Research Objectives
The Human Placenta Project has five main research objectives:
- Improve current methods and develop new technologies for real-time assessment of placental development across pregnancy.
- Apply these technologies to understand and monitor, in real time, placental development and function in normal and abnormal pregnancies.
- Develop and evaluate non-invasive markers for prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
- Understand the contributions of placental development to long-term health and disease.
- Develop interventions to prevent abnormal placental development, and hence improve pregnancy outcomes.
Project Background
The Project was inspired by the NICHD's Scientific Vision (PDF - 2 MB) and is described in these articles:
- Guttmacher, AE, Maddox, YT, & Spong CY. (2014). The Human Placenta Project: Placental structure, development, and function in real time. Placenta, May;35(5), 303-4. (PMID: 24661567)
- Sadovsky, Y, Clifton, VL, & Burton, GJ. (2014). Invigorating placental research through the 'Human Placenta Project.' Placenta, August;35(8), 527. (PMID: 24997635)
Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)
Current FOAs:
Award Budget: NICHD intends to fund approximately 8-9 awards through this funding opportunity, corresponding to a total of up to $41.5 million over a project period of up to 4 years. Applicants may request up to $3 million in direct costs plus applicable Facilities & Administrative (F&A) costs for the entire project period. For more details, please read the FOA.
Technical Assistance Phone Conferences: Teleconferences will be held for potential applicants on March 19 and 20, 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST. NIH staff will be available to explain the goals and objectives of this initiative and answer questions related to this FOA. For call-in information, please contact Dr. David Weinberg at least 24 hours prior to the call at NICHDHPP@mail.nih.gov.
Past related FOAs:
