EGRP Bulletin - Winter 2008-2009
Funding Opportunities of Interest
Replication and Fine-Mapping Studies for the Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-wide Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI), released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to provide support for replication and fine-mapping studies of genetic regions that putatively are associated with common complex traits, such as those identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The FOA solicits applications for projects aimed at enhancing the identification of causal variants that influence complex diseases. Because it is an NIH-wide initiative, any phenotype may be appropriate for these projects (i.e., studies need not be oriented toward cancer or cancer-related phenotypes). The emphasis is on followup studies that are needed to replicate and validate initial GWAS findings to: (a) eliminate false positive associations, (b) narrow the association intervals of interest, and (c) extend the findings to diverse populations (such as diversity in race, ethnicity, or environmental exposures) and related phenotypes. Only a replication study alone, or a replication study plus a fine-mapping effort, may be proposed.
This FOA will not support recruiting human subjects, collecting human specimens, collecting medical or phenotypic data, studies using animal models, or discovery genome-wide association efforts. Investigators are expected to have access to phenotypic and exposure data and DNA sources from an existing study population(s) of sufficient size at the time of application to adequately address the specific aims. Well designed replication studies should follow the NCI-National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Working Group on Replication in Association Studies' guidelines
for what constitutes replication of a genotype-phenotype association and how it can best be achieved.
Using the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) funding mechanism, this FOA focuses on discrete, specified, circumscribed projects based on strong preliminary data. Unlike typical multiyear R01 projects, however, this FOA solicits applications solely for projects that can be completed in one funding period, not to exceed 12 months.
This FOA is administered by NCI, but was developed as part of the NIH-wide GEI. Applications are due by December 1, 2008. The contact for inquiries is EGRP's Elizabeth Gillanders, Ph.D., Program Director, Host Susceptibility Factors Branch, e-mail: lgilland@mail.nih.gov.
Access the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts for details: RFA-CA-09-003 (R01).
