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Fisher Center Discovery Program (FCDP)

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.

Congratulations to the 2024 Fisher Center Discovery Program grant awardees!

2025 FCDP Request for Applications (RFA) and related documents coming Fall 2024!*

10/14/2024: RFA distribution, guidelines published
11/11/2024: LOIs due
11/29/2024: Applications due
1/10/2025: End of preliminary review
2/1/2025 – 2/15/2025: Final review and award notification

*This timeline may be subject to change. The information below will be updated in early Fall 2024 to include 2025 FCDP Grant Cycle Application documents and applicable dates.

2024 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.

Starting in 2024, we are pleased to announce the creation of two categories of awards offered university-wide: The Fisher Center Discovery Award (FCDA) and the Fisher Center Impact Award (FCIA).

The FCDA is the new name for the previously 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 new and 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 TopicsMust 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 ApplicantsFull-time JH faculty or trainees (with a JH faculty mentor) from any school or department/divisionFull-time JH faculty from any school or department/division
Eligible Principal InvestigatorsFull-time JH faculty from any school or department/divisionFull-time JH faculty from any school or department/division
BudgetUp to $60,000.00Up to $250,000.00
Personnel SupportNo salary support beyond the level of Assistant ProfessorSalary support allowed for all levels from student through Professor
Number of Available GrantsUp to four (4)One (1)
Grant Period12 months after start, with an option for one 12-month NCEUp to 3 years (36 months after start date)
Project Start DateJune 3 – June 30, 2024June 3 – June 30, 2024
Application DeadlineFriday, March 1, 2024Friday, March 1, 2024
Application Documents
Must use provided templates
2024 FCDA Document Library may be found at the links below or by submitting a request to Diane Lanham ([email protected]):
FCDA Application Guidelines 2024
FCDA FAQ 2024
FCDA Letter of Intent 2024
FCDA Application 2024
FCDA Budget Template 2024
2024 FCIA Document Library may be found at the links below or by submitting a request to Diane Lanham ([email protected]):
FCIA Application Guidelines 2024
FCIA FAQ 2024
FCIA Letter of Intent 2024
FCIA Application 2024
FCIA Budget Template 2024
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:

FCDA Letter of Intent 2024
FCIA Letter of Intent 2024

Application Timeline

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the FCDA Application Guidelines 2024 and FCDA Frequently Asked Questions 2024, or the FCIA Application Guidelines 2024 and FCIA Frequently Asked Questions 2024 before completion of the proposal or application.

Letter of Intent Deadline: February 9, 2024
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Award Notice: On or before May 24. 2024

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 March 1, 2024
• Save all documents as individual files; do not combine documents
• The complete FCDA application package is composed of the following:

FCDA Application Form 2024
◦ 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 2024
◦ 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 March 1, 2024
• Save all documents as individual files; do not combine documents
• The complete FCIA application package is composed of the following:

FCIA Application Form 2024
◦ 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 2024
◦ Written justification of salary requests exceeding 70% of the monetary award, if necessary

Fisher Center Impact (FCIA) Awardees

YearPrincipal InvestigatorProject Title
2024Cherie Marvel, PhDA Pilot Study of the Overlapping Neurological Effects of Long COVID and Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Using Brain Imaging and Blood Markers
2024Malcolm 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.

YearPrincipal InvestigatorProject Title
2024Annie Antar, MD, PhDModeling SARS-CoV-2 Reservoirs as a Platform to Advance Long COVID Therapeutics
2024Johan Melendez, PhDCharacterizing the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae mediated by exchange of genetic material
2024James Gordy, PhDAnalysis of Borrelia burgdorferi derived extracellular vesicles from serum to identify persistent infection and the role of the Bb stringent response
2024Elizabeth Thompson, PhDTargeting immunometabolic regulation to mediate recovery in post-acute sequalae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)
2023Maxim Rosario, D.Phil., PhD, MSc, MB BCh BAOOptimizing the Selection of Donors for Adoptive Cell Therapy for Environment Fungal Infections
2023Kimia Ghobadi, PhD

James C. Fackler, MD
Creation of a comprehensive microbiogram, visualizing the microbe prevalences in real-time at the neighborhood level
2022Monica Mugnier, PhDDefining the immune mechanisms mediating congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi
2022Carsten Prasse, PhDAntiviral drugs as previously unrecognized contributors to antibiotic resistance
2022Santosh Dhakal, DVM, PhDAntibody dynamics as the biomarkers of COVID-19 outcomes among hospitalized patients
2022Mark Ranek, PhDTargeting the confluence of obesity and COVID-19
2022Sam Das, PhDFully automated at-home COVID-19 test
2021Netz Arroyo, PhDPoint-of-need platform for population-scale monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies
2021Challice Bonifant, MD PhDH84T-BanLec CAR-NK Cells as Treatment for SARS-CoV-2 Infection
2021Karen Carroll, MD
Next Generation Sequencing for Pathogen Identification in Lower Respiratory Infections
2021Meghan Frost Davis, DVM, MPH PhDImmunologic markers associated with environmental exposure to enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus
2021Maged Mohamed Harraz, MBBCh, MSc, PhDAutophagic degradation of ACE2 as a Therapeutic Target in Covid-19
2021Nitipong “Nate” Permapalung, MD, MPHOptimizing Diagnostics for Environmentally Acquired Fungal Pneumonia Complicating COVID-19
2021Matthew Robinson, MDA comprehensive suite of web tools to predict COVID-19 trajectory
2021Maxim Rosario, D.Phil., MB BCH BAO, MSc PhDAdoptive NK cell Therapy for Acquired Fungal Infection
2020Keira Cohen, MDEarly bactericidal activity of standard drugs used to treat Mycobacterium avium complex: a pilot study
2020Gyanu Lamichhane, PhDDeveloping antibiotic regimen to treat M. abscessus disease based on whole genome mining
2020Michael Melia, MDBeta-d-glucan and galactomannan curriculum
2020Heba Mostafa, MD, PhDGenomic Surveillance of Enteroviruses' Polymorphic Events that Correlate with Disease Severity and Neuro-virulence
2020David Sullivan, MDMurine Babesia Combination Chemotherapy
2020Sean Zhang, MD, PhDPOC.auris: A 15-minute point-of-care detection of multi-drug resistant Candida auris
2018Anthony K. L. Leung, PhDUnderstanding how virus virulence is regulated by the ADP-ribosylhydrolase activity of the macrodomain - a potential drug target
2018Kimberly M. Davis, PhDThe role of amoebae in enhancing the virulence of environmental human pathogens
2018Brian Garibaldi, MDEnvironmental transmission and traceability of aerosolized bio-stimulants in a clinical biocontainment unit
2017Keeve Nachman, PhDBuilding a baseline for assessing the human health impact of a landmark legislative intervention on antibiotic use in industrial poultry production
2017Sabra L. Klein, PhDIdentification of early detection biomarkers and candidate therapeutics for congenital Zika virus infection
2017Evan Bloch, MBChB, MD, MSAfrican BAOBAB (Babesia Observational Antibody) Study
2017Aaron Milstone, MDImpact of Heterogeneous Resistance Mechanisms on Hospital Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
2016Petros Karakousis, MDIdentifying molecular targets for preventing multidrug tolerance in Mycobacterium avium infection
2016Diane Griffin, MD, PhDThe role of nsP3 in neurovirulence of chikungunya virus
2016Patricia Simner, MSc, PhDMolecular Epidemiology of Carbapenem Resistant Gram-Negative Organisms (CROs) at Johns Hopkins Hospital: Do Patients Infected with CROs Contaminate the Hospital Room Environment?
2016Brian Schwartz, MD, MSHigh-density poultry operations and associated infectious disease risks
2015Kieren Marr, MDDiagnostics for latent histoplasmosis
2015Trish Perl, MD At UT SW since 2016.The Home Environment: Infections among Patients Discharged Home with Venous Catheters
2015Margaret Kosek, MD. At UVA since 2019.Salivary diagnostics for pathogens of clinical significance in childhood environmental enteropathy
2014Pranita Tamma, MD, MHSAn evidence-based screening approach to identify children at high risk for harboring multi-drug resistant Gram-negative organisms in the PICU
2014Elizabeth Matsui, MD, MHS At UT Austin since 2018.Home Environmental Exposure to Staphylococcal Bacteria and Asthma Exacerbation
2014Christine Marie George, PhDIdentifying Environmental Transmission Routes for Shigellosis in Rural Settings using Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis
2014Mark Soloski, PhDImmune Events in Human Lyme Disease
2014Nicole Parrish, PhDCharacterization of β-lactam Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from the Chesapeake Bay and Upper Watershed
2014Priya Duggal, PhD, MPHHost Genetic Susceptibility to Cryptosporidia Infection
2013Aaron Milstone, MD, MHSDevelopment and Clinical Evaluation of Laboratory Methods to Identify Reduced Antiseptic Susceptibility in Organisms Causing Healthcare Associated Infections
2013Megan Reller, MD, MPH At Duke since 2016.Detection of Unrecognized Tick-borne Febrile illness in the Upper Midwest and Northeast United States
2013Trish Perl, MD At UT SW since 2016.Clostridium difficile: Impact of colonization versus transmission on development of infection
2013Cynthia Sears, MDDoes Disruption of Host Microbiota Modify Colorectal Cancer Risk?
2013Christopher Heaney, PhDEvolutionary dynamics of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDRSA), a zoonotic pathogen of clinical significance, among industrial food animal production workers