Fisher Center Discovery Program
The Center has created the Fisher Center Discovery Program (FCDP) to develop excellence in clinical research regarding environmental infectious pathogens. The goals of the FCDP include:
- Funding of grants for clinical research related to environmental infectious diseases, expanded in 2024 to include antimicrobial research and post-infectious conditions
- Provision of resources for studies that lack traditional funding mechanisms
- Promotion of cross-disciplinary collaborative research
- Provision of mentoring opportunities for early career investigators
These Discovery Program grants are made possible by the generous support of Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher.
For questions concerning the grants program, please email [email protected] or call 443-287-4800.
2025 FCDP Request for Applications (RFA) and related documents are available.
Please email Diane Lanham at dlanham1@jhmi to request the documents if you are unable to access them here.
Deadlines
- 11/01/2024: RFA distribution, guidelines published
- 11/29/2024: LOIs due
- 12/20/2024: Applications due
- 1/24/2025: End of preliminary review
- On or before 3/7/2025: Final review and award notification
- 4/7/2025 – 4/30/2025: Release of funds and project start date
*This timeline may be subject to change. Please email Diane Lanham at [email protected] with any questions.
2025 Fisher Center Discovery Program Grant Cycle
While the FCDP will continue focusing on clinical and translational studies of environmental infectious diseases, the Center has broadened that focus to include investigations of antimicrobial resistance and post-infectious conditions. Basic laboratory research proposals will not be reviewed. Laboratory-based research will only be considered if it is related directly to clinical or translational research.
Established in 2024, we are pleased to announce the continuation of two categories of awards offered university-wide: The Fisher Center Discovery Award (FCDA) and the Fisher Center Impact Award (FCIA).
Prior to 2024, the FCDA was titled Fisher Center Discovery Program (FCDP) Award. While all Johns Hopkins faculty and trainees are invited to apply, the FCDA is designed especially for trainees, new investigators, and junior faculty aiming to acquire grant writing experience and pilot data.
The multiyear FCIA grant is open only to full-time Johns Hopkins faculty, and it is designed for experienced investigators to expand on Fisher-funded projects or a new proposal related to the Center’s dedicated topic areas. Awardees need not have won a previous Fisher Center award to qualify.
We encourage cross-discipline and cross-school collaborative research, and the Center primarily wishes to support junior faculty investigators. Any full-time faculty members from Johns Hopkins University, including the Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, Engineering, Business, Arts and Sciences, and Applied Physics Lab, may apply and act as principal investigator.
Notifications about these funding opportunities are emailed via individual Johns Hopkins University schools and pertinent faculty listservs. Eligibility requirements and additional information about the awards are included in the table below:
| Fisher Center Discovery Award (FCDA) | Fisher Center Impact Award (FCIA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Project Topics | Must involve one or more of three areas: •Environmental Infectious Diseases •Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) •Post-infectious Conditions | Must involve one or more of three areas: •Environmental Infectious Diseases •Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) •Post-infectious Conditions |
| Eligible Applicants | Full-time JH faculty or trainees (with a JH faculty mentor) from any school or department/division | Full-time JH faculty from any school or department/division |
| Eligible Principal Investigators | Full-time JH faculty from any school or department/division | Full-time JH faculty from any school or department/division |
| Budget | Up to $60,000.00 | Up to $250,000.00 |
| Personnel Support | No salary support beyond the level of Assistant Professor | Salary support allowed for all levels from student through Professor |
| Number of Available Grants | Up to four (4) | One (1) |
| Grant Period | 12 months after start, with an option for one 12-month NCE | Up to 3 years (36 months after start date) |
| Project Start Date | April 7 – April 30, 2025 | April 7 – April 30, 2025 |
| Application Deadline | Friday, December 20, 2024 | Friday, December 20, 2024 |
| Application Documents Must use provided templates | 2025 FCDA Document Library may be found at the links below or by submitting a request to Diane Lanham ([email protected]): •FCDA Application Guidelines 2025_final_11-09-2024 •FCDA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 2025_final_2.0_11-15-2024 •FCDA Letter of Intent (LOI) form 2025_final_11-01-2024 •FCDA Application 2025_final_11-07-2024 •FCDA Budget Template 2025 | 2025 FCIA Document Library may be found at the links below or by submitting a request to Diane Lanham ([email protected]): •FCIA Application Guidelines 2025_final •FCIA Frequently Asked Questions 2025_Final •FCIA Letter of Intent form 2025_final •FCIA Application 2025_v1.0_11-07-2024 •FCIA Budget Template 2025 |
| Other Application Documents To be created by the applicant | •Research Protocol (required) •Letters of Support (may be required) •Biosketches, CVs, or resumes for all study team members receiving salary support •Budget Justification (if personnel costs exceed 50% of total budget) •Budget Justification (if supplies and equipment costs exceed 50% of total budget) | •Research Protocol (required) •Letters of Support (optional) •Biosketches, CVs, or resumes for all study team members receiving salary support •Budget Justification (if personnel costs exceed 70% of total budget) |
If you have questions about whether a proposal would be appropriate for the Fisher Center Discovery Program, please submit a Letter of Intent:
Application Timeline
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the FCDA Application Guidelines 2025 and FCDA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 2025, or the FCIA Application Guidelines 2025 and FCIA Frequently Asked Questions 2025 before completion of the proposal or application.
Letter of Intent Deadline: November 29, 2024
Application Deadline: December 20, 2024
Award Notice: On or before March 7, 2025
To apply for the Fisher Center Discovery Award (FCDA), (12-month, $60,000):
• Submit all documents listed below via email to [email protected] before 11:59pm on December 20, 2024
• Save all documents as individual files; do not combine documents
• The complete FCDA application package is composed of the following:
◦ FCDA Application Form 2025
◦ Protocol: Abstract, background, objectives, methods, timeline, proposal benefits, endnotes
◦ Biosketch, Curriculum Vitae, or resume of 1) principal investigator, 2) co-investigators, 3) staff receiving salary support; saved as individual files
◦ Letter of support from the faculty preceptor for applicants who are not JHU faculty
◦ Letters of support from collaborators and research partners (optional, but encouraged); saved as individual files
◦ FCDA Budget Template 2025
◦ Written justification of salary requests exceeding 50% of the monetary award, if necessary
◦ Written justification of laboratory supplies, equipment, and service requests exceeding 50% of the monetary award, if necessary
To apply for the Fisher Center Impact Award (FCIA), (36-month, $250,000):
• Submit all documents listed below via email to [email protected] before 11:59pm on December 20, 2024
• Save all documents as individual files; do not combine documents
• The complete FCIA application package is composed of the following:
◦ FCIA Application Form 2025
◦ Protocol: Abstract, background, objectives, methods, timeline, proposal benefits, endnotes
◦ Biosketch, Curriculum Vitae, or resume of 1) principal investigator, 2) co-investigators, 3) staff receiving salary support; saved as individual files
◦ Letters of support from collaborators and research partners (optional, but encouraged); saved as individual files
◦ FCIA Budget Template 2025
◦ Written justification of salary requests exceeding 70% of the monetary award, if necessary
Fisher Center Impact (FCIA) Awardees
| Year | Principal Investigator | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Cherie Marvel, PhD | A Pilot Study of the Overlapping Neurological Effects of Long COVID and Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Using Brain Imaging and Blood Markers |
| 2024 | Malcolm Brock, MD Sanjay Jain, MD (Co-PI) Frank Bosmans, PhD (Co-PI) | A Genetic Vulnerability Due to Ion Channelopathies is Required for Neuroinflammation to Cause Post-COVID Cognitive Impairment/Brain Fog |
Fisher Center Discovery Program (FCDP) Awardees
Principal Investigators were Johns Hopkins University faculty at the time of award. Co-investigators are not listed.
| Year | Principal Investigator | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Annie Antar, MD, PhD | Modeling SARS-CoV-2 Reservoirs as a Platform to Advance Long COVID Therapeutics |
| 2024 | Johan Melendez, PhD | Characterizing the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae mediated by exchange of genetic material |
| 2024 | James Gordy, PhD | Analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi derived extracellular vesicles from serum to identify persistent infection and the role of the Bb stringent response |
| 2024 | Elizabeth Thompson, PhD | Targeting immunometabolic regulation to mediate recovery in post-acute sequalae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) |
| 2023 | Maxim Rosario, D.Phil., PhD, MSc, MB BCh BAO | Optimizing the Selection of Donors for Adoptive Cell Therapy for Environment Fungal Infections |
| 2023 | Kimia Ghobadi, PhD James C. Fackler, MD | Creation of a comprehensive microbiogram, visualizing the microbe prevalences in real-time at the neighborhood level |
| 2022 | Monica Mugnier, PhD | Defining the immune mechanisms mediating congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi |
| 2022 | Carsten Prasse, PhD | Antiviral drugs as previously unrecognized contributors to antibiotic resistance |
| 2022 | Santosh Dhakal, DVM, PhD | Antibody dynamics as the biomarkers of COVID-19 outcomes among hospitalized patients |
| 2022 | Mark Ranek, PhD | Targeting the confluence of obesity and COVID-19 |
| 2022 | Sam Das, PhD | Fully automated at-home COVID-19 test |
| 2021 | Netz Arroyo, PhD | Point-of-need platform for population-scale monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies |
| 2021 | Challice Bonifant, MD PhD | H84T-BanLec CAR-NK Cells as Treatment for SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
| 2021 | Karen Carroll, MD | Next Generation Sequencing for Pathogen Identification in Lower Respiratory Infections |
| 2021 | Meghan Frost Davis, DVM, MPH PhD | Immunologic markers associated with environmental exposure to enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus |
| 2021 | Maged Mohamed Harraz, MBBCh, MSc, PhD | Autophagic degradation of ACE2 as a Therapeutic Target in Covid-19 |
| 2021 | Nitipong “Nate” Permapalung, MD, MPH | Optimizing Diagnostics for Environmentally Acquired Fungal Pneumonia Complicating COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Matthew Robinson, MD | A comprehensive suite of web tools to predict COVID-19 trajectory |
| 2021 | Maxim Rosario, D.Phil., MB BCH BAO, MSc PhD | Adoptive NK cell Therapy for Acquired Fungal Infection |
| 2020 | Keira Cohen, MD | Early bactericidal activity of standard drugs used to treat Mycobacterium avium complex: a pilot study |
| 2020 | Gyanu Lamichhane, PhD | Developing antibiotic regimen to treat M. abscessus disease based on whole genome mining |
| 2020 | Michael Melia, MD | Beta-d-glucan and galactomannan curriculum |
| 2020 | Heba Mostafa, MD, PhD | Genomic Surveillance of Enteroviruses' Polymorphic Events that Correlate with Disease Severity and Neuro-virulence |
| 2020 | David Sullivan, MD | Murine Babesia Combination Chemotherapy |
| 2020 | Sean Zhang, MD, PhD | POC.auris: A 15-minute point-of-care detection of multi-drug resistant Candida auris |
| 2018 | Anthony K. L. Leung, PhD | Understanding how virus virulence is regulated by the ADP-ribosylhydrolase activity of the macrodomain - a potential drug target |
| 2018 | Kimberly M. Davis, PhD | The role of amoebae in enhancing the virulence of environmental human pathogens |
| 2018 | Brian Garibaldi, MD | Environmental transmission and traceability of aerosolized bio-stimulants in a clinical biocontainment unit |
| 2017 | Keeve Nachman, PhD | Building a baseline for assessing the human health impact of a landmark legislative intervention on antibiotic use in industrial poultry production |
| 2017 | Sabra L. Klein, PhD | Identification of early detection biomarkers and candidate therapeutics for congenital Zika virus infection |
| 2017 | Evan Bloch, MBChB, MD, MS | African BAOBAB (Babesia Observational Antibody) Study |
| 2017 | Aaron Milstone, MD | Impact of Heterogeneous Resistance Mechanisms on Hospital Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) |
| 2016 | Petros Karakousis, MD | Identifying molecular targets for preventing multidrug tolerance in Mycobacterium avium infection |
| 2016 | Diane Griffin, MD, PhD | The role of nsP3 in neurovirulence of chikungunya virus |
| 2016 | Patricia Simner, MSc, PhD | Molecular Epidemiology of Carbapenem Resistant Gram-Negative Organisms (CROs) at Johns Hopkins Hospital: Do Patients Infected with CROs Contaminate the Hospital Room Environment? |
| 2016 | Brian Schwartz, MD, MS | High-density poultry operations and associated infectious disease risks |
| 2015 | Kieren Marr, MD | Diagnostics for latent histoplasmosis |
| 2015 | Trish Perl, MD At UT SW since 2016. | The Home Environment: Infections among Patients Discharged Home with Venous Catheters |
| 2015 | Margaret Kosek, MD. At UVA since 2019. | Salivary diagnostics for pathogens of clinical significance in childhood environmental enteropathy |
| 2014 | Pranita Tamma, MD, MHS | An evidence-based screening approach to identify children at high risk for harboring multi-drug resistant Gram-negative organisms in the PICU |
| 2014 | Elizabeth Matsui, MD, MHS At UT Austin since 2018. | Home Environmental Exposure to Staphylococcal Bacteria and Asthma Exacerbation |
| 2014 | Christine Marie George, PhD | Identifying Environmental Transmission Routes for Shigellosis in Rural Settings using Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis |
| 2014 | Mark Soloski, PhD | Immune Events in Human Lyme Disease |
| 2014 | Nicole Parrish, PhD | Characterization of β-lactam Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from the Chesapeake Bay and Upper Watershed |
| 2014 | Priya Duggal, PhD, MPH | Host Genetic Susceptibility to Cryptosporidia Infection |
| 2013 | Aaron Milstone, MD, MHS | Development and Clinical Evaluation of Laboratory Methods to Identify Reduced Antiseptic Susceptibility in Organisms Causing Healthcare Associated Infections |
| 2013 | Megan Reller, MD, MPH At Duke since 2016. | Detection of Unrecognized Tick-borne Febrile illness in the Upper Midwest and Northeast United States |
| 2013 | Trish Perl, MD At UT SW since 2016. | Clostridium difficile: Impact of colonization versus transmission on development of infection |
| 2013 | Cynthia Sears, MD | Does Disruption of Host Microbiota Modify Colorectal Cancer Risk? |
| 2013 | Christopher Heaney, PhD | Evolutionary dynamics of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDRSA), a zoonotic pathogen of clinical significance, among industrial food animal production workers |