Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Single Source for Continuation of the Integrated Islet Distribution Program (UC4)

The NIDDK, intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for research on { distributing human islets and is announcing its intent to issue a single source cooperative agreement award to Beckman Research Institute/City of Hope for the currently funded Integrated Islet Distribution Program (IIDP) to renew the program and maintain support for its continuing mission to provide the scientific community with important islet resources for diabetes research. The IIDP facilitates the distribution of human islets to biomedical researchers by establishing partnerships with qualified islet isolation facilities to prepare and distribute human islets. The program manages an application process to establish investigator eligibility to receive islet shipments, informs investigators of islet availability, manages a cost recovery system through fees collected from islet recipients, and oversees standardized phenotypic and genotypic analyses of islet preparations distributed throughout the IIDP network. Human islets remain an essential resource for diabetes research to advance our understanding of human islet cell biology, and to promote the development of new therapies for the prevention and treatment of diabetes}. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. This NOFO will utilize the {U24 Resource-Related Research Projects—Cooperative Agreements} activity code. Investigators with expertise and insights into this area of {live cell distribution and human islet biology} are encouraged to begin to consider applying for this new NOFO. In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise in {coordinating center administration and islet biology} will be encouraged and these investigators should also begin considering applying for this application.