Novel Approaches for Relating Genetic Variation to Function and Disease (NIH)

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: PA-18-867

R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant

Funding Opportunity Purpose

Genome-wide association studies and other disease studies have identified many variants that are statistically associated with disease risk, disease protection, or other traits.  However, such studies do not generally show which specific variants in genomic elements cause these effects, or how they result in differences in function.  Similarly, genomic sequencing studies in clinical settings have identified many variants in healthy and diseased individuals.  However, the pathogenicity of such variants is often unknown, leading to their classification as variants of uncertain significance (VUS), which makes clinical implementation difficult.  This Program Announcement and the companion R21 Program Announcement aim to support the development of novel and generalizable approaches to study how genetic variants lead to differences in function and to study how such functional differences affect human health and disease processes or how this knowledge can be used clinically.

Research Objectives and Scope

This FOA aims to support research that develops novel, transformative, and generalizable genomic approaches to study the functional and disease effects of genomic variation, specifically how differences in sequence lead to differences in genome function, and to better understand how functional differences lead to disease risk or traits, or how to this knowledge can be used clinically.  These new approaches could fall into a range of activities, from exploring novel concepts, developing new methods, or developing new ways to analyze data that will substantially advance the ability to understand the functional consequences of sequence variation and provide fundamental knowledge to directly or indirectly accelerate scientific and medical breakthroughs that improve human health.   

This FOA aims to develop approaches that can be used broadly to study the relationships among genetic variation, function, traits, and disease.  The focus should be on developing approaches that can be applied generally across multiple disease or trait outcomes.  Approaches may be tested using specific genomic elements, variants, cell types, diseases, traits, or model organisms; however, the generalizability of the approach must be explained well.  Approaches that are comprehensive across the genome and assay many or all variants at once are encouraged.  This PA is not intended for approaches that are only applicable to, or tailored towards, study of an individual disease, gene, or variant. 

Eligibility

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.

Award Budget
The combined budget for direct costs for the two-year project period may be up to $275,000 (exclusive of subcontract F&A). Up to $200,000 may be requested in any single year.

Award Project Period
The project period is 2 years.  

Scientific/Research Contact(s)
Lisa D. Brooks, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-547-1387 

Email: Lisa.Brooks@nih.gov

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)
Lisa Oken
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-594-5250 

Email:  loken@mail.nih.gov

Key Dates

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): September 16, 2018.

Letter of Intent Due Date(s): Not Applicable

*Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

Scientific Merit Review: Cycle III February - March

Advisory Council Review: Cycle III (May)

Earliest Start Date: Cycle III July 2019

Expiration Date: July 17, 2021

Deadline

Application Due Date(s): 

Cycle III (New): October 16, 2018 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of AIDS and AIDS-related applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates.

Full details: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-867.html

Advancing Research Needed to Develop a Universal Influenza Vaccine (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Activity Code
R01 Research Project Grant

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number
PA-18-859

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to support research activities that will advance NIAID’s mission to develop a universal influenza vaccine providing durable protection against multiple influenza strains, including efforts to: 1) improve understanding of transmission, natural history and pathogenesis of influenza virus infection; 2) characterize influenza immunity and correlates of immune protection; and 3) support rational design of universal influenza vaccines. This FOA uses the R01 grant mechanism, while the companion FOA, PA-18-858, uses the R21 mechanism. Applicants with preliminary data and/or planning longer-term studies may wish to apply using the R01 mechanism. High risk/high payoff projects that lack preliminary data or utilize existing data may be most appropriate for the R21 mechanism.

Eligibility

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply

Award

Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
The maximum project period is 5 years

Key Dates

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)
September 05, 2018

More details at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-859.html