Systematic Characterization of Genomic Variation to Assess Effects of Individual Variants on Genome Function and Phenotype (UM1 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced a forthcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled "Systematic Characterization of Genomic Variation to Assess Effects of Individual Variants on Genome Function and Phenotype." This initiative will be supported under the UM1 cooperative agreement mechanism, and clinical trials are not permitted under this funding opportunity. The primary goal of this initiative is to stimulate high-throughput research focused on understanding how specific genomic variants influence genome function and phenotype. This funding initiative aims to systematically perturb variants or genomic elements using high-throughput methodologies, evaluate their effects at various molecular and cellular levels, and develop standardized and reproducible data processing pipelines. The research supported through this program is intended to contribute to a broader understanding of human genome function by directly measuring the impact of variation, thereby enabling a better interpretation of individual genomic differences in health and disease contexts. Awardees will become members of the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) Consortium, where collaboration is a key component. Participating centers will work jointly to make consortium-generated data and tools widely accessible. They will also coordinate on assay selection, variant targeting, and cell type usage, and will contribute to developing shared strategies for data analysis and resource sharing within the consortium. The forecasted funding opportunity is expected to be officially posted on May 16, 2025, with an estimated application deadline of July 15, 2025. The anticipated award and project start dates are April 1, 2026. The estimated total program funding is $3,000,000, with approximately five awards expected. Cost sharing or matching is not required. This is a discretionary opportunity that falls under the category of health-related funding activities. Eligibility for this grant includes a broad range of entities such as small businesses, state and county governments, public housing authorities, higher education institutions, school districts, federally and non-federally recognized tribal organizations, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The opportunity is forecasted to provide prospective applicants sufficient time to form meaningful collaborations and develop competitive proposals. For additional information, interested applicants can contact Stephanie A. Morris, Ph.D., at the NHGRI via phone at 301-435-5738 or by email at morriss2@mail.nih.gov.