFECTION. THIS APPROACH INCLUDES THE USE OF EXISTING BLOOD-BASED SEROLOGICAL MARKERS TO DETERMINE CMV SEROSTATUS AND ANTIBODY LEVELS, DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED NEUROIMAGING TO ASSESS BRAIN MICROSTRUCTURE INTEGRITY, POLYGENIC SCORE METHODS TO PROVE HOST ANTI-CMV IMMUNITY, AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENTS TO IDENTIFY DEPRESSION CASES AND MATCHED CONTROLS, AS WELL AS DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, WITHIN THE UK BIOBANK DATASET. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO: (1) DETERMINE THE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CMV SEROPOSITIVITY, BRAIN ALTERATIONS, AND DEPRESSION USING THE LARGEST SEROLOGICAL SAMPLE SO FAR; (2) INVESTIGATE LINKS BETWEEN GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO CMV SEROPOSITIVITY, BRAIN ALTERATIONS, AND DEPRESSION; AND (3) EXPLORE GENETICALLY PREDICTED INFLAMMATORY MOLECULAR PATHWAYS THROUGH WHICH CMV INFECTION MAY AFFECT BRAIN INTEGRITY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. THIS STUDY WILL EMPLOY RIGOROUS METHODS TO ELUCIDATE THE ROLE OF CMV IN BRAIN ALTERATION AND DEPRESSION, WHICH CAN LEAD TO AN ACTIONABLE TARGET TO MITIGATE NEUROINFLAMMATION AND REDUCE DEPRESSION RISK. THE INNOVATIVE APPROACH LEVERAGES POLYGENIC SCORES TO CAPTURE INDIVIDUAL GENETIC DIFFERENCES IN HOST IMMUNITY, OFFERING AN OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS AND INVESTIGATE THE INFLAMMATORY MECHANISMS INVOLVED. THIS CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD BUILDS UPON THE APPLICANT'S NEUROIMAGING EXPERTISE AND PRIOR RESEARCH FOCUS, AND FURTHER PROVIDES TRAINING TO: (1) BRIDGE THE KNOWLEDGE GAP ON VIRAL EPIDEMIOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF MENTAL HEALTH; (2) REFINE THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISRUPTED BRAIN CIRCUITS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CLINICAL SYMPTOMS OF INFLAMMATION-ASSOCIATED DEPRESSION; (3) APPLY STATISTICAL GENETICS TO PROBE INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN IMMUNITY; AND (4) DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND TRANSITION TO INDEPENDENCE. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AND TRAINING WILL BE MENTORED BY A TEAM OF LEADING EXPERTS WITH DIVERSE, COMPLEMENTARY EXPERTISE, ENSURING SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES. UPON COMPLETION OF THIS AWARD, THE APPLICANT WILL BE WELL-PREPARED FOR AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH CAREER IN POPULATION IMMUNOPSYCHIATRY, FOCUSING TO (1) GAIN A MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW NEUROTROPIC VIRAL INFECTION MAY CONFER RISK FOR MOOD DISORDERS; AND (2) DETERMINE WHICH SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS ARE AT RISK FOR DEPRESSION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN AND THE MECHANISMS OF WHY THEY ARE AT RISK.

SBIR PHASE II: VISUALIZATION TOOLKIT FOR 3D PHOTOGRAPHY

IDENTIFYING DRUGS THAT RESTORE NEUROFILAMENT LEVEL IN ALS

CF CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED GRANTS

MASTER PLAN STUDY

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

PERFORM FUNDING SYS

PURPOSE: THE PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM (CFP) WAS CREATED BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE 1937 ACT BY THE QUALITY HOUSING AND WORK RESPONSIBILITY ACT (QHWRA) IN 1998 (ADDING SECTION 9(D) TO THE 1937 ACT MERGING PREVIOUS MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS). THE CFP PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF GRANTS TO APPROXIMATELY 2,770 PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES (PHAS), SERVING NEARLY ONE MILLION UNITS, IN ALL 50 STATES AND TERRITORIES, TO CARRY OUT CAPITAL AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING THOSE LISTED IN SECTION 9(D)(1) OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSING ACT OF 1937 (1937 ACT). THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CFP FORMULA GRANT IS TO FUND PUBLIC HOUSING MODERNIZATION, DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE OTHER ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN 24 CFR PART 905. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND IS LOCATED ON THE OFFICE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WEBSITE: OFFICE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS | HUD.GOV / U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PUBLIC HOUSING FUNDING CAN BE FOUND BY ACCESSING THE WEBSITE BELOW AND REVIEWING THE PUBLIC HOUSING DASHBOARD LINKED UNDER THE “DATA DASHBOARD AND ANALYTICS”. PUBLIC HOUSING | HUD.GOV / U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD); ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE PHAS RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) TO ADMINISTER THE PUBLIC HOUSING FUND. PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS MAY ONLY BE USED FOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESCRIBED AS ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES IN 24 CFR 905.200 AND ARE EITHER SPECIFIED IN AN APPROVED 5-YEAR ACTION PLAN OR APPROVED BY HUD FOR EMERGENCY WORK OR WORK NEEDED BECAUSE OF A NON-PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED NATURAL DISASTER. PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, MODERNIZATION, AND FINANCING ARE THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED. DEVELOPMENT IS ACTIVITIES AND RELATED COSTS THAT ADD TO (OR SIGNIFICANTLY RECONFIGURE) PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS IN A PHA’S INVENTORY, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION AND ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, WITH OR WITHOUT REHABILITATION, AND ANY-AND-ALL UNDERTAKINGS NECESSARY FOR PLANNING, DESIGN, FINANCING, LAND ACQUISITION, DEMOLITION, CONSTRUCTION, OR EQUIPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, AND RELATED BUILDINGS, FACILITIES, AND/OR APPURTENANCES (I.E., NON-DWELLING FACILITIES/SPACES). DEVELOPMENT ALSO INCLUDES ANY MIXED-FINANCE MODERNIZATION, ALL RELEVANT MODERNIZATION USES (OTHER THAN MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS), FINANCING USES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF NON-DWELLING SPACE WHERE SUCH SPACE IS NEEDED TO ADMINISTER, AND IS OF DIRECT BENEFIT TO A PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT (I.E. HOUSING DEVELOPED, ACQUIRED, OR ASSISTED BY A PHA UNDER THE 1937 ACT, AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF ANY SUCH HOUSING), INCLUDING THE RESIDENTS. FINANCING DEBT AND FINANCING COSTS (E.G., ORIGINATION FEES, INTEREST) INCURRED BY A PHA FOR DEVELOPMENT OR MODERNIZATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS, INCLUDING MIXED-FINANCE DEVELOPMENT, THE CAPITAL FUND FINANCING PROGRAM (CFFP), AND ANY OTHER USE AUTHORIZED UNDER SECTION 30 OF THE 1937 ACT. MODERNIZATION INCLUDES ALL ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES EXCEPT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCING. PHYSICAL WORK IS A MAJOR ACTIVITY AND IS WORK THAT IS DONE ON THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURES, SITE, AND GROUNDS OF A PUBLIC HOUSING PROPERTY OR STRUCTURE. MAJOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DEMOLITION, RECONFIGURATION, EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, NON-ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, PLANNED CODE COMPLIANCE, AND VACANCY REDUCTION. THE MEASURABLE OUTCOME OF THIS GRANT IS THAT HUD WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STRUCTURES, UNITS, COMMON AREAS, UTILITIES, AND OTHER ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. ; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS OF APPROXIMATELY $3.2 BILLION WILL BE PUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT, MODERNIZATION, AND FINANCING OF NEARLY 1 MILLION PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES AND TERRITORIES. THE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ARE UPDATED TO BE DECENT, SAFE, SANITARY AND TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL HOUSING STANDARDS. PHAS CAN ALSO USE A PORTION OF THE CAPITAL FUNDING FOR MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS OR OPERATING ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SAFETY AND SECURITY COSTS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS ARE THE LOW-INCOME PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

DEVELOPING OF A COMPUTER-BASED MULTIMODAL MIND AND BODY APPROACH FOR MILD COGNITIVE DECLINE - SUMMARY MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI) REPRESENTS AN INTERMEDIATE STATE BETWEEN NORMAL AGING AND THE DIAGNOSIS OF CLINICALLY PROBABLE VERY EARLY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD). SINCE MCI MANIFESTS BEFORE THE ONSET OF AD, IT MAY BE THE OPTIMAL STAGE IN WHICH TO INTERVENE WITH PREVENTATIVE THERAPIES FOR AD AND AGE-RELATED DEMENTIA BEFORE PROGRESSIVE NEUROLOGICAL LOSS AND IRREVERSIBLE COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. NEVERTHELESS, PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT FOR MCI IS FAR FROM SATISFACTORY, HIGHLIGHTING THE URGENT NEED FOR NEW TREATMENT SOLUTIONS FOR MCI. BADUANJIN (BDJ) IS A UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE MIND-BODY EXERCISE CHARACTERIZED BY THE INTERPLAY OF SYMMETRICAL PHYSICAL POSTURES AND MOVEMENTS, FOCUSING ON STRENGTHENING MUSCLES AND TENDONS. IT CONSISTS OF EIGHT SIMPLE MOVEMENTS THAT CAN BE EASILY PRACTICED AT HOME WHEN GUIDED BY VIDEOS /AUDIO. THESE CHARACTERISTICS MAKE IT A SUITABLE OPTION FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH MCI. STUDIES FROM BOTH OUR GROUP AND OTHERS HAVE DEMONSTRATED ITS POTENTIALS FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH MCI. NEVERTHELESS, STUDIES ALSO SHOWED THAT THE RESPONSE TO BDJ VARIES SIGNIFICANTLY, SOME INDIVIDUALS DEMONSTRATE ONLY A MODERATE RESPONSE. TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGE, THIS APPLICATION AIMS TO INTEGRATE BDJ WITH OTHER MIND AND BODY APPROACHES TO DEVELOP A MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OPTION FOR MCI. THE GOAL OF THIS PHASE I R41 (STTR) APPLICATION IS TO DEVELOP A COMPUTER-BASED MULTIMODAL MIND AND BODY APPROACH (CBMMBA) TO IMPROVE THE COGNITIVE FUNCTION FOR MCI. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL FIRST DEVELOP A FUNCTIONAL CBMMBA PLATFORM (PROTOTYPE) INTEGRATING BDJ, ACUPRESSURE, AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES (AIM 1). WE CHOSE THESE METHODS, NOT ONLY BECAUSE SOME OF THESE METHODS ALONE HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN MCI / DEMENTIA, BUT BECAUSE THEY ALSO CAN INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER POSITIVELY TO PRODUCE SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS. NEXT, WE WILL PERFORM A FEASIBILITY STUDY USING THE CBMMBA ON MCI (AIM 2). THIS APPLICATION, IF SUCCESSFUL, WILL PROVIDE A COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE TREATMENT OPTION FOR MCI AND OTHER AGE-RELATED DEMENTIA, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE PREVENTION OF MCI DEVELOPMENT, AND DIRECTLY BENEFIT PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM THE HIGHLY PREVALENT DISORDER, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO IN- PERSON MIND AND BODY INTERVENTIONS.

PURPOSE: CONSTRUCT/REHABILITATE/MODIFY/EXPAND SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT BUILDING. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A 27,000 SQUARE FOOT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT BUILDING TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT BY PROTECTING IT FROM ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE FOURTH PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION OF 1,500 SQUARE FEET OF EQUIPMENT STORAGE SPACE. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

PURPOSE: THE PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM (CFP) WAS CREATED BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE 1937 ACT BY THE QUALITY HOUSING AND WORK RESPONSIBILITY ACT (QHWRA) IN 1998 (ADDING SECTION 9(D) TO THE 1937 ACT MERGING PREVIOUS MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS). THE CFP PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF GRANTS TO APPROXIMATELY 2,770 PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES (PHAS), SERVING NEARLY ONE MILLION UNITS, IN ALL 50 STATES AND TERRITORIES, TO CARRY OUT CAPITAL AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING THOSE LISTED IN SECTION 9(D)(1) OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSING ACT OF 1937 (1937 ACT). THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CFP FORMULA GRANT IS TO FUND PUBLIC HOUSING MODERNIZATION, DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE OTHER ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN 24 CFR PART 905. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND IS LOCATED ON THE OFFICE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WEBSITE: OFFICE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS | HUD.GOV / U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PUBLIC HOUSING FUNDING CAN BE FOUND BY ACCESSING THE WEBSITE BELOW AND REVIEWING THE PUBLIC HOUSING DASHBOARD LINKED UNDER THE “DATA DASHBOARD AND ANALYTICS”. PUBLIC HOUSING | HUD.GOV / U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD); ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE PHAS RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) TO ADMINISTER THE PUBLIC HOUSING FUND. PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS MAY ONLY BE USED FOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESCRIBED AS ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES IN 24 CFR 905.200 AND ARE EITHER SPECIFIED IN AN APPROVED 5-YEAR ACTION PLAN OR APPROVED BY HUD FOR EMERGENCY WORK OR WORK NEEDED BECAUSE OF A NON-PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED NATURAL DISASTER. PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, MODERNIZATION, AND FINANCING ARE THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED. DEVELOPMENT IS ACTIVITIES AND RELATED COSTS THAT ADD TO (OR SIGNIFICANTLY RECONFIGURE) PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS IN A PHA’S INVENTORY, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION AND ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, WITH OR WITHOUT REHABILITATION, AND ANY-AND-ALL UNDERTAKINGS NECESSARY FOR PLANNING, DESIGN, FINANCING, LAND ACQUISITION, DEMOLITION, CONSTRUCTION, OR EQUIPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, AND RELATED BUILDINGS, FACILITIES, AND/OR APPURTENANCES (I.E., NON-DWELLING FACILITIES/SPACES). DEVELOPMENT ALSO INCLUDES ANY MIXED-FINANCE MODERNIZATION, ALL RELEVANT MODERNIZATION USES (OTHER THAN MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS), FINANCING USES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF NON-DWELLING SPACE WHERE SUCH SPACE IS NEEDED TO ADMINISTER, AND IS OF DIRECT BENEFIT TO A PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT (I.E. HOUSING DEVELOPED, ACQUIRED, OR ASSISTED BY A PHA UNDER THE 1937 ACT, AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF ANY SUCH HOUSING), INCLUDING THE RESIDENTS. FINANCING DEBT AND FINANCING COSTS (E.G., ORIGINATION FEES, INTEREST) INCURRED BY A PHA FOR DEVELOPMENT OR MODERNIZATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS, INCLUDING MIXED-FINANCE DEVELOPMENT, THE CAPITAL FUND FINANCING PROGRAM (CFFP), AND ANY OTHER USE AUTHORIZED UNDER SECTION 30 OF THE 1937 ACT. MODERNIZATION INCLUDES ALL ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES EXCEPT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCING. PHYSICAL WORK IS A MAJOR ACTIVITY AND IS WORK THAT IS DONE ON THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURES, SITE, AND GROUNDS OF A PUBLIC HOUSING PROPERTY OR STRUCTURE. MAJOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DEMOLITION, RECONFIGURATION, EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, NON-ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, PLANNED CODE COMPLIANCE, AND VACANCY REDUCTION. THE MEASURABLE OUTCOME OF THIS GRANT IS THAT HUD WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STRUCTURES, UNITS, COMMON AREAS, UTILITIES, AND OTHER ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. ; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS OF APPROXIMATELY $3.2 BILLION WILL BE PUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT, MODERNIZATION, AND FINANCING OF NEARLY 1 MILLION PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES AND TERRITORIES. THE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ARE UPDATED TO BE DECENT, SAFE, SANITARY AND TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL HOUSING STANDARDS. PHAS CAN ALSO USE A PORTION OF THE CAPITAL FUNDING FOR MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS OR OPERATING ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SAFETY AND SECURITY COSTS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS ARE THE LOW-INCOME PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

CHARACTERIZING ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE WITH INSPECDS: INTEGRATED NEUROCOGNITIVE AND SLEEP-BEHAVIOR PROFILER FOR THE ENDOPHENOTYPIC CLASSIFICATION OF DEMENTIA SUBTYPES

PURPOSE: THE PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM (CFP) WAS CREATED BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE 1937 ACT BY THE QUALITY HOUSING AND WORK RESPONSIBILITY ACT (QHWRA) IN 1998 (ADDING SECTION 9(D) TO THE 1937 ACT MERGING PREVIOUS MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS). THE CFP PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF GRANTS TO APPROXIMATELY 2,770 PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES (PHAS), SERVING NEARLY ONE MILLION UNITS, IN ALL 50 STATES AND TERRITORIES, TO CARRY OUT CAPITAL AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING THOSE LISTED IN SECTION 9(D)(1) OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSING ACT OF 1937 (1937 ACT). THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CFP FORMULA GRANT IS TO FUND PUBLIC HOUSING MODERNIZATION, DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE OTHER ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN 24 CFR PART 905. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND IS LOCATED ON THE OFFICE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WEBSITE: OFFICE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS | HUD.GOV / U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PUBLIC HOUSING FUNDING CAN BE FOUND BY ACCESSING THE WEBSITE BELOW AND REVIEWING THE PUBLIC HOUSING DASHBOARD LINKED UNDER THE “DATA DASHBOARD AND ANALYTICS”. PUBLIC HOUSING | HUD.GOV / U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD); ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE PHAS RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) TO ADMINISTER THE PUBLIC HOUSING FUND. PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS MAY ONLY BE USED FOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESCRIBED AS ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES IN 24 CFR 905.200 AND ARE EITHER SPECIFIED IN AN APPROVED 5-YEAR ACTION PLAN OR APPROVED BY HUD FOR EMERGENCY WORK OR WORK NEEDED BECAUSE OF A NON-PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED NATURAL DISASTER. PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, MODERNIZATION, AND FINANCING ARE THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED. DEVELOPMENT IS ACTIVITIES AND RELATED COSTS THAT ADD TO (OR SIGNIFICANTLY RECONFIGURE) PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS IN A PHA’S INVENTORY, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION AND ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, WITH OR WITHOUT REHABILITATION, AND ANY-AND-ALL UNDERTAKINGS NECESSARY FOR PLANNING, DESIGN, FINANCING, LAND ACQUISITION, DEMOLITION, CONSTRUCTION, OR EQUIPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, AND RELATED BUILDINGS, FACILITIES, AND/OR APPURTENANCES (I.E., NON-DWELLING FACILITIES/SPACES). DEVELOPMENT ALSO INCLUDES ANY MIXED-FINANCE MODERNIZATION, ALL RELEVANT MODERNIZATION USES (OTHER THAN MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS), FINANCING USES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF NON-DWELLING SPACE WHERE SUCH SPACE IS NEEDED TO ADMINISTER, AND IS OF DIRECT BENEFIT TO A PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT (I.E. HOUSING DEVELOPED, ACQUIRED, OR ASSISTED BY A PHA UNDER THE 1937 ACT, AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF ANY SUCH HOUSING), INCLUDING THE RESIDENTS. FINANCING DEBT AND FINANCING COSTS (E.G., ORIGINATION FEES, INTEREST) INCURRED BY A PHA FOR DEVELOPMENT OR MODERNIZATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS, INCLUDING MIXED-FINANCE DEVELOPMENT, THE CAPITAL FUND FINANCING PROGRAM (CFFP), AND ANY OTHER USE AUTHORIZED UNDER SECTION 30 OF THE 1937 ACT. MODERNIZATION INCLUDES ALL ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES EXCEPT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCING. PHYSICAL WORK IS A MAJOR ACTIVITY AND IS WORK THAT IS DONE ON THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURES, SITE, AND GROUNDS OF A PUBLIC HOUSING PROPERTY OR STRUCTURE. MAJOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DEMOLITION, RECONFIGURATION, EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, NON-ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, PLANNED CODE COMPLIANCE, AND VACANCY REDUCTION. THE MEASURABLE OUTCOME OF THIS GRANT IS THAT HUD WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STRUCTURES, UNITS, COMMON AREAS, UTILITIES, AND OTHER ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. ; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS OF APPROXIMATELY $3.2 BILLION WILL BE PUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT, MODERNIZATION, AND FINANCING OF NEARLY 1 MILLION PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES AND TERRITORIES. THE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ARE UPDATED TO BE DECENT, SAFE, SANITARY AND TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL HOUSING STANDARDS. PHAS CAN ALSO USE A PORTION OF THE CAPITAL FUNDING FOR MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS OR OPERATING ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SAFETY AND SECURITY COSTS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDS ARE THE LOW-INCOME PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANTS-IN-AID AWARDED THROUGH CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING ASSIST IN THE IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION, AND PROTECTION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES BY SUCH MEANS AS EDUCATION, SURVEY, PLANNING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, PRESERVATION, DOCUMENTATION, AND FINANCIAL INCENTIVES LIKE GRANTS AND TAX CREDITS AVAILABLE FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES. THE GRANTS SUPPORT A BROAD RANGE OF PRESERVATION PROJECTS FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES INCLUDING ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES, HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORTS, PRESERVATION PLANS, AND PHYSICAL PRESERVATION TO SITES IN KEEPING WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIORS STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATES, TRIBES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NONPROFITS AS DESIGNATED BY CONGRESS. THIS PROJECT IS AWARDED TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, CITY OF BRAINERD, MN, FOR REPAIRS PRESERVATION OF THE BRAINERD HISTORIC WATER TOWER BY REPAIRING STRUCTURAL CONCRETE AND STUCCO ISSUES AND ENSURING ITS CONTINUED PRESENCE AS WATER STORAGE AND SUPPLY.

THIS PROJECT IS AWARDED TO THE NONPROFIT, BRAINERD HISTORIC WATER TOWER PRESERVATION COMMITTEE, FOR CONCRETE AND STUCCO REPAIRS TO THE BRAINERD WATER TOWER.

BRAINTREE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP (BCP)

DEMENTIA IDEAS: AN EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION FOR DYSPHAGIA TO SUPPORTTHE UNIQUE NEEDS OF AD/ADRD CARE PARTNERS

INTEGRATION OF BEST PRACTICES FOR COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF PRIMARY MALIGNANT A

A PRIMARY CARE ECONSULT PLATFORM FOR DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS AND CARE MANAGEMENT - SUMMARY DEMENTIA RATES ARE INCREASING IN THE U.S., AND WITH NEARLY 7 MILLION AMERICANS LIVING WITH THE DISEASE IN 2024. EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION ARE CRITICAL FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT ACCESS TO DEMENTIA SPECIALISTS REMAINS LIMITED, PARTICULARLY IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AND RURAL AREAS. AS A RESULT, PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS (PCPS) ARE INCREASINGLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DIAGNOSING AND MANAGING COGNITIVE DECLINE, YET MANY FEEL INADEQUATELY TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO DO SO. THIS GAP LEADS TO UNDERDIAGNOSIS AND DELAYS IN DEMENTIA CARE, PARTICULARLY FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. BRAINCHECK AIMS TO BRIDGE THIS GAP BY EMPOWERING PCPS WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY COGNITIVE CARE. OUR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP BRAINCHECK ECONSULT, A SECURE DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ENABLES ASYNCHRONOUS CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN PCPS AND DEMENTIA SPECIALISTS, THEREBY IMPROVING ACCESS TO SPECIALIST INSIGHTS WITHOUT THE NEED FOR TIME-CONSUMING REFERRALS. BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR EXISTING DIGITAL COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT TOOL, BRAINCHECK ASSESS, WHICH IS USED IN OVER 500 CLINICS, THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON CREATING A SCALABLE SOLUTION THAT INTEGRATES DEMENTIA SPECIALIST SUPPORT DIRECTLY INTO PRIMARY CARE WORKFLOWS. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL: 1) CO-DESIGN BRAINCHECK ECONSULT WITH INPUT FROM BOTH PCPS AND DEMENTIA SPECIALISTS TO ENSURE IT MEETS REAL-WORLD CLINICAL NEEDS (AIM 1); 2) DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE OF BC ECONSULT BASED ON THE CO-DESIGN RESULTS (AIM 2); AND 3) PILOT TEST THE PLATFORM IN A REAL-WORLD CLINICAL SETTING WITH SIX PCPS AND TWO DEMENTIA SPECIALISTS TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT ON CARE DELIVERY (AIM 3). THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO TIMELY, ACCURATE DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS, PARTICULARLY FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, THEREBY REDUCING DISPARITIES IN COGNITIVE CARE. SUCCESS IN THIS PHASE PROJECT WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR LARGER-SCALE VALIDATION AND BROADER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLATFORM IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS.

COMPUTERIZED PLASTICITY-BASED TRAINING TO REMEDIATE DEFICITS IN SOCIAL COGNITION

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

ACUTE MODULATION OF NEURAL CIRCUITRY REGULATING IMMUNE FUNCTION IN DEPRESSION

GRANT FUNDS FOR FUNDING YEAR FIVE (FY 27). CONSIDERED FY 27 GRANT FUNDS EVEN THOUGH IT IS ALLOCATED IN FY 26 (09/30/2026 - 09/30/2027).

INTEROCEPTIVE MECHANISMS OF BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA - PROJECT ABSTRACT/SUMMARY DR. EMILY CHOQUETTE IS APPLYING FOR THE MENTORED PATIENT-ORIENTED CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD (K23) TO SUPPORT HER GROWTH AS AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER FOCUSING ON UNDERSTANDING THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE (BID). BID IS A KEY DIAGNOSTIC FEATURE OF AN THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR OUTCOMES INCLUDING RELAPSE FOLLOWING HOSPITAL DISCHARGE. PERCEPTUAL BID IS A COMPLEX PROCESS INVOLVING THE INTEGRATION OF BODILY SIGNALS (INTEROCEPTION), AFFERENT VISUAL STIMULI, AND MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS OF ONE'S BODY. SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT BID IS RELATED TO AN IMBALANCE OF SENSITIVITY TO INTEROCEPTIVE AND EXTEROCEPTIVE SIGNALING IN AN, WHICH FACILITATES SELF-OBJECTIFICATION (SEEING ONE'S BODY AS AN OBJECT) AND RESULTS IN AN INACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF THE BODY (I.E., PERCEIVING ONE'S BODY AS LARGER THAN ITS TRUE SIZE). THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL BE THE FIRST TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN BID AND INTEROCEPTION USING SEVERAL LEVELS OF ANALYSIS (I.E., SELF- REPORT AND BEHAVIORAL ASSAYS) COMBINED WITH PERTURBATIONS OF INTEROCEPTIVE (I.E., REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULATION THERAPY VIA FLOATATION) AND COGNITIVE (I.E., ACCEPTANCE BASED COGNITIVE PRINCIPLES) PROCESSING TO EXAMINE THE CAUSAL ROLE OF INTEROCEPTION ON PERCEPTUAL BID. THE AIMS OF THE CURRENT PROJECT ARE TO (1) EXAMINE HOW A COGNITIVE VERSUS INTEROCEPTIVE INTERVENTION PAIRED WITH COGNITIVE MANIPULATION ACUTELY CHANGES BID IN AN; (2) DETERMINE CROSS-SECTIONAL MULTIMODAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN INTEROCEPTION AND BID IN AN; AND (3) EXPLORE LONGITUDINAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MECHANISTIC MEDIATORS OF BID CHANGE IN AN. THE CURRENT PROJECT WILL USE A RANDOMIZED PARALLEL-GROUP EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTIC DESIGN TO EXPLORE A MECHANISTIC FRAMEWORK SUGGESTING DISRUPTED INTEROCEPTIVE PROCESSING PRODUCES DISTURBED BODY IMAGE. THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BID AND INTEROCEPTION AND PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE MECHANISTICALLY INFORMED TREATMENT TECHNIQUES FOR BID IN EATING DISORDERS. THE RIGOROUS TRAINING PLAN PROPOSED BY DR. CHOQUETTE INCLUDES FORMAL COURSE WORK, DIDACTICS, AND MENTORSHIP FROM A TEAM OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED MENTORS AND CONSULTANTS. THESE TRAINING ACTIVITIES WILL ALLOW DR. CHOQUETTE TO DEVELOP AN EXPERTISE IN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, ADVANCED STATISTICS, AND CONTENT AREA EXPERTISE NEEDED TO PROGRESS TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE AS A CLINICAL SCIENTIST. THE TRAINING LOCATION, LAUREATE INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN RESEARCH (LIBR), IS A STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH INSTITUTION WITH A HISTORY OF SUPPORTING EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS TRANSITION TO INDEPENDENCE. FURTHER, LIBR IS HOME TO THE FLOAT CLINIC AND RESEARCH LAB AND CO-LOCATED WITH THE LAUREATE EATING DISORDER PROGRAM WHICH WILL FACILITATE COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT. THE CURRENT PROJECT WILL BE THE NEXT LOGICAL AND IMPERATIVE STEP IN DR. CHOQUETTE'S CAREER AND WILL SUPPORT HER PURSUIT OF HER CAREER GOAL OF DEVELOPING MECHANISTICALLY INFORMED TREATMENTS FOR BID IN EATING DISORDERS.

MULTI-MODALITY TEST FOR IMPROVING PRECISION OF TBI DIAGNOSIS IN THE ELDERLY. - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT INCIDENCE, HOSPITALIZATION, AND MORTALITY FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES (TBIS) HAVE GREATLY INCREASED IN THE PAST DECADE, EVEN MORE SO FOR THE EXPANDING GERIATRIC POPULATION. DESPITE THIS, CURRENT DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC TOOLS FOR TBI REMAIN WHOLLY INADEQUATE. WITH THIS APPLICATION, WE PROPOSE TO TEST AND OPTIMIZE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BRAINBOX TBI TEST SYSTEM, WHICH HAS RECEIVED BREAKTHROUGH DESIGNATION FROM THE FDA AS A FIRST IN KIND DEVICE PROVIDING BOTH DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS OF FUTURE SYMPTOMS. THIS TEST SYSTEM CAN RAPIDLY DETECT MULTIPLE HIGHLY SPECIFIC BLOOD BIOMARKERS AND TEST NEUROCOGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN LESS THAN 20 MINUTES. COMBINING FUNCTIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF INJURY, THIS MULTIMODALITY TEST PROVIDES THE NECESSARY DATA FOR AN INSTANT READOUT OF BRAIN HEALTH. WE WILL TRAIN THE ALGORITHMS THAT PROVIDE THE TEST RESULT TO RECOGNIZE PATTERNS IN INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS THAT ARE SPECIFIC FOR TBI EVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF COGNITIVE DECLINE OR DEMENTIA. THIS DISTINCTION IS CRITICAL TO EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSIS IN THIS PATIENT AGE GROUP, WHERE BRAIN INJURIES DUE TO FALLS OR OTHER CAUSES ARE TOO OFTEN LEFT UNDIAGNOSED. THIS WORK WILL ADAPT A NOVEL, EFFECTIVE TESTING SYSTEM TO THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING GERIATRIC POPULATION, WHICH WILL ENABLE RAPID MTBI DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS AT THE BEDSIDE WITH A SINGLE DEVICE. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THIS PRODUCT TO ADDRESS THE UNDERDIAGNOSIS OF GERIATRIC TBI AND HELP PREVENT THE FREQUENT DEBILITATING OUTCOMES THAT ARE CLINICALLY ELUSIVE DUE TO NEUROCOGNITIVE DECLINE AND DEMENTIA.

FY21 SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM (SVPP)

PURPOSE: REHABILITATE ACCESS ROAD. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT REHABILITATES 3,260 FEET OF THE EXISTING AIRPORT ACCESS ROAD TO EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE. . THIS GRANT FUNDS THE FINAL PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

OPTIMIZING AUTOMATED MRI MEASURES OF ATROPHY IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE

PERFORM FUNDING SYS

FUNCTIONAL NEUROIMAGING AND TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION IN MAL DE DEBARQUEM

BACKYARD BRAINS: BRINGING NEUROPHYSIOLOGY INTO SECONDARY SCHOOLS

PORT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A SMARTPHONE-DELIVERED IPV AND RELATED STRESS INTERVENTION FOR RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING EXTREME WEATHER IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN KENYA USING ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY APPROACHES - PROJECT SUMMARY EXTREME WEATHER (EW) IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV). WOMEN IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN LOWER- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES (LMICS) ARE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE IPV, LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ACCESS TO RESPONSIVE SERVICES, AND MORE VULNERABLE TO THE EFFECTS OF EW. DESPITE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF EW ON IPV, STRATEGIES TO RESPOND TO AND PLAN FOR EW IN THESE SETTLEMENTS HAVE OVERLOOKED VIOLENCE-RELATED OUTCOMES. IN PARTICULAR, THERE IS A PAUCITY OF INTERVENTIONS TO HELP RESIDENTS OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS EXPERIENCING IPV TO MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF EW ON THEIR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXPLORATORY/DEVELOPMENTAL R21/R33 STUDY IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF A SMARTPHONE-DELIVERED SAFETY AND HARM REDUCTION INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN EXPERIENCING IPV AND EW IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN KENYA USING ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY INTERVENTION (EMI) AND ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT (EMA). WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS GOAL THROUGH THE FOLLOWING AIMS: R21: AIM 1 IS TO DEVELOP AND PILOT A SMARTPHONE-BASED APPLICATION TO COLLECT REAL-TIME EMA INFORMATION ABOUT IPV EXPERIENCES, EMOTIONAL STRESS, IPV SELF-EFFICACY, RECEIPT OF IPV-RELATED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SERVICES, SAFETY, COMFORT WITH EW AND AMBIENT CONDITIONS, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT, AND CURRENT BEHAVIORS FROM 320 IPV SURVIVORS IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS. PARTICIPANTS WILL COMPLETE EMAS THRICE DAILY FOR A TWO-WEEK BASELINE PERIOD AND FOR TWO-WEEKS FOLLOWING THREE COMMON TYPES OF EW—A HEATWAVE, A COLD SPELL, AND HEAVY RAINFALL. R21: AIM 2 IS TO USE AIM 1 DATA TO EXPLORE IMPORTANT, BUT UNDERSTUDIED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN EW AND IPV. R33: AIM 1 IS TO ADAPT AN EVIDENCE-BASED WINGS OF HOPE INTERVENTION (WINGS) FOR INTEGRATION INTO THE EMA APPLICATION DEVELOPED IN THE R21 STUDY. R33: AIM 2 IS TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF THE EVENT-TRIGGERED WINGS-BASED EMI ADAPTED IN R33: AIM 1 THROUGH A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL (RCT). PARTICIPANTS RETAINED FROM THE R21 PHASE (N=272), WILL BE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER A SINGLE-SESSION, MOBILE VERSION OF WINGS (N=136) OR THE EVENT-TRIGGERED, WINGS-BASED EMI ADAPTED IN R33: AIM 1 (N=136). FOR NINE MONTHS, PARTICIPANTS ASSIGNED TO THE EVENT-TRIGGERED EMI WILL BE PROMPTED TO PARTICIPATE IN DAILY EMIS FOR TWO-WEEKS FOLLOWING EWES. THEY WILL ALSO BE PROMPTED TO COMPLETE DAILY EMAS DURING THESE TWO-WEEK PERIODS. ALL PARTICIPANTS, REGARDLESS OF ASSIGNMENT, WILL BE ASKED TO COMPLETE DIGITAL ASSESSMENTS AT BASELINE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF THE SINGLE-SESSION OF WINGS, AND AT 3-, 6-, AND 12-MONTHS. THE GOALS OF THIS STUDY ARE: TO PROVIDE WOMEN WITH A LOW-COST, ACCESSIBLE, SMARTPHONE-BASED TOOL THAT EMPOWERS THEM TO DEVELOP, UTILIZE, AND REVISE PERSONAL SAFETY AND HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY RESPONSIVE TO IPV AND EW AND TO PROVIDE SURVIVORS WITH INTERVENTIONS IN REAL-TIME. FINDINGS COULD SUPPORT A LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE, AND EASILY ADAPTABLE IPV AND EW RESPONSE APPLICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION MODEL FOR INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS OR OTHER UNDER-RESOURCED SETTINGS GLOBALLY.

INTERACTIVE COMPANION ROBOT FOR PREVENTING NEURO-COGNITIVE DECLINE IN ALZHEIMER'S AND OTHER DEMENTIAS

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

IMPROVE EXISTING AIRPORT

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

CAN VIRTUAL REALITY PRE-EXPOSURE TO REALISTIC WORKPLACES AND INTERACTIONS IMPROVE JOB PLACEMENT, ANXIETY, AND PERFORMANCE IN TRANSITIONING ADULTS WIT

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

PURPOSE: THE PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATING FUND (PH OPFUND) PROVIDES OPERATING SUBSIDIES TO HOUSING AUTHORITIES (HAS) TO ASSIST IN FUNDING THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES OF THEIR DWELLINGS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 9 OF THE U.S. HOUSING ACT OF 1937, AS AMENDED. THE SUBSIDIES ARE REQUIRED TO HELP MAINTAIN SERVICES AND PROVIDE MINIMUM OPERATING RESERVES. THE PH OPFUND IS A $5 BILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM PROVIDING FUNDING TO APPROXIMATELY 6,000 HAS SERVING 1,590,321 PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS IN 902,436 HOUSEHOLDS (44% ARE ELDERLY AND 35% OF RESIDENTS HAVE CHILDREN). INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT OPERATING FUND GRANT PROCESSING CAN BE FOUND AT HTTPS://WWW.HUD.GOV/PROGRAM_OFFICES/PUBLIC_INDIAN_HOUSING/PROGRAMS/PH/AM/FUNDING.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: OPERATING FUNDS ARE USED TO FUND DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONAL EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AS WELL AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION EXPENSES THAT PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES (PHAS) ARE REQUIRED TO UNDERTAKE UNDER THE 1937 HOUSING ACT AND PROGRAM REGULATIONS. SUCH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS, ROUTINE AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, ANTI-CRIME, ANTI-DRUG AND SECURITY ACTIVITIES, OPERATING COSTS FOR PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS WITHIN MIXED-FINANCE PROJECTS, ENERGY COSTS, RESIDENT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INSURANCE, DEBT SERVICE AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. TURNKEY III PROJECTS ARE FUNDED FOR UNITS UNDER THE FINAL LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR CLOSING OUT THE PROGRAM. TO SUPPORT THESE ACTIVITIES, THERE IS CONTINUED MODERNIZATION OF THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS. PHAS HAVE ACCESS TO WEB-BASED PLATFORMS THAT UTILIZE REAL-TIME DATA TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THEIR PORTFOLIOS. PHAS CAN OBTAIN METRICS ON THEIR FUNDING LEVELS, OCCUPANCY RATES, AND THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES SERVED THROUGH RENTAL ASSISTANCE.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: AS A RESULT OF THE ACTIVITIES PERFORMED, THIS PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO ASSIST IN FUNDING THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES. THIS MAY INCLUDE INCREASED OCCUPANCY IN PUBLIC HOUSING, DECREASED ENERGY COSTS THROUGH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING AND LEVERAGE FEDERAL RESOURCES. IN ADDITION TO ADDRESSING THE DEPARTMENT’S STRATEGIC GOALS OF: • ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR QUALITY AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOMES BY MAINTAINING OR IMPROVING UPON THE 96% OCCUPANCY RATE OF HABITABLE UNITS; • PROMOTING HOUSING AS A PLATFORM TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS AND RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES; AND • HELPING TO BUILD INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION BY FACILITATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING MEASURES.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE OPERATING FUND PROVIDES FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF LOW-INCOME HOUSING PROJECTS TO PHAS/PROJECTS. IT WAS CREATED TO ASSIST HOUSING AUTHORITIES IN PROVIDING DECENT AND SAFE RENTAL HOUSING FOR ELIGIBLE LOW-INCOME FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS, THE ELDERLY, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. A HA DETERMINES ELIGIBILITY BASED ON 1) ANNUAL GROSS INCOME; 2) A PERSON ON WHO IS ELDERLY, A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, OR AS A FAMILY; AND 3) U.S. CITIZENSHIP OR ELIGIBLE IMMIGRATION STATUS.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES ARE UNKNOWN AT THE TIME OF AWARD.

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

A BIOLOGICALLY-INSPIRED, INTERACTIVE DIGITAL DEVICE TO INTRODUCE K12 STUDENTS TO COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE - PROJECT SUMMARY UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN IS A PROFOUND AND FASCINATING CHALLENGE, CAPTIVATING THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC ALIKE. THE LACK OF EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR MOST BRAIN DISORDERS MAKES THE TRAINING OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF NEUROSCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS, AND PHYSICIANS A KEY CONCERN. HOWEVER, MUCH OF NEUROSCIENCE IS PERCEIVED TO BE TOO DIFFICULT TO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOL. HAVING ALREADY INTRODUCED STUDENT-FRIENDLY, NIH-FUNDED ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR PROJECT-BASED LEARNING INTO K12 EDUCATION, BACKYARD BRAINS IS NOW AIMING TO BROADEN THE IMPACT BY DEVELOPING “COMPUTATIONAL SPIKERBOX”, A COUNTERPART TO OUR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SPIKERBOX. THIS EMBEDDED DIGITAL DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE PARAMETERS WILL SOUND VIA A SPEAKER, SEE VIA A MOBILE DEVICE DISPLAY, AND REACT VIA SENSORS. BY MODULATING ION CHANNELS AND CHANGING IONIC CONDUCTANCES IN THIS MODEL, STUDENTS WILL GAIN INSIGHT INTO HOW NEURONS ARE AFFECTED BY ANALGESICS AND VARIOUS VENOMS. HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS EVALUATED OUR PROTOTYPE DEVICES IN A WORKSHOP AND STATED THAT IT DID HELP THEM TO DEVELOP INTUITION ABOUT BIOLOGICAL NEURONS THROUGH THE COMPUTATIONAL MODEL. IN PHASE I, WE WILL REFINE AND RUGGEDIZE OUR COMPUTATIONAL SPIKERBOX FOR THE CLASSROOM AND BUILD OUT THE PARTNERING APPLICATION. THE PROPOSED DEVICE WILL ALLOW FOR EXPERIMENTS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN IMPOSSIBLE IN THE CLASSROOM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO OBSERVING SUBTHRESHOLD NEURON ACTIVITY OR PRE- AND POST-SYNAPTIC VOLTAGES. TO ALLEVIATE THE LEARNING PROCESS AND MAKE IT FUN AND INTUITIVE, THE APP WILL HAVE AN INTUITIVE DRAG-AND-DROP INTERFACE TO CONSTRUCT MODELING OF NEURON BEHAVIOR VIA CLOSING OR OPENING OF ION CHANNELS WITHIN THE STIMULUS PARAMETERS, MAPPING THE VOLTAGE VALUES TO THE IONIC CURRENTS, VISUALIZING THEIR RESULT OF ION CHANNEL MODULATION AND PREDICT OUTCOMES IN A DISEASED NEURON BASED ON THE CORRECT SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTING THE NEURONAL ACTIVITY. OUR AIMS TO ENHANCE THE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE NGSS-ALIGNED LESSON PLAN BASED ON THE COMPUTATIONAL SPIKERBOX IN A NEUROSCIENCE CLASSROOM IN DETROIT, MI. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS LESSON PLAN WILL BE ASSESSED BY ROCKMAN ET AL COOPERATIVE, WHO WILL EVALUATE STUDENT CONTENT KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE, AND SELF-EFFICACY AS A SCIENTIST. OUR OVERALL PHASE I GOAL IS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF NEURONS, ALL WITHIN THE NGSS FRAMEWORK. IN PHASE II, WE PLAN TO EXPAND THE CURRICULUM AND THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR COMPUTATIONAL SPIKERBOX, EXTENDING THE FOCUS FROM A SINGLE NEURON BEHAVIOR TO CONNECTIONS BETWEEN A SMALL NUMBER OF NEURONS AND HOW IT RELATES TO HIGHER-LEVEL COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF THE BRAIN. OUR LONG-TERM AIM IS FOR K12 STUDENTS TO DEVELOP A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF KEY NEURAL NETWORK CONCEPTS AND ENGAGE IN COMPUTATIONAL THINKING (CT), A WAY OF SOLVING PROBLEMS, DESIGNING SYSTEMS, AND UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD BY BREAKING COMPLEX PROBLEMS DOWN INTO SMALLER COMPONENTS.

CAPITAL AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES (FORMULA)

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

PERFORM FUNDING SYS

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

PERFORM FUNDING SYS

PERFORM FUNDING SYS

IMPROVE EXISTING AIRPORT

AUTONOMOUS DRONES WITH MACHINE VISION/MACHINE LEARNING CAPABILITIES FOR RAPID RESPONSE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND FOR VEGETATION INSPECTION

PORT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A SMARTPHONE-DELIVERED CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND IPV AND RELATED STRESS INTERVENTION FOR RESIDENTS OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN KENYA USING ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY APPROACHES - PROJECT SUMMARY CLIMATE CHANGE (CC) AND RELATED WEATHER EVENTS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV). WOMEN IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN LOWER- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES (LMICS) ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE EXPERIENCING IPV, LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES, AND MORE VULNERABLE TO THE EFFECTS OF CC AND RELATED EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS (EWES). DESPITE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF CC ON IPV, STRATEGIES TO ADAPT TO CC IN THESE SETTLEMENTS, I.E., REDUCING THE CONSEQUENCES OF MOUNTING CLIMATE CHALLENGES, HAVE OVERLOOKED VIOLENCE-RELATED OUTCOMES. IN PARTICULAR, THERE IS A PAUCITY OF INTERVENTIONS TO HELP RESIDENTS OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS EXPERIENCING IPV TO ADAPT TO OR MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF CC ON THEIR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXPLORATORY/DEVELOPMENTAL R21/R33 STUDY IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF A SMARTPHONE-DELIVERED CLIMATE ADAPTATION SAFETY AND HARM REDUCTION INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN EXPERIENCING IPV IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN KENYA USING ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY INTERVENTION (EMI) AND ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT (EMA). WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS GOAL THROUGH THE FOLLOWING AIMS: R21: AIM 1 IS TO DEVELOP AND PILOT A SMARTPHONE-BASED APPLICATION TO COLLECT REAL-TIME EMA INFORMATION ABOUT IPV EXPERIENCES, EMOTIONAL STRESS, IPV SELF-EFFICACY, RECEIPT OF IPV-RELATED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SERVICES, SAFETY, CLIMATE-RELATED COMFORT, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT, AND CURRENT BEHAVIORS FROM 320 IPV SURVIVORS IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS. PARTICIPANTS WILL COMPLETE EMAS THRICE DAILY FOR A TWO-WEEK BASELINE PERIOD AND FOR TWO-WEEKS FOLLOWING THREE COMMON TYPES OF EWES (HEATWAVE, COLD SPELL, HEAVY RAINFALL). R21: AIM 2: IS TO USE AIM 1 DATA TO EXPLORE IMPORTANT, BUT UNDERSTUDIED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CLIMATE AND IPV. R33: AIM 1 IS TO ADAPT AN EVIDENCE-BASED WINGS OF HOPE INTERVENTION (WINGS) FOR INTEGRATION INTO THE EMA APPLICATION DEVELOPED IN THE R21 STUDY. R33: AIM 2 IS TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF THE EVENT-TRIGGERED WINGS-BASED EMI ADAPTED IN R33: AIM 1 THROUGH A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL (RCT). PARTICIPANTS RETAINED FROM THE R21 PHASE (N=272), WILL BE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER A SINGLE-SESSION, MOBILE VERSION OF WINGS (N=136) OR THE EVENT-TRIGGERED, WINGS-BASED EMI ADAPTED IN R33: AIM 1 (N=136). FOR NINE MONTHS, PARTICIPANTS ASSIGNED TO THE EVENT-TRIGGERED EMI WILL BE PROMPTED TO PARTICIPATE IN DAILY EMIS FOR TWO-WEEKS FOLLOWING EWES. THEY WILL ALSO BE PROMPTED TO COMPLETE DAILY EMAS DURING THESE TWO-WEEK PERIODS. ALL PARTICIPANTS, REGARDLESS OF ASSIGNMENT, WILL BE ASKED TO COMPLETE DIGITAL ASSESSMENTS AT BASELINE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF THE SINGLE-SESSION OF WINGS, AND AT 3-, 6-, AND 12-MONTHS. THE GOALS OF THIS STUDY ARE: TO PROVIDE WOMEN WITH A LOW-COST, ACCESSIBLE, SMARTPHONE-BASED TOOL THAT EMPOWERS THEM TO DEVELOP, UTILIZE, AND REVISE PERSONAL SAFETY AND HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY RESPONSIVE TO CLIMATE-RELATED IPV AND TO PROVIDE SURVIVORS WITH INTERVENTIONS IN REAL-TIME. FINDINGS COULD SUPPORT A LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE, AND EASILY ADAPTABLE CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND IPV RESPONSE APPLICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION MODEL FOR INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS OR OTHER UNDER- RESOURCED SETTINGS, GLOBALLY.

NEUROSCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION OF CULTURAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN AMERICAN INDIANS - PROJECT SUMMARY AMERICAN INDIAN (AI) POPULATIONS HAVE HAD THE LARGEST INCREASE IN SUICIDE RATES OF ANY ETHNIC GROUP IN THAT PAST DECADE AND HAVE HIGH RATES OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS SUCH AS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS, SUBSTANCE USE, ANXIETY, AND MOOD DISORDERS. HOWEVER, PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND PRELIMINARY ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED THAT AIS ACTUALLY DISPLAY LOWER LEVELS OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS THAN BROADER POPULATIONS WHEN ACCOUNTING FOR INCREASED LEVELS OF RISK FACTORS, (E.G., TRAUMA EXPOSURE). EXTANT LITERATURE INDICATES THAT FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AI CULTURE ARE PROTECTIVE AGAINST POOR MENTAL HEALTH. YET, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW CULTURAL FACTORS (E.G., ENCULTURATION, SOCIAL SUPPORT) PLAY A PROTECTIVE ROLE. THERE ARE NO PUBLISHED STUDIES EXAMINING NEURAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF AI CULTURAL FACTORS. FILLING THIS GAP IS A CRITICAL STEP IN SUPPORTING AN EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS APPROACH TO DEVELOPING CULTURALLY INFORMED PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION EFFORTS. COGNITIVE CONTROL IS A NEUROCOGNITIVE FUNCTION THAT IS IMPLICATED ACROSS NUMEROUS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, CAN BE ASSESSED WITH VALIDATED BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROIMAGING TASKS, AND HAS BEEN WELL-DELINEATED IN REGARD TO UNDERLYING NEURAL CIRCUITRY. THE AIMS OF THE PROPOSAL ARE TO (A) DETERMINE WHETHER CULTURAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS RELATE TO BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL INDICATORS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL, AS MEASURED DURING ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY AND FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND (B) DEVELOP AN EXPERIMENTAL, CULTURAL IDENTIFICATION PARADIGM TO SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR FUTURE CULTURALLY-INFORMED NEUROSCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INTERVENTION/PREVENTION EFFORTS. A COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH (CBPR) FRAMEWORK WILL BE USED TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED MULTIMODAL NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL, CLINICAL INTERVIEWS, SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SYMPTOMS AND GLOBAL FUNCTIONING AS PART OF A PREVIOUS STUDY. THEY WILL COMPLETE SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF ENCULTURATION, SOCIAL SUPPORT, GLOBAL FUNCTIONING AND A CULTURAL ENHANCEMENT INDUCTION PARADIGM DEVELOPED USING A CBPR FRAMEWORK. THESE DATA WILL PROVIDE AN ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING CULTURALLY INFORMED, EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION EFFORTS AIMED AT REDUCING THE MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG AIS. THE PROPOSED TRAINING PLAN WILL EXPAND DR. WHITE EXPERTISE IN NEUROSCIENTIFIC MECHANISMS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL THROUGH MENTORSHIP, COURSEWORK, AND HANDS-ON TRAINING IN ADVANCED STATISTICAL METHODS, MULTIMODAL (EEG/FMRI) NEUROIMAGING, CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE, AND CULTURALLY INFORMED RESEARCH. HE HAS ASSEMBLED A TEAM OF MENTORS WELL SUITED TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DIVERSITY OF EXPERTISE HE NEEDS TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE. DR. MARTIN PAULUS WILL PROVIDE EXPERTISE NEUROIMAGING AND ADVANCED DATA ANALYTIC EXPERTISE. DR. AUPPERLE WILL BRING EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE RELATED TO NEUROIMAGING AND CLINICALLY RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE APPROACHES. DR. LOWE WILL PROVIDE EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCES IN AI CULTURALLY INFORMED RESEARCH. THE TRAINING AND ASSOCIATED RESEARCH WILL BE CONDUCTED AT LIBR, A STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTITUTE DEDICATED TO NEUROIMAGING RESEARCH AIMED AT DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS.

SBIR PHASE I: USING BRAINWAVES IN VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATIONS -THE BROADER IMPACT/COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT IS TO MAKE VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) APPLICATIONS MORE INTUITIVE AND THEREBY INCREASE THEIR ADOPTION OF IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES. THE VR MARKET WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $6.1 BILLION IN 2020 AND IS EXPECTED TO REACH $20.9 BILLION BY 2025. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE VR DEVELOPERS? CHALLENGE OF CREATING INTERFACES THAT ENABLE INTUITIVE NAVIGATION. AS ENVISIONED, THE TECHNOLOGY RESULTING FROM THIS PROJECT MAY ENABLE DEVELOPERS TO WRITE USER-FRIENDLY HUMAN INTERFACES FOR VR SOFTWARE BY REMOVING THE CURRENT CONSTRAINTS POSED BY THE NEED TO MASTER THE DOMAIN OF BRAINWAVES. THE PROJECT SEEKS TO PROVIDE CAPABILITIES FOR DERIVING THE USER?S MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STATES, THUS FACILITATING OBJECTIVE USER FEEDBACK. THAT NEW CAPABILITY MAY IMPACT OTHER DOMAINS, INCLUDING EDUCATION AND THERAPY. ACQUIRING CAPABILITIES TO ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STATES OF THE USERS AND THE VR AND REAL-WORLD ENVIRONMENT STIMULI COULD BE DEVELOPED AND USED TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS THAT MAY ANSWER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND HELP PEOPLE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY. THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT ADVANCES THE USE OF BRAINWAVES TO CONTROL VR ENVIRONMENTS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP TECHNIQUES FOR INFERRING USERS? DECISIONS WHILE NAVIGATING A VR ENVIRONMENT AND FOR DERIVING INSIGHTS INTO USERS? REACTIONS TO STIMULI IN REAL-WORLD AND VR ENVIRONMENTS. FOR THIS PHASE I PROOF-OF-CONCEPT WORK, THESE INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES WILL BE EVALUATED IN JURY CONSULTING AND GAME THERAPY SCENARIOS. THE RESEARCH ADDRESSES FOUR TECHNICAL HURDLES: 1) INFERRING USERS? DECISIONS IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS FROM BRAINWAVES WITH REASONABLE ACCURACY, 2) DERIVING INSIGHTS INTO USERS? INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL STATES AS A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO STIMULI, 3) DESIGNING AN ARCHITECTURE FOR USEABLE BRAINWAVES-BASED APPLICATIONS, AND 4) DESIGNING SECURITY AND PRIVACY SOLUTIONS FOR THIS VR SYSTEM. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

ACCELERATING FUNCTIONAL MATURATION OF HUMAN IPSC-DERIVED ASTROCYTES - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, INCLUDING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, EXERT A DEVASTATING PERSONAL AND ECONOMIC TOLL ON PATIENTS, FAMILIES, CAREGIVERS, AND SOCIETY. THIS IS IN PART DUE TO OUR FAILURE TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE MEDICATIONS, REFLECTING DRUG DISCOVERY PLATFORMS THAT ARE OFTEN NOT RELEVANT TO TARGET DISEASES. THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS (IPSCS) FROM HUMANS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO SCREEN AND VALIDATE CANDIDATE COMPOUNDS ON HUMAN BRAIN CELLS, INCLUDING THOSE FROM PATIENTS, THUS POTENTIALLY INCREASING THE SUCCESS RATE AND SPEEDING THE PACE OF CNS DRUG DEVELOPMENT. BRAINXELL, INC. HAS PIONEERED THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN PATIENT BRAIN CELL-BASED PLATFORMS FOR CNS DRUG DISCOVERY. FUNCTIONAL LOSS OR IMPAIRMENT OF ASTROCYTES IS IMPLICATED IN A WIDE RANGE OF PATHOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND NEURAL DISORDERS, INCLUDING ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE, AND AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS. WE DEVELOPED A NOVEL METHOD FOR RAPID GENERATION OF ENRICHED AND FUNCTIONAL ASTROCYTES FROM IPSCS IN FOUR WEEKS BY APPLYING INDUCIBLE EXPRESSION OF GLIOGENIC TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS NFIA AND SOX9. HOWEVER, IPSC- DERIVED ASTROCYTES ARE IMMATURE, COMPARABLE TO THOSE AT THE FETAL STAGE, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR PRESENTATION OF DISEASE PHENOTYPES AND FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING (HTS) FOR DRUG LEADS INTENDED FOR THOSE WHOSE BRAINS ARE FULLY MATURE. THE GOAL OF THIS PHASE I SBIR PROJECT IS TO UNCOVER MOLECULES THAT SPEED THE EXPRESSION OF GENES ASSOCIATED WITH A MATURE STATE IN IPSC-DERIVED ASTROCYTE AND TO FORMULATE COCKTAILS THAT YIELD MATURE ASTROCYTE WITHIN 1-3 WEEKS AFTER PLATING. WE WILL ENGINEER A HUMAN IPSC REPORTER LINE WITH NANOLUCIFERASE (NLUC) FUSED TO EAAT2 (ENCODED BY THE SLC1A2 GENE), A GLUTAMATE TRANSPORTER HIGHLY EXPRESSED IN MATURE ASTROCYTES. THIS LINE WILL ENABLE AND SIMPLIFY THE SCREENING OF SMALL MOLECULES FOR ACCELERATING ASTROCYTE MATURATION. FORMULATION OF AN EFFECTIVE COCKTAIL FOR RAPIDLY GENERATING MATURE HUMAN ASTROCYTE WILL REMOVE A MAJOR ROADBLOCK IN ESTABLISHING HUMAN PATIENT ASTROCYTE-BASED HTS FOR CNS DRUG DEVELOPMENT.

SBIR PHASE I: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A NOVEL PARKINSON'S DISEASE DRUG DISCOVERY PLATFORM USING PATIENT-DERIVED MIDBRAIN ORGANOIDS -THE BROADER IMPACT OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT SPANS SEVERAL FRONTS, STARTING WITH ADVANCEMENTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE. THE PROJECT GOAL IS TO REDUCE RISKS IN CLINICAL TRANSLATION AND EXPEDITE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRUCIAL THERAPIES FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE. ADDITIONALLY, THE HIGHLY SCALABLE NATURE OF THE PROPOSED PLATFORM OFFERS THE LONG-TERM POTENTIAL TO EXTEND ITS APPLICATION TO OTHER COMPLEX BRAIN DISORDERS AND THERAPEUTIC DOMAINS. THE PLATFORM WILL GUIDE THERAPEUTIC CANDIDATE DISCOVERY, STRATIFY PATIENT SELECTION AND REFINE CLINICAL TRIAL ENDPOINTS. BEYOND HEALTH, THE PROJECT IMPACT EXTENDS TO THE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS OF THE US. FOR EXAMPLE, BY PROVIDING THERAPIES THAT CAN HELP ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES PEOPLE WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS FACE IN THE WORKFORCE, THE DEVELOPED PRODUCT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, REDUCE HEALTHCARE COSTS, AND BOOST WORKFORCE PRODUCTIVITY. THE COMMITMENT TO ACCELERATING THERAPEUTIC DEVELOPMENT ALSO FUELS INNOVATION, ATTRACTING INVESTMENTS AND CREATING HIGH-VALUE JOBS, SOLIDIFYING THE US AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN HEALTHCARE INNOVATION. FURTHERMORE, THE PROJECT TEAM ACTIVELY PROMOTES PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN PATIENT FOUNDATIONS, ACADEMIA, AND DRUG DEVELOPERS IN THE BIOPHARMA INDUSTRY. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES THE URGENT NEED FOR EFFECTIVE DISEASE-MODIFYING THERAPIES FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE. THERE ARE NO APPROVED DISEASE-MODIFYING THERAPIES FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE DUE TO CHALLENGES, INCLUDING THE LACK OF RELIABLE ANIMAL MODELS THAT ACCURATELY PREDICT HUMAN EFFICACY, AND A POOR UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO DOPAMINE NEURON DEGENERATION. TO OVERCOME THESE HURDLES, AN ALL-IN-HUMAN PARKINSON'S DISEASE DRUG DISCOVERY PLATFORM WILL BE DEVELOPED. THIS APPROACH UTILIZES FAMILIAL PARKINSON'S DISEASE PATIENT-DERIVED MIDBRAIN ORGANOID DISEASE MODELS, BIOMARKER-BASED SCREENING ENDPOINTS, AND ADVANCED DATA ANALYTICS TO IDENTIFY DISEASE-MODIFYING THERAPEUTICS THAT HALT, PREVENT, OR REVERSE DOPAMINE NEURON DEGENERATION. THIS PLATFORM IS POSITIONED AS A GAME-CHANGER IN THE DISCOVERY OF IMPACTFUL PARKINSON'S DISEASE TREATMENTS. THE CORE INNOVATIONS OF THE APPROACH INCLUDE PATIENT-DERIVED STEM CELLS CAPTURING HUMAN DISEASE BIOLOGY AT THE EARLIEST DRUG DEVELOPMENT STAGES, HUMAN-FIRST DRUG DISCOVERY REDUCING RELIANCE ON ANIMAL MODELS, SCALABILITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF ORGANOID PRODUCTION, ROBUST AND REPRODUCIBLE QUANTIFICATION OF DISEASE-SPECIFIC PHENOTYPES, AND SCREENING COMPATIBLE WITH VARIOUS THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES. THE FOCUS ON GENETICALLY VALIDATED TARGETS AND CONVERGING PATHWAYS IN SPORADIC PARKINSON'S DISEASE AIMS TO DE-RISK CLINICAL TRANSLATION, REDUCE COSTS, AND ACCELERATE THE DISCOVERY OF TRANSFORMATIVE PARKINSON'S DISEASE THERAPIES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

PURPOSE: THE PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATING FUND (PH OPFUND) PROVIDES OPERATING SUBSIDIES TO HOUSING AUTHORITIES (HAS) TO ASSIST IN FUNDING THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES OF THEIR DWELLINGS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 9 OF THE U.S. HOUSING ACT OF 1937, AS AMENDED. THE SUBSIDIES ARE REQUIRED TO HELP MAINTAIN SERVICES AND PROVIDE MINIMUM OPERATING RESERVES. THE PH OPFUND IS A $5 BILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM PROVIDING FUNDING TO APPROXIMATELY 6,000 HAS SERVING 1,590,321 PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS IN 902,436 HOUSEHOLDS (44% ARE ELDERLY AND 35% OF RESIDENTS HAVE CHILDREN). INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT OPERATING FUND GRANT PROCESSING CAN BE FOUND AT HTTPS://WWW.HUD.GOV/PROGRAM_OFFICES/PUBLIC_INDIAN_HOUSING/PROGRAMS/PH/AM/FUNDING.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: OPERATING FUNDS ARE USED TO FUND DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONAL EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AS WELL AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION EXPENSES THAT PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES (PHAS) ARE REQUIRED TO UNDERTAKE UNDER THE 1937 HOUSING ACT AND PROGRAM REGULATIONS. SUCH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS, ROUTINE AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, ANTI-CRIME, ANTI-DRUG AND SECURITY ACTIVITIES, OPERATING COSTS FOR PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS WITHIN MIXED-FINANCE PROJECTS, ENERGY COSTS, RESIDENT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INSURANCE, DEBT SERVICE AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. TURNKEY III PROJECTS ARE FUNDED FOR UNITS UNDER THE FINAL LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR CLOSING OUT THE PROGRAM. TO SUPPORT THESE ACTIVITIES, THERE IS CONTINUED MODERNIZATION OF THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS. PHAS HAVE ACCESS TO WEB-BASED PLATFORMS THAT UTILIZE REAL-TIME DATA TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THEIR PORTFOLIOS. PHAS CAN OBTAIN METRICS ON THEIR FUNDING LEVELS, OCCUPANCY RATES, AND THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES SERVED THROUGH RENTAL ASSISTANCE.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: AS A RESULT OF THE ACTIVITIES PERFORMED, THIS PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO ASSIST IN FUNDING THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES. THIS MAY INCLUDE INCREASED OCCUPANCY IN PUBLIC HOUSING, DECREASED ENERGY COSTS THROUGH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING AND LEVERAGE FEDERAL RESOURCES. IN ADDITION TO ADDRESSING THE DEPARTMENT’S STRATEGIC GOALS OF: • ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR QUALITY AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOMES BY MAINTAINING OR IMPROVING UPON THE 96% OCCUPANCY RATE OF HABITABLE UNITS; • PROMOTING HOUSING AS A PLATFORM TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS AND RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES; AND • HELPING TO BUILD INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION BY FACILITATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING MEASURES.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE OPERATING FUND PROVIDES FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF LOW-INCOME HOUSING PROJECTS TO PHAS/PROJECTS. IT WAS CREATED TO ASSIST HOUSING AUTHORITIES IN PROVIDING DECENT AND SAFE RENTAL HOUSING FOR ELIGIBLE LOW-INCOME FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS, THE ELDERLY, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. A HA DETERMINES ELIGIBILITY BASED ON 1) ANNUAL GROSS INCOME; 2) A PERSON ON WHO IS ELDERLY, A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, OR AS A FAMILY; AND 3) U.S. CITIZENSHIP OR ELIGIBLE IMMIGRATION STATUS.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES ARE UNKNOWN AT THE TIME OF AWARD.

JOBS-PLUS PILOT INITIATIVE

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT

ACCELERATING FUNCTIONAL MATURATION OF HUMAN IPSC-DERIVED MICROGLIA - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, INCLUDING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE (AD), EXERT A DEVASTATING PERSONAL AND ECONOMIC TOLL ON PATIENTS, FAMILIES, CAREGIVERS, AND SOCIETY. THIS IS IN PART DUE TO OUR FAILURE TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE MEDICATIONS, REFLECTING DRUG DISCOVERY PLATFORMS THAT ARE OFTEN NOT RELEVANT TO TARGET DISEASES. THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS (IPSCS) FROM HUMANS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO SCREEN AND VALIDATE CANDIDATE COMPOUNDS ON HUMAN BRAIN CELLS, INCLUDING THOSE FROM PATIENTS, THUS POTENTIALLY INCREASING THE SUCCESS RATE AND SPEEDING THE PACE OF CNS DRUG DEVELOPMENT. BRAINXELL, INC. HAS PIONEERED THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN PATIENT BRAIN CELL-BASED PLATFORMS FOR CNS DRUG DISCOVERY. WE ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGHLY ENRICHED MICROGLIA OF CONSISTENT QUALITY FROM HUMAN IPSCS THROUGH OUR PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY OF DIRECTED DIFFERENTIATION AND EXPANSION OF COMMITTED PROGENITORS. HOWEVER, IPSC-DERIVED MICROGLIA ARE IMMATURE, COMPARABLE TO THOSE AT THE FETAL STAGE, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR PRESENTATION OF DISEASE PHENOTYPES AND FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING (HTS) FOR DRUG LEADS INTENDED FOR THOSE WHOSE BRAINS ARE FULLY MATURE. THE GOAL OF THIS PHASE I SBIR PROJECT IS TO UNCOVER MOLECULES THAT SPEED THE EXPRESSION OF GENES ASSOCIATED WITH A MATURE STATE IN IPSC-DERIVED MICROGLIA AND TO FORMULATE COCKTAILS THAT YIELD MATURE MICROGLIA WITHIN 1-3 WEEKS AFTER PLATING. WE WILL ENGINEER A HUMAN IPSC REPORTER LINE WITH NANOLUCIFERASE (NLUC) FUSED TO P2RY12, A PURINERGIC RECEPTOR HIGHLY EXPRESSED IN MATURE MICROGLIA. THIS LINE WILL ENABLE AND SIMPLIFY THE SCREENING OF SMALL MOLECULES FOR ACCELERATING MICROGLIA MATURATION. FORMULATION OF AN EFFECTIVE COCKTAIL FOR RAPIDLY GENERATING MATURE HUMAN MICROGLIA WILL REMOVE A MAJOR ROADBLOCK IN ESTABLISHING HUMAN PATIENT MICROGLIA-BASED HTS FOR CNS DRUG DEVELOPMENT.

CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM

A NOVEL APPROACH TO ASSESSING COGNITIVE STATE DURING REAL-WORLD TASKS

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT

JOBS-PLUS PILOT INITIATIVE

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM

CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM

RESVERATROL AS A CORNEAL PAIN THERAPEUTIC

SBIR PHASE I: HACKING EYE MOVEMENTS TO IMPROVE ATTENTION

SBIR PHASE I: DEVELOPMENT OF A WEARABLE RETINAL IMAGING DEVICE FOR IMPROVED MONITORING OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AT HOME

STTR PHASE I: A LOW COST ROBOTICS KIT FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

SBIR PHASE I: DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A MINI WEARABLE DEVICE THAT DOCTORS CAN USE TO KNOW IF IT IS TOO SOON OR NOT TO SEND A PREMATURE BABY HOME

SBIR PHASE I: DEVELOPMENT OF A SMART PACIFIER TO HELP PARENTS AND PEDIATRICIANS TRACK EARLY SIGNS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

RAPID PRODUCTION OF REGIONAL AND DISEASE SPECIFIC HUMAN ASTROCYTES FOR CNS DRUG DISCOVERY

LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION OF HIGH PURITY HUMAN NEURONS FOR CNS DRUG DISCOVERY

ACCELERATING FUNCTIONAL MATURATION OF HUMAN NEURONS FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

ADAPTATION AND VALIDATION OF TABLET-BASED COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS IN CAMEROON - PROJECT ABSTRACT DEMENTIA PREVALENCE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY OVER 300% WITHIN THE NEXT 25 YEARS AS THE POPULATION AGED 60 YEARS AND OLDER TRIPLES TO MORE THAN 235 MILLION. BEYOND THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION AND POPULATION GROWTH, A MAJOR DRIVER OF THESE INCREASES IS THE GROWING BURDEN OF COMMUNICABLE AND NON- COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO DISABILITY AND ADVERSE BRAIN HEALTH OUTCOMES. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE LIMITED DATA ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS TO INFORM HEALTHCARE AND RESEARCH POLICIES WITHIN RESOURCE-STRAINED HEALTH SYSTEMS IN SSA. THIS GAP IS ESPECIALLY EVIDENT IN FRENCH-SPEAKING AFRICAN COUNTRIES (30-40% OF SSA), WHICH ARE CRITICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN ADRD RESEARCH. INDEED, OUR RECENT REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS THE CULTURAL, ETHNIC, LINGUISTIC, AND SOCIOECONOMICAL CHALLENGES TO DEMENTIA RESEARCH IN THIS SETTING. IN CAMEROON, ADRD MORTALITY HAS INCREASED BY OVER 130% IN 20 YEARS AND ADRD REPRESENTS 12.4% OF OUTPATIENT NEUROLOGY CONSULTATIONS. OUR PRIOR WORK HIGHLIGHTS THE URGENT NEED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE SCALABLE AND ACCESSIBLE ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR ADRD TO ESTABLISH A ROBUST INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS, CARE, AND RESEARCH NATIONWIDE. THE GROWING FIELD OF DIGITAL COGNITIVE TOOLS OFFERS AN INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPING EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND HIGHLY ACCURATE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR COST- AND TIME-EFFICIENT CASE IDENTIFICATION. STANDARDIZED ADMINISTRATION, AUTOMATED SCORING/INTERPRETATION, AND CROSS PLATFORM INTEGRATION FEATURES CAN ADDRESS SEVERAL CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMENTIA REGISTRIES – A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR DEMENTIA RESEARCH AND CARE. THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROPOSAL ARE TO CULTURALLY ADAPT AND VALIDATE A BRIEF MULTI-DOMAIN DIGITAL COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT TOOL IN CAMEROON AND TO DEVELOP AND PILOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED FOR IMPROVED DEMENTIA CARE AND RESEARCH. SPECIFICALLY, WE PLAN TO CULTURALLY ADAPT TABCAT-BHA DIGITAL COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT IN CAMEROON, EVALUATE DEMOGRAPHIC EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE AND GENERATE REGRESSION-BASED NORMS IN A COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF HEALTHY ADULTS IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS (AIM 1). CONCURRENTLY, WE WILL EXAMINE TABCAT-BHA’S DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY TO DETECT MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI) AND DEMENTIA IN THE EXISTING BRAIN COHORT AND EXAMINE ITS NEUROANATOMICAL VALIDITY TO DOMAIN SPECIFIC REGIONAL PATTERNS OF BRAIN ATROPHY ON MRI (AIM 2). FINALLY, AS AN EXPLORATORY AIM, WE WILL DETERMINE IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS TO COGNITIVE TESTING AND DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS IN A CLINICAL SETTING IN CAMEROON TO DEVELOP THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED FOR IMPROVED DEMENTIA CARE AND RESEARCH (AIM 3). THESE PROPOSED STUDIES WILL BEGIN TO FILL THE DATA GAP ON DEMENTIA RESEARCH IN FRENCH-SPEAKING SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA (FS-SSA) AND PROVIDE THE FIRST EVER NEUROIMAGING DATA IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA IN CAMEROON AND SET THE STAGE FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE DEMENTIA STUDIES IN FS-SSA. FOR FUTURE RESEARCH FOLLOWING THIS PROPOSAL, WE ANTICIPATE THAT VALID DIGITAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TOOLS COUPLED WITH BLOOD BIOMARKERS THAT STILL NEED VALIDATION IN THIS SETTING, COULD BE A SCALABLE AND SUSTAINABLE PATH FOR ADRD RESEARCH, DIAGNOSIS AND CARE (R01 PROPOSAL)

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT

PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND

CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM

CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM

PATIENT MOTOR NEURON ASSAY SYSTEM FOR ALS DRUG DISCOVERY

IN VIVO INFLAMMATORY CHALLENGE TO ELUCIDATE THE ROLE OF THE TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR 4 PATHWAY IN DEPRESSION - PROJECT SUMMARY APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) DISPLAY INFLAMMATION THAT IS BELIEVED TO PLAY A CAUSAL ROLE IN THE DISORDER, BUT THE PRECISE MECHANISMS ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD. EXPERIMENTAL ENDOTOXEMIA STUDIES IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS HAVE SHOWN BEHAVIORAL, IMMUNOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES LEADING TO A TRANSIENT DEPRESSIVE-LIKE STATE THAT RESOLVES 4-5 HOURS AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE (LPS). WHILE INFORMATIVE, THESE STUDIES CANNOT REVEAL PUTATIVE, ABERRANT INFLAMMATORY AND REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN MDD. HENCE, A MECHANISTIC APPROACH IS REQUIRED TO PINPOINT WHICH IMMUNOREGULATORY MECHANISMS ARE DEFECTIVE IN MDD. THIS PROPOSAL WILL LEVERAGE AN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE STUDY INVOLVING ACUTE ADMINISTRATION OF LPS OR SALINE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD AND HEALTHY CONTROLS (HC) TO IDENTIFY DEPRESSION-RELEVANT CHANGES IN THE TLR4 PATHWAY AND ITS REGULATION BY MICRORIBONUCLEIC ACIDS (MIRNAS) IN BOTH THE BLOOD AND THE BRAIN. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT TLR4 SIGNALING IS SENSITIZED IN MDD BY A HISTORY OF EXPOSURE TO EXOGENOUS (E.G. PATHOGENS, LPS FROM LEAKY GUT) AND/OR ENDOGENOUS (E.G. CHRONIC STRESS) LIGANDS, AND THUS, TLR4-MEDIATED INFLAMMATORY AND REGULATORY MECHANISMS ARE IMPAIRED IN MDD SUBJECTS COMPARED TO HC. TLR4 DETECTS PATHOGEN- AND DAMAGE-ASSOCIATED MOLECULAR PATTERNS (PAMPS AND DAMPS) FOR PRODUCTION OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, SUCH AS INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6) AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF), WHICH ARE ELEVATED IN SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD. WHILST PAMPS, LIKE LPS PLAY A ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF MDD, STRESS-ASSOCIATED PRODUCTION OF DAMPS MAY ALSO ACTIVATE TLR4. DESPITE THE THEORETICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE TLR4 PATHWAY, THE EVIDENCE BASE IS CURRENTLY SMALL, THE EXTANT CLINICAL DATA ARE CROSS-SECTIONALLY DERIVED, AND TLR4 DOWNSTREAM SIGNALING HAS NOT BEEN ASSESSED DESPITE ABERRANT EXPRESSION OF TLR4-RESPONSIVE MIRNAS IN MDD. THESE MIRNAS CAN BE ISOLATED FROM EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES (EVS) THAT CROSS THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER, THUS, ISOLATING EVS OF GLIAL ORIGIN WILL PROVIDE A READOUT OF CNS-ASSOCIATED TLR4 REGULATION IN MDD. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT THE INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, IL-6 AND TNF, AS WELL AS TLR4 ARE INCREASED IN MDD COMPARED TO HC IN RESPONSE TO LPS. THE K99 PHASE WILL IDENTIFY PERIPHERAL AND CENTRAL TLR4-MEDIATED IMMUNE SIGNALING MECHANISMS IN MDD WITH THE USE OF HIGH-SENSITIVITY, IMMUNOASSAY DETECTION TO IDENTIFY CHANGES IN CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND TLR4 PATHWAY PROTEINS AND SUPPORT THE PI’S TRAINING IN FLOW CYTOMETRY, MIRNA EXTRACTION, ASTROCYTE-ENRICHED EV (AEEV) ISOLATION, AND RNA-SEQ. THE R00 PHASE WILL IDENTIFY PERIPHERAL AND CENTRAL TLR4-MEDIATED REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN MDD WITH THE USE OF NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING TO IDENTIFY MIRNAS DYSREGULATED IN MDD AND WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR TRANSITION TO AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR SPECIALIZING IN CNS-DEPENDENT TLR4- INFLAMMATORY MECHANISMS IN DEPRESSION. THE ABILITY TO DELINEATE TLR4-MEDIATED PERIPHERAL AND CNS IMMUNOREGULATORY RESPONSES WITH CUTTING EDGE TECHNIQUES, STILL NOVEL TO THE FIELD OF PSYCHIATRY, WILL MOVE US ONE STEP CLOSER TO UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING INFLAMMATION-ASSOCIATED DEPRESSION.

DIFFERENTIATING THE SEVERITY OF MILD AND MODERATE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY USING HIGH TEMPORAL RESOLUTION ATTENTION METRICS AND MRI-DIFFUSION TENSOR IM

FAMILIES ASAP

CAPITAL FUND PROGRAM

RESIDENT OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES - SERVICE COORDINATORS

A NEW OBJECTIVE BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT OF HEARING IN YOUNG INFANTS

EFFECTS OF AMYGDALA NEUROFEEDBACK ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PROCESSING BIASES

PURPOSE: RECONSTRUCT TERMINAL COMPONENTS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT RECONSTRUCTS THE EXISTING TERMINAL BY REPLACING THE EXISTING HVAC SYSTEM AND BOILERS THAT HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIVES. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

A FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY INDEX FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

SBIR PHASE I: THE BRAINLINK SYSTEM: A CATALYST FOR PERSONAL ROBOTICS

RESIDENT OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES - SERVICE COORDINATORS

ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT

PURPOSE: CONSTRUCT/MODIFY/IMPROVE/REHABILITATE HANGAR. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A NEW 62 FOOT X 130 FOOT TWO BAY HANGAR FOR AIRCRAFT STORAGE, MAINTENANCE, OR SERVICE TO ASSIST THE AIRPORT TO BE AS SELF-SUSTAINING AS POSSIBLE BY GENERATING REVENUE. . THIS GRANT FUNDS THE DESIGN PHASE. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

PURPOSE: CONSTRUCT/MODIFY/IMPROVE/REHABILITATE HANGAR. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT CONSTRUCTS A NEW 8,060 SQUARE FOOT TWO-BAY BOX HANGAR FOR AIRCRAFT STORAGE, MAINTENANCE, OR SERVICE TO ASSIST THE AIRPORT TO BE AS SELF-SUSTAINING AS POSSIBLE BY GENERATING REVENUE. THIS GRANT FUNDS THE FINAL PHASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING. INTENDED BENEFICIARY: THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF CLASS II HDAC INHIBITORS IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

CHP

PURPOSE: THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM (FSS) IS GOVERNED BY SECTION 23 OF THE 1937 HOUSING ACT. THE PURPOSE OF FSS AWARDS IS TO FUND THE SALARIES AND FRINGE FOR FSS COORDINATORS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING FSS FOR RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (HCV), AND PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. FSS FUNDS APPROXIMATELY 900 PROGRAMS RUN BY PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES (PHAS) AND PBRA PROPERTY OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. RENEWAL APPLICANTS ARE PRIORITIZED BY STATUTE.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: FUNDS UNDER FSS GRANTS ARE USED SOLELY TO FUND SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS FOR FSS COORDINATORS. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FSS COORDINATORS UNDER THE AWARD INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ENROLLING, AND MAINTAINING FAMILIES IN THE PROGRAM, WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO PREPARE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND SERVICES PLANS (ITSPS), AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING FAMILIES THAT A GRANTEE MUST MAINTAIN IS OUTLINED IN THE FUNDING NOTICE AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH A GRANTEE RECEIVES FUNDING. GENERALLY, THE GRANTEE MUST HIRE/RETAIN ONE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) FSS PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR EACH FUNDED POSITION. FOR THE FIRST FULL-TIME FSS COORDINATOR POSITION FUNDED BY HUD, PROGRAMS MUST SERVE AT LEAST 25 PARTICIPATING FAMILIES IN FSS DURING THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATION), AND THIS NUMBER INCREASES BY 50 FAMILIES FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FUNDED COORDINATOR AFTER THE FIRST.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GRANTEES WILL HIRE/RETAIN THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH THEY ARE FUNDED. THESE COORDINATORS WILL SERVE AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED BY THE GRANT. OVER THE 5-7 YEARS OF THEIR CONTRACT OF PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME EMPLOYED OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES AND MEET OTHER INDIVIDUAL GOALS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF FSS ARE FAMILIES CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PUBLIC HOUSING (SECTION 9), FAMILIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (SECTION 8) PROGRAM, AND THOSE LIVING IN PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. ; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

ARMSTRONG DAM REMOVAL

DESIGNATED HEALTH PROJECTS

DESIGNATED HEALTH PROJECTS

REAP RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM (RES) GRANT UNRESTRICTED AMOUNT

PURPOSE: THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM (FSS) IS GOVERNED BY SECTION 23 OF THE 1937 HOUSING ACT. THE PURPOSE OF FSS AWARDS IS TO FUND THE SALARIES AND FRINGE FOR FSS COORDINATORS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING FSS FOR RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (HCV), AND PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. FSS FUNDS APPROXIMATELY 900 PROGRAMS RUN BY PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES (PHAS) AND PBRA PROPERTY OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. RENEWAL APPLICANTS ARE PRIORITIZED BY STATUTE.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: FUNDS UNDER FSS GRANTS ARE USED SOLELY TO FUND SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS FOR FSS COORDINATORS. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FSS COORDINATORS UNDER THE AWARD INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ENROLLING, AND MAINTAINING FAMILIES IN THE PROGRAM, WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO PREPARE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND SERVICES PLANS (ITSPS), AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING FAMILIES THAT A GRANTEE MUST MAINTAIN IS OUTLINED IN THE FUNDING NOTICE AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH A GRANTEE RECEIVES FUNDING. GENERALLY, THE GRANTEE MUST HIRE/RETAIN ONE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) FSS PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR EACH FUNDED POSITION. FOR THE FIRST FULL-TIME FSS COORDINATOR POSITION FUNDED BY HUD, PROGRAMS MUST SERVE AT LEAST 25 PARTICIPATING FAMILIES IN FSS DURING THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATION), AND THIS NUMBER INCREASES BY 50 FAMILIES FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FUNDED COORDINATOR AFTER THE FIRST.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GRANTEES WILL HIRE/RETAIN THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH THEY ARE FUNDED. THESE COORDINATORS WILL SERVE AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED BY THE GRANT. OVER THE 5-7 YEARS OF THEIR CONTRACT OF PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME EMPLOYED OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES AND MEET OTHER INDIVIDUAL GOALS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF FSS ARE FAMILIES CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PUBLIC HOUSING (SECTION 9), FAMILIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (SECTION 8) PROGRAM, AND THOSE LIVING IN PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. ; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

PURPOSE: THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM (FSS) IS GOVERNED BY SECTION 23 OF THE 1937 HOUSING ACT. THE PURPOSE OF FSS AWARDS IS TO FUND THE SALARIES AND FRINGE FOR FSS COORDINATORS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING FSS FOR RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (HCV), AND PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. FSS FUNDS APPROXIMATELY 900 PROGRAMS RUN BY PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES (PHAS) AND PBRA PROPERTY OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. RENEWAL APPLICANTS ARE PRIORITIZED BY STATUTE.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: FUNDS UNDER FSS GRANTS ARE USED SOLELY TO FUND SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS FOR FSS COORDINATORS. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FSS COORDINATORS UNDER THE AWARD INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ENROLLING, AND MAINTAINING FAMILIES IN THE PROGRAM, WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO PREPARE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND SERVICES PLANS (ITSPS), AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING FAMILIES THAT A GRANTEE MUST MAINTAIN IS OUTLINED IN THE FUNDING NOTICE AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH A GRANTEE RECEIVES FUNDING. GENERALLY, THE GRANTEE MUST HIRE/RETAIN ONE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) FSS PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR EACH FUNDED POSITION. FOR THE FIRST FULL-TIME FSS COORDINATOR POSITION FUNDED BY HUD, PROGRAMS MUST SERVE AT LEAST 25 PARTICIPATING FAMILIES IN FSS DURING THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATION), AND THIS NUMBER INCREASES BY 50 FAMILIES FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FUNDED COORDINATOR AFTER THE FIRST.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GRANTEES WILL HIRE/RETAIN THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH THEY ARE FUNDED. THESE COORDINATORS WILL SERVE AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED BY THE GRANT. OVER THE 5-7 YEARS OF THEIR CONTRACT OF PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME EMPLOYED OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES AND MEET OTHER INDIVIDUAL GOALS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF FSS ARE FAMILIES CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PUBLIC HOUSING (SECTION 9), FAMILIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (SECTION 8) PROGRAM, AND THOSE LIVING IN PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. ; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

THE PROPOSED WORK IS FOR THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING DESIGN, AS WELL AS ADDRESSING RELATED PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS, FOR PHASE I OF THE CONSTRUCTION

PURPOSE: THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM (FSS) IS GOVERNED BY SECTION 23 OF THE 1937 HOUSING ACT. THE PURPOSE OF FSS AWARDS IS TO FUND THE SALARIES AND FRINGE FOR FSS COORDINATORS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING FSS FOR RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (HCV), AND PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. FSS FUNDS APPROXIMATELY 900 PROGRAMS RUN BY PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES (PHAS) AND PBRA PROPERTY OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. RENEWAL APPLICANTS ARE PRIORITIZED BY STATUTE.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: FUNDS UNDER FSS GRANTS ARE USED SOLELY TO FUND SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS FOR FSS COORDINATORS. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FSS COORDINATORS UNDER THE AWARD INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ENROLLING, AND MAINTAINING FAMILIES IN THE PROGRAM, WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO PREPARE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND SERVICES PLANS (ITSPS), AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING FAMILIES THAT A GRANTEE MUST MAINTAIN IS OUTLINED IN THE FUNDING NOTICE AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH A GRANTEE RECEIVES FUNDING. GENERALLY, THE GRANTEE MUST HIRE/RETAIN ONE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) FSS PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR EACH FUNDED POSITION. FOR THE FIRST FULL-TIME FSS COORDINATOR POSITION FUNDED BY HUD, PROGRAMS MUST SERVE AT LEAST 25 PARTICIPATING FAMILIES IN FSS DURING THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATION), AND THIS NUMBER INCREASES BY 50 FAMILIES FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FUNDED COORDINATOR AFTER THE FIRST.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GRANTEES WILL HIRE/RETAIN THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH THEY ARE FUNDED. THESE COORDINATORS WILL SERVE AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED BY THE GRANT. OVER THE 5-7 YEARS OF THEIR CONTRACT OF PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME EMPLOYED OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES AND MEET OTHER INDIVIDUAL GOALS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF FSS ARE FAMILIES CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PUBLIC HOUSING (SECTION 9), FAMILIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (SECTION 8) PROGRAM, AND THOSE LIVING IN PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. ; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

PURPOSE: THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM (FSS) IS GOVERNED BY SECTION 306 OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (PUBLIC LAW NO: 115-174). THE PURPOSE OF FSS AWARDS IS TO FUND THE SALARIES AND FRINGE FOR FSS COORDINATORS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING FSS FOR RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (HCV), AND PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. FSS FUNDS MORE THAN 800 PROGRAMS RUN BY PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES (PHAS) AND PBRA PROPERTY OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. RENEWAL APPLICANTS ARE PRIORITIZED BY STATUTE, AND NEW AWARD SELECTION IS MADE BY LOTTERY.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: FUNDS UNDER FSS GRANTS ARE USED SOLELY TO FUND SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS FOR FSS COORDINATORS. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FSS COORDINATORS UNDER THE AWARD INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ENROLLING, AND MAINTAINING THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF FAMILIES IN THE PROGRAM, WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO PREPARE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND SERVICES PLANS (ITSPS), AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING FAMILIES THAT A PROGRAM MUST MAINTAIN IS OUTLINED IN THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH A GRANTEE RECEIVES FUNDING. GENERALLY, THE GRANTEE MUST HIRE/RETAIN ONE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) FSS PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR EACH FUNDED POSITION. FOR THE FIRST FULL-TIME FSS COORDINATOR POSITION FUNDED BY HUD, PROGRAMS MUST SERVE AT LEAST 25 PARTICIPATING FAMILIES IN FSS DURING THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATION), AND THIS NUMBER INCREASES BY 50 FAMILIES FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FUNDED COORDINATOR AFTER THE FIRST.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GRANTEES WILL HIRE/RETAIN THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH THEY ARE FUNDED. THESE COORDINATORS WILL SERVE AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED BY THE GRANT. OVER THE 5-7 YEARS OF THEIR CONTRACT OF PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME EMPLOYED OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES AND MEET OTHER INDIVIDUAL GOALS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF FSS ARE FAMILIES CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PUBLIC HOUSING (SECTION 9), FAMILIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (SECTION 8) PROGRAM, AND THOSE LIVING IN PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

PURPOSE: THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM (FSS) IS GOVERNED BY SECTION 306 OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (PUBLIC LAW NO: 115-174). THE PURPOSE OF FSS AWARDS IS TO FUND THE SALARIES AND FRINGE FOR FSS COORDINATORS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING FSS FOR RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (HCV), AND PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES. FSS FUNDS MORE THAN 800 PROGRAMS RUN BY PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES (PHAS) AND PBRA PROPERTY OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. RENEWAL APPLICANTS ARE PRIORITIZED BY STATUTE, AND NEW AWARD SELECTION IS MADE BY LOTTERY.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: FUNDS UNDER FSS GRANTS ARE USED SOLELY TO FUND SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS FOR FSS COORDINATORS. RESPONSIBILITIES OF FSS COORDINATORS UNDER THE AWARD INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ENROLLING, AND MAINTAINING THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF FAMILIES IN THE PROGRAM, WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO PREPARE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND SERVICES PLANS (ITSPS), AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING FAMILIES THAT A PROGRAM MUST MAINTAIN IS OUTLINED IN THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH A GRANTEE RECEIVES FUNDING. GENERALLY, THE GRANTEE MUST HIRE/RETAIN ONE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) FSS PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR EACH FUNDED POSITION. FOR THE FIRST FULL-TIME FSS COORDINATOR POSITION FUNDED BY HUD, PROGRAMS MUST SERVE AT LEAST 25 PARTICIPATING FAMILIES IN FSS DURING THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATION), AND THIS NUMBER INCREASES BY 50 FAMILIES FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FUNDED COORDINATOR AFTER THE FIRST.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GRANTEES WILL HIRE/RETAIN THE NUMBER OF COORDINATORS FOR WHICH THEY ARE FUNDED. THESE COORDINATORS WILL SERVE AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED BY THE GRANT. OVER THE 5-7 YEARS OF THEIR CONTRACT OF PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BECOME EMPLOYED OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES AND MEET OTHER INDIVIDUAL GOALS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF FSS ARE FAMILIES CURRENTLY RESIDING IN PUBLIC HOUSING (SECTION 9), FAMILIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (SECTION 8) PROGRAM, AND THOSE LIVING IN PROJECT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (PBRA) PROPERTIES.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.