Notice Number: NOT-HG-15-020
Key Dates
Release Date: February 10, 2015
February 25, 2015 - Notice of Clarification of Language in RFA-HG-15-001. See Notice NOT-HG-15-022.
RFA-HG-15-001
NOT-HG-15-015
NOT-HG-15-005
Issued by
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Purpose
The purpose of this Notice is to clarify the language in the second and third paragraphs under the subheading, "Leveraging of NHGRI funding," in Part 2, Section 1 of RFA-HG-15-001.
Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Current Language:
Leveraging of NHGRI funding
One objective of this program is to foster collaboration with other similar efforts funded by others in order to increase the chances of attaining the program goals. There are two main reasons for this. First, successful comprehensive common disease projects will be of wide interest to communities that are traditionally funded by other institutes. Their inclusion, as collaborators, has the potential to improve the focus and quality of the research, and to help make any resources that result from the program more readily available and useful to those communities. Second, the scope of this initiative is very ambitious compared to the funds provided. Assuming that fully loaded whole genome sequencing costs (plus automated analysis and data processing and storage costs) drop to ~$2000-3000 next year (a figure based on current NHGRI cost tracking data), a single well-powered common disease study of ~50,000 samples could cost $100-150M. In other words only a few such studies could be undertaken by the program in four years. For these two reasons NHGRI plans to provide incentives for collaborations with similar projects, in multiple ways---including standard collaborations, in-kind (sequencing capacity) or direct institutional or other contributions, co-funding---in order to increase the chances of programmatic success.
For these reasons, this program is designed, and will be managed (see Terms and Conditions, Section VI.2) to encourage such collaborations and other ways to fully leverage NHGRI funding. Specifically, NHGRI plans to reserve one-third to one-half of the available award funds each year, to be distributed halfway through the grant year based on success in a number of factors likely to increase the number, variety, power, extent, etc. of Projects. These factors will include the ability to identify additional resources that can be directed towards the program objectives. NHGRI also recognizes its own interest in attracting additional resources to the program and will actively seek co-funding opportunities.
In addition to co-funding and collaborations, other factors are likely to contribute to achieving comprehensiveness, including reduction in sequencing and data storage costs over time, development of efficient designs, and other foundational objectives of this program.
New Language:
Leveraging of NHGRI Funding
One objective of this program is to foster collaboration with other similar efforts funded by others in order to increase the chances of attaining the program goals. There are two main reasons for this. First, successful comprehensive common disease projects will be of wide interest to communities that are traditionally funded by other institutes. Their inclusion, as collaborators, has the potential to improve the focus and quality of the research, and to help make any resources that result from the program more readily available and useful to those communities. Second, the scope of this initiative is very ambitious compared to the funds provided. Assuming that fully loaded whole genome sequencing costs (plus automated analysis and data processing and storage costs) drop to ~$2000-3000 next year (a figure based on current NHGRI cost tracking data), a single well-powered common disease study of ~50,000 samples could cost $100-150M. In other words only a few such studies could be undertaken by the program in four years. For these two reasons NHGRI plans to strongly encourage collaborations with similar projects, in multiple ways---including, but not limited to, standard collaborations, in-kind (e.g., sequencing capacity) or direct institutional or other contributions---in order to increase the chances of programmatic success.
For these reasons, this program is designed, and will be managed (see Terms and Conditions, Section VI.2) to encourage such collaborations and other innovative ways to fully leverage NHGRI funding. Specifically, based on programmatic progress and other factors likely to increase the chances of success, NHGRI plans to reserve a portion of program funds each year, and may provide these as additional support halfway through the grant year. Factors will include (but are not limited to) the ability to identify additional resources that can be directed towards the program objectives and increase the number, variety, power, extent, etc. of Projects. NHGRI also recognizes its own interest in attracting additional resources to the program and will actively seek direct opportunities for doing so, including seeking co-funding arrangements between NHGRI and other NIH Institutes.
It should be emphasized that the examples provided above (collaborations, sequencing capacity, external or institutional resources) are not intended to be prescriptive, or to exclude other creative means of achieving the same goals, as long as the efforts directly complement the objectives of this FOA. Rather, NHGRI seeks to encourage any additional means to increase the effectiveness of the funds provided for this program.
In addition to the given examples, other factors that could contribute to achieving program comprehensiveness may include reduction in sequencing and data storage costs over time, development of efficient designs, and advancements in other foundational objectives of this program.
All other aspects of RFA-HG-15-001 remain the same.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Adam Felsenfeld, Ph.D
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-496-7531
Email: felsenfela@mail.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
