Viral and Host Genetic Factors Regulating HIV-Associated CNS Disease (R01)

Executive Summary

Purpose. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) solicit research grant applications to support studies focused on viral and host genetic factors involved in HIV-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND) in the setting of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Recent clinical studies indicate that over 50% of HIV-infected patients manifest HAND despite receiving HAART. The focus of this initiative is to encourage studies to discover novel genetic paradigms that may account for the interactions between the virus, the host, and the therapeutic drugs in the central nervous system (CNS) that result in the pathogenesis, progression, and clinical manifestations of HAND. The use of state-of-the-art genetic approaches (including transcriptomics, phenomics, epigenomics, whole genome association studies, next generation sequencing, exome sequencing, & systems biology) to identify and validate (including in vitro models, animal models, & human samples) viral and host genetic factors which influence the pathophysiology of HAND are encouraged.

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: July 29, 2010
Opening Date: December 6, 2010 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): December 6, 2010
NOTE: On-time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).
Application Due Date(s): January 6, 2011
Peer Review Date(s): March 2011
Council Review Date(s): May 2011
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1, 2011
Additional Information to Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: January 7, 2011

MAPGen Knowledge Base (MAPGenKB) and Coordination Center (U01)

Key Dates
Release Date: March 4, 2010
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: August 2, 2010
Application Receipt Date: September 1, 2010
Peer Review Date: February 2011
Council Review Date: May 2011
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2011
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): Not applicable.
Expiration Date: September 2, 2010

Purpose. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) encourages grant applications under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to develop and implement a Knowledge Base (KB) and Coordinating Center for the Consortium of Cross Organ Mechanism-Associated Phenotypes for Genetic Analyses of Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Diseases (MAPGen for HLBS). This is one of two FOAs for the MAPGen program. The other FOA is for the Research Centers (RCs) of MAPGen and described separately in RFA-HL-11-005. The MAPGenKB will provide logistical and informatics support for the research across all RCs in the MAPGen consortium and synthesize the knowledge from the datasets of the RCs and other sources that are relevant to the goals of the MAPGen consortium. The data and tools generated from this consortium will be made available to the broad scientific community.

Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base, PharmGKB (R24)

Purpose. The purpose of this funding opportunity issued by NIGMS is to enable new and renewal applications to compete for the Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base, PharmGKB (www.pharmgkb.org), which will be renamed the Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base. PharmGKB is being developed to serve the needs of the entire research community in pharmacogenomics. Optimally, the knowledge base PharmGKB will present complete, comprehensive, and current knowledge in pharmacogenomics, backed by the critical datasets (which may be archived elsewhere) and the most compelling literature. There are informatics challenges to managing and integrating large and disparate sets of information, and a compelling resource should be easily used and extremely valuable to stakeholders trying to advance the field of pharmacogenomics and its implementation. The ultimate goal of pharmacogenomics is to guide appropriate therapeutic choices, and PharmGKB should support and extend modern research approaches to achieve this goal. Previously, PharmGKB was a component of the Pharmacogenetics Research Network; now the network is the subject of another funding opportunity announcement (Pharmacogenomics Research Network, RFA-GM-10-001, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-10-001.html). PharmGKB is being renewed separately as a R24 in order to enable the knowledge base to be developed to clearly serve the needs of the entire research community in pharmacogenomics.

Key Dates
Release Date: March 5, 2009
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: May 2, 2009
Application Receipt Dates: June 2, 2009
Peer Review Date: November 2009
Council Review Date: January 2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: April 1, 2010
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Url Activation Date): March 1, 2009 www.nigms.nih.gov/initiatives/PGRN/RFAinfo
Expiration Date: June 3, 2009

Characterizing the Blood Stem Cell Niche (R01)

Purpose. This FOA issued by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, solicits Research Project Grant (R01) applications in a specific area of stem cell research, the blood stem cell niche, an area critical to advancing stem cell biology and its applications to cellular therapeutics including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This FOA is being initiated to foster collaborative research projects and insightful approaches to dissect the cellular components and factors involved in the hematopoietic stem cell niche. Development of conditional genetic knock-out models to test the role of factors in specific cell lineages and imaging technology to facilitate following stem cell engraftment in the niche in vivo are integral to this initiative.

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: October 17, 2008
Opening Date: December 15, 2008 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): December 8, 2008
NOTE: On-time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).Application Due Date(s): January 6, 2009
Peer Review Date(s): April/May 2009
Council Review Date(s): May 2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1, 2009
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: January 7, 2009

Revolutionary Genome Sequencing Technologies – The $1000 Genome (R01)

Purpose: The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) solicits R01 grant applications to develop novel technologies that will enable extremely low-cost, high quality DNA sequencing. The goal of this initiative is to reduce the cost of sequencing a mammalian-sized genome to approximately $1000. Applicants may propose to develop full-scale sequencing systems or to investigate challenges underlying key system components. Exploration of methods other than those currently being pursued as potential $1,000 genome technologies are particularly encouraged. High-risk/high-payoff proposals are appropriate to achieve the goals of this FOA by approximately 2014

Also see the following related funding initiatives:

Revolutionary Genome Sequencing Technologies – The $1000 Genome (R21)

Revolutionary Genome Sequencing Technologies – The $1000 Genome (SBIR [R43/R44])

Revolutionary Genome Sequencing Technologies – The $1000 Genome (STTR [R41/R42])

Functional Characterization of Genetic Variants and Interactions: The Genes, Environment and Health Initiative (R21)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse on behalf of the NIH Genes, Environment and Health Initiative encourages functional characterization of genetic variants that have been statistically nominated to be associated with a particular outcome through common, complex disease gene discovery approaches, such as genome-wide association studies, candidate gene approaches, or sequencing studies. This FOA supports research relating genetic variation to biological mechanism, or disease causality. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, relatively low throughput approaches (e.g. transgenic mouse approaches) to test some of the most promising variants for changes in function; or exploit high-throughput tests (e.g. yeast, C. elegans, cell culture systems, or computational approaches) to look at different aspects of variant function.

Key Dates:
Release/Posted Date: April 24, 2008
Opening Date: September 17, 2008 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 17, 2008
NOTE: On-time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).
Application Due Date(s): October 17, 2008
Peer Review Date(s): January/February 2009
Council Review Date(s): May 2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): July 2009
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: October 18, 2008

Department of Health and Human Services

Functional Characterization of Genetic Variants and Interactions: The Genes, Environment and Health Initiative (R21)

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: April 24, 2008
Opening Date: September 17, 2008 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 17, 2008
NOTE: On-time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).

Application Due Date(s): October 17, 2008
Peer Review Date(s): January/February 2009
Council Review Date(s): May 2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): July 2009

Purpose. The National Institute on Drug Abuse on behalf of the NIH Genes, Environment and Health Initiative encourages functional characterization of genetic variants that have been statistically nominated to be associated with a particular outcome through common, complex disease gene discovery approaches, such as genome-wide association studies, candidate gene approaches, or sequencing studies. This FOA supports research relating genetic variation to biological mechanism, or disease causality. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, relatively low throughput approaches (e.g. transgenic mouse approaches) to test some of the most promising variants for changes in function; or exploit high-throughput tests (e.g. yeast, C. elegans, cell culture systems, or computational approaches) to look at different aspects of variant function.

Research Education Grants for Statistical Training in the Genetics of Addiction (R25)

Key Dates:
Release/Posted Date: January 28, 2008
Opening Date: February 18, 2008 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): Not required.
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): March 18, 2008, March 17, 2009, March 17, 2010
Peer Review Date(s): June 2008, June 2009, June 2010
Council Review Date(s): August 2008, August 2009, August 2010
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): September 2008, September 2009, September 2010
Additional Information To Be Available Date (Activation Date): Not Applicable
Expiration Date: March 18, 2010

Purpose. This FOA invites applications focused on research education for the development and testing of new statistical models to address genetics-based research problems in addiction. Applicants are expected to propose a well-integrated research education and training program in statistical models or computational methods in genetics for undergraduate, graduate, and/or postdoctoral level students. Since this is a novel program, participants may be supported for as long as five years, however shorter durations of funding of some individual participants are encouraged. Achieving the capacity of the institution to address the identified research area(s) is an additional goal of this award. During this award, institutions will be expected to implement strategies for enhancing research infrastructure and capacity building at their institution and in collaborative activities.

NIH – Limited Competition: Construction of a Reference Sequence Data Set for the Human Microbiome Project (U54)

Request For Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-RM-08-001

Key Dates:

Release Date: November 21, 2007
Letters of Intent Receipt Date: April 22, 2008
Application Receipt Date: May 22, 2008
Peer Review Date(s): October/November, 2008
Council Review Date: January 2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: April 1, 2009
Expiration Date: May 23, 2008
Applicant information meeting: December 10, 2007 (see http://www.scgcorp.com/Microbiome)

Executive Summary:

-This RFA invites applications for a limited competition Request for Applications (RFA) for the continued support of sequencing efforts to complete the generation of a reference set of DNA sequence-based data for the Human Microbiome Project (HMP).
-The overall objective of this limited competition RFA is to support continued generation of sequenced microbial genomes isolated from the human body and exploration, through metagenomic sequencing, of the microbial flora at a set of designated anatomical sites of the human body.
-This limited competition RFA will use the U54 cooperative agreement mechanism to continue the effort of supporting human microbiome sequencing that was begun in FY07 through funds provided to NHGRI- and NIAID-funded large-scale sequencing centers.
-The total funds available for up to five awards are approximately $30,542,500 total costs for four years.
-Up to 5 awards are anticipated from this FOA.
-Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education; Private Institution of Higher Education; Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education); Nonprofit without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education); Small Business; For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government.
-Only NHGRI and NIAID awardees of large-scale sequencing centers (both extramural and intramural; e.g. those Institutions currently funded under RFA-06-001) are invited to apply.
-Eligible principal investigators include the current principal investigator and/or any other designated/approved individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research.
-See Section IV.1 for application materials.
-Telecommunications for the hearing impaired is available at: TTY 301-451-0088.
-Special Receipt Date May 22, 2008

NIH

Public Meeting to Request Information and Comment from Industry concerning the use of RNAi Technologies in the NIH Intramural Laboratories

Key Dates:
Release Date: October 30, 2007
Submission Due Date: December 3, 2007
Response Date: December 10, 2007 (approximate)
Meeting Date: December 17, 2007

RNAi technologies are an exciting and rapidly evolving technique to determine the functions of genes and transcripts.

NIH will establish a Trans-NIH effort to facilitate both moderate (RNAi reagents targeting 10s to 100s of genes) and high throughput screens that ultimately target entire genomes.

The NIH intramural program seeks to facilitate NIH-wide utilization of RNAi technologies. This effort should support moderate- and high-throughput use. Information for either, or both, is requested.

NIH is seeking firms/suppliers who will enter into pricing arrangements with the NIH to support this research.