Informatics, Coordination and Service Center for the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Centers (U42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) within the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, intends to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support the Informatics, Coordination, and Service Center (ICSC) for the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Centers (MMRRC) consortium. The initiative is designed to maintain and enhance the ICSC’s contribution to the MMRRC, promoting scientific rigor, transparency, and experimental reproducibility in biomedical research. The funding mechanism will be a U42 Cooperative Agreement, with a focus on the development and assistance of resources related to animal and biological materials, as well as new approach methodologies (NAMs), to provide models of human diseases to the research community. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the ICSC unit in its role within the larger MMRRC consortium. The center will oversee and improve services related to the acquisition, evaluation, characterization, cryopreservation, storage, and distribution of mutant mouse strains and associated biological materials. Additionally, the center must closely coordinate with initiatives to develop NAMs, such as cell cultures, organoids, computational models, and microphysiological systems, which are intended to complement traditional animal-based research. The activities should include comparative analysis of the use of NAMs to enhance the predictive capabilities of human disease models and facilitate their integration with traditional approaches. The NOFO will feature two application cycles, with publication expected in Spring 2025 and an anticipated application due date in Summer 2025. The estimated project start date is June 1, 2026. This timeline is provided to allow potential applicants ample opportunity to form collaborations and prepare responsive proposals. Applications are not currently being solicited, but the forecast serves as an early notification to the research community. Eligible applicants for this opportunity include a wide range of organizations, including Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses), small businesses, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, private institutions of higher education, state governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and county governments. There are no specific geographical restrictions noted beyond these eligibility criteria. Applicants will need to demonstrate expertise in bioinformatics, animal and non-animal models of human diseases, mouse genetics, and research databases. Collaborative projects combining these areas of expertise are particularly encouraged. Evaluation criteria will likely emphasize the capacity to enhance the ICSC’s role, coordination with NAM efforts, and the ability to develop a program for monitoring and analyzing the MMRRC consortium’s impact on biomedical research. For further information, prospective applicants may contact Oleg Mirochnitchenko, Ph.D., at the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) by phone at 301-425-0479 or via email at [email protected]. The estimated post date for the NOFO is June 17, 2025, with an estimated award date of June 1, 2026.