Enhancing Opportunities in Computational Genomics and Data Science

NHGRI is committed to increasing the availability of educational and research opportunities in computational genomics and data science (CGDS). Through recent funding announcements for an Educational Hub and its Partner Sites, we aim to provide those opportunities for undergraduate and masters’ degree students enrolled in institutions that are building capacity in CGDS. The Hub and Sites will enable students at such institutions to obtain a robust foundation in CGDS and facilitate the development of the data science and genomics workforce.

For CGDS educational purposes, the Hub will leverage the cloud workspaces, tools, and services available on NHGRI's Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-Space (AnVIL), the All of Us Researcher Workbench, and other NIH cloud-based platforms. By coordinating with these cloud-based platforms, collecting stakeholder input, disseminating materials, and evaluating educational opportunities, the Hub intends to address barriers to effective CGDS education. On an aligned track with the Hub, the Sites funding opportunity is intended to support individual faculty members at institutions described above, to develop and deliver educational content in CGDS that also makes use of NIH cloud-based platforms. Importantly, the Hub will also provide support for hands-on, independent student research projects at the Sites, that include cloud based CGDS analyses.

Together, the Hub, Sites, and NHGRI’s Genomic Data Science Community Network will create a community of institutions working collectively to define, develop, and test content integrating CGDS into their biomedical science curricula. GDSCN is a partnership of educators and researchers who work with NHGRI extramural program staff and members of the AnVIL team to broaden the spectrum of institutions active in bioinformatics and genomic data science research. On several areas such as use of microbiome sequencing as a topic for student-led research projects in genomic data science, GDSCN and the Hub have mutually complementary expertise and they will be partnering on projects such as the BioDiversity and Informatics for Genomics Scholars (BioDIGS) initiative.

For the Hub, from applications submitted in response to RFA-HG-22-002, one award was made to North Carolina Agricultural and State University to create the Genomic Research and Data Science Center for Computation and Cloud Computing (GRADS-4C). Dr. Kristen Rhinehardt is the contact PI and Dr. Joseph Graves, Jr. is the director for GRADS-4C. 

For the Sites, from applications submitted to RFA-HG-23-002, four individual awards were made to institutions across the U.S.:

Notre Dame of Maryland University 

• Modernizing biology curricula by developing accessible genomic data science miniCUREs for the AnVIL platform 
  • Jennifer E. Kerr (contact PI) 
  • Rosa M. Alcazar (PI) 

Guttman Community College CUNY (City University of New York) 

• Developing an Innovative Genomic Data Science Curriculum: Interdisciplinary Modules for Undergraduate Education 
  • Karla S. Fuller (contact PI) 

University of Hawaii at Manoa 

• Pacific Computational Genomics and Data Sciences Research Education Program  
  • Youping Deng (contact PI) 
  • Yiqiang Zhang (PI) 

University of Texas at San Antonio  

• Expanding Genomic Data Science Access via Cloud Computing and Dynamic Learning Modules  
  • Jianhua Ruan (contact PI) 
  • Yufeng Wang (PI) 

There are no active funding opportunities at this time. 

As an initiative, the Hub and Sites represent partnerships both within NHGRI and also of NHGRI with other institutes and offices at NIH. Below, a short description of these stakeholders is provided.

Office of Data Science Strategy

The Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) leads implementation of the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science through scientific, technical, and operational collaboration with the institutes, centers, and offices that comprise NIH.

National Institute on Minority Health and Heath Disparities

The mission of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is to lead scientific research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. NIMHD's work touches the lives of millions of Americans burdened by disparities in health status and health care delivery, including racial and ethnic minority groups, persons with low socioeconomic status, underserved rural populations, and persons with developmental and physical disabilities. 

All of Us Research Program

The All of Us Research Program is a historic effort to collect and study data from one million or more people living in the United States to accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs, enabling individualized prevention, treatment, and care for all of us. The comprehensiveness and availability of the cloud-based All of Us dataset directly supports an initiative to increase the pipeline of researchers from all backgrounds.

• NIH awards $5.8M to create genomic data science educational hub for early career researchers
• N.C. A&T receives $5.8m to lead genomics educational hub
• National Institutes of Health Grant Awarded to Guttman Community College's Dr. Karla Fuller
• Biology Faculty Member Awarded $450K NIH Grant Expand Student Research Opportunities
• UH Program Expands Genomics Education for diverse Hawai'i Students