Immune Drivers of Autoimmune Disease

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is launching the Immune Drivers of Autoimmune Disease (IDAD) network to investigate early immunologic events that trigger autoimmunity. The effort will fund collaborative research projects, develop predictive biomarkers, build pre‑clinical cohorts, and employ AI/big‑data analytics. An Infrastructure Opportunity Fund (IOF) will be administered by an IDAD Network Coordinating Center to support data harmonization, sample sharing, and steering‑committee activities. Eligible applicants include a broad range of public, private, nonprofit, tribal, and foreign entities. The award is a cooperative agreement with an estimated total funding of $3.6 million. • Focus on pre‑clinical mechanisms, risk prediction tools, and AI‑driven data integration. • Supports both research projects and shared infrastructure via the IOF. • Open to diverse organizations (universities, NGOs, government agencies, etc.). • Cooperative agreement (NIH “U” mechanism) with multi‑year funding. • Anticipated award date March 2028; project start same date.