NHGRI GREAT Program FAQ

Can I have a program focused solely on the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of genomics research (ELSI)? 

Absolutely, you can focus on ELSI alone. As noted in the FOA, “For the purposes of this program, the term ‘genomics’ encompasses issues and activities in the scientific, medical, computational, ethical, social and/or legal areas of genomics research that are of interest to NHGRI (see the NHGRI Strategic Vision).” Examples of possible topics of interest are available on the ELSI Research Areas and Sample Topics website.

Must the lead university be a MSI or IDeA-eligible institution, or can a partnering research-intensive institution serve as the lead institution?

The lead institution must be an MSI or IDeA-eligible institution that meets the requirements outlined in the Eligible Applicants section of the FOA. The lead institution must serve as the awardee institution and submit the application to NIH.

Can an R1 institution that is also a MSI be the lead applicant?

Unlikely. “R1 Institutions,” as defined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions, includes doctoral degree-granting institutions with at least $5 million in total research expenditures. In the RFA, we do not use R1 language, but instead use “research-intensive” institutions, which are defined as academic institutions or organizations with a prominent genomics training environment as evidenced by a strong base of NIH or private funds. Also, the academic institutions must be doctoral-degree granting and receive greater than $7.5 million in NIH research project grant funding. Per the RFA, the MSI must receive less than $7.5 million in NIH funding, and thus cannot be a research-intensive institution. Most R1s would probably fall under the “research-intensive” category.

Does the “one application per institution” limitation pertain to the lead institution specifically, or does it apply to both the lead and the partnering institution?

As stated in the FOA, only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number or NIH IPF number) is allowed. That means the applicant organization (MSI/IDeA-eligible university) may only submit one application. The applicant organization can propose one or more collaborations with research-intensive institutions. There is no language in the RFA that limits a research-intensive organization’s collaboration on more than one application. Please note one of the listed funding considerations in the RFA: “Geographical distribution of program sites.”

Can you explain what would qualify as a “genomics or genomics-related program?” Does this need to be a degree program?

As noted in the FOA, for the partnering institutions “research-intensive” is defined as having an existing genomics or genomics-related program and a significant number of potential mentors with NIH R01 or equivalent extramural research support (institutions) or private funds (organizations). There is not a specific requirement for a degree program, but a prominent genomics research training environment at the partnering institution is expected. The intent is for the partnering institutions have sufficient extramurally or privately funded research in genomics to provide participants with authentic, meaningful genomics-related research. In the context of this FOA, the term “genomics” encompasses activities in all of these foundational areas of research that are of interest to NHGRI (see NHGRI Strategic Vision).

Are you looking for PIs with substantial training experience?

As noted in the RFA, the proposed PI(s) should be “actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area directly related to the mission of NHGRI.” Also, the PI(s) should have “clearly demonstrated training/mentoring credentials.” One of the review criteria for Investigator(s) is “If applicable, is there evidence that the participating faculty have experience in mentoring students and teaching science?” It would only help if they also have substantial training experience, especially with training of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Can you clarify what you mean by a “significant number of potential mentors with NIH R01 or equivalent extramural research support?” Is there a number threshold to meet the criteria for “significant”?

Sufficient mentors are required to provide participants a number of research experiences to choose from, and a “research-intensive genomics training environment as evidenced by a strong base of NIH or NHGRI extramurally-funded or privately-funded research in genomics.”

Does the NIH research extramural support need to be from NHGRI?

No, but it is preferred that there are more than one research project grants (RPGs) to indicate the institution is conducting research in areas of interest to NHGRI per our recent  NHGRI Strategic Vision.

How closely should the research interests of faculty align with NHGRI research areas? For example, is it OK if funding comes primarily from the NCI, or do you need to be an NHGRI-funded PI to be competitive for such funding opportunity? Similarly, if faculty are conducting genomics and bioinformatics research but their focus is not on questions related to human health or model organisms (e.g. conservation genomics, agriculture, etc.), would this present a problem for the application?

You do not need to be an NHGRI-funded PI. Having an NHGRI grant is not a requirement of the RFA. However, as noted in the FOA, “The PD/PI must have a regular, full-time appointment (i.e., not adjunct, part-time, retired, or emeritus) at the applicant institution, and be actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area directly related to the mission of the NHGRI.” In addition, “All Program Faculty must conduct research that is relevant to NHGRI’s scientific mission.” As a leading authority in the field of genomics, the NHGRI mission is to accelerate scientific and medical breakthroughs that improve human health. We do this by driving cutting-edge research, developing new technologies and studying the impact of genomics on society. If there is a number of NHGRI grants at the research-intensive institution, or a significant research base in the area of genomics as it relates to human health, this would indicate that that the institution can provide participants a broad range of NHGRI-relevant genomics research experiences. Regardless of the source of funding, the application must show that, between the host and partner institutions, there is adequate staff, facilities and educational resources that can contribute to the genomics research experiences that are directly relevant to NHGRI’s mission. Also, the research projects should be largely disease agnostic. Programs with projects that are mostly focused on a single disease (e.g., cancer focused or cancer genomics focused) would not be responsive to this RFA.

What is an IDeA-eligible state?

The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) is a congressionally mandated program funded out of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) that builds research capacity in states that historically have had low levels of NIH funding. A list can be found on the NIGMS website.

My university is from an IDeA-eligible state. Do we qualify to apply for this opportunity?

There are two additional requirements per the Eligible Organizations section in the RFA. First, the university must have less that $7.5 million per year of NIH RPG funding. Second, the IDeA-eligible institution must “enroll at least 50% of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants based on the most recent two years of data available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics.” You can find this information in the College Navigator.

We have a NIGMS diversity training grant. Can we use some of the program elements for this GREAT program, such as including GREAT trainees in our career development activities?

Yes, some synergy is fine, but please note per the RFA the GREAT program “must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support.” You need to differentiate from other funded programs. This should be detailed in your application, showing clear distinction, with no sense that the GREAT program is falling under a larger “umbrella” program.

How should budgets be divided between applicant and partnership institutions? Should the majority go to the applicant (MSI/IDeA) institution?

NHGRI is not being prescriptive on this. Partner institutions would be funded by subaward. Please be aware of the different budget categories and the restrictions:

• Personnel Costs – maximum of 40% of total budget
• Other Program-Related Expenses – maximum of 10%
• Participant Costs – minimum of 50%

How these categories are divided between the institutions requires clear justification.

Can we purchase equipment?

Purchasing equipment is not specifically unallowed in the RFA; however, the intention of this RFA is not for research capacity building. The equipment needs to be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the institution. Equipment falls under the “Other Program-Related Expenses” category. This category includes supplies and personnel travel, and total expenses for this category may not exceed 10% of costs in any year of the project.

Is there a means of offering support for partnering lab mentors, such as support for grad student/post doc mentors?

Yes. In the RFA, personnel costs may be requested for individuals “designing, directing and implementing the research education program.” Lab mentors would be considered to be implementing the program. Please keep in mind that all personnel costs may not exceed 40% of the budget.

Can grant funds support students’ living costs during in-person summer research experiences?

Yes, please consult the “Participant Cost” section of the RFA. Housing and round-trip travel to the summer research site are permitted, as well as subsistence at a rate of up to $15/hour and up to 40 hours/week.

Does the NIH funding limit of $7.5 million extend to other training grants and institutional development grants, or is it limited to research grants?

It is limited to Research Project Grants (RPGs). RPGs include a long list of specific activity codes which can be found in the Glossary of NIH Terms. Research education, training and institutional development grants are not included, as well as other categories of grant funding.

Is December 1, 2021, the only deadline?

There will be two more deadlines. Specifically, there are additional due dates on July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, for new or resubmission applications.

Can you describe the expectations related to course/curriculum development at the applicant institution?

This R25 GREAT program is focused on “Research Experiences” and “Courses for Skills Development”.  This differs from some NIH R25s that are focused on “Curriculum Development”.  Any curriculum development for the R25 GREAT needs to be a minor component, and any course/seminars/workshops that derive from the development need to be completed and offered to students within the first year of funding.

How many students (what range) do you envision one grant to support each year?

The number of students is not specified in the RFA because we expect a range depending on the partnership(s) and program elements that are proposed. As guidance, based on similar R25 programs, we estimate a $350,000 direct cost budget should support 10 or more students per year. However, each applicant should determine the appropriate number of students for their specific genomics research education program and program goals. The budget should reflect the actual need to support the number proposed in the application.

Can you employ existing courses and training?

You certainly can, as there is an advantage in synergizing. Per the RFA, it is anticipated that the proposed program will complement ongoing research education at the institutions, but the overall proposed program must be clearly distinct from other programs receiving federal support. Any courses and training should be tailored to the GREAT program goals.

Is there a requirement to provide a Plan for Instruction in Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility?

No. Per an NIH Notice, NOT-OD-033, this plan is currently only required for Institutional Research Training and Institutional Career Development awards. However, as noted in the GREAT RFA, programs are expected to provide students, as applicable, some level of instruction in rigor and reproducibility.

Do you support a pilot version of the program for two or three years to iron out potential challenges?

This is not to meant to serve as a pilot, but to develop a “ready-to-go” program that will be effective within the first year (and no later than the first two years) of the program.

For the time period when undergraduates should be completing part-time training with the research-intensive institution, can this be done virtually or remotely?

Yes, it can. The summer experience is intended to be in-person (e.g., wet lab, dry lab, courses, bootcamps, or ELSI research) contingent upon institutional guidelines for COVID-19; however, during the academic year, with student time constraints and geographical constraints, virtual research educational activities would align with the training requirements.

Are student participants limited to URMs, students with disabilities and disadvantaged students?

No. Per NIH’s Notice of Interest in Diversity, NIH (and NHGRI) encourages individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue training and careers in biomedical (genomics) research. Individuals from diverse backgrounds who are considered underrepresented in the biomedical workforce include individuals from certain race and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. NIH does not require but encourages participation from these underrepresented groups in diversity-focused programs, and it is not limited to just these group categories. As noted in the FOA, applications must describe the intended participants. Selection of program-supported participants is expected to take into consideration whether the participation would help achieve the overall goals/objectives of the NHGRI GREAT Program, which is to support a diverse pool of undergraduate participants to help them successfully enter and complete doctoral-degree programs in genomics or a genomics-related field .

The Advisory Committee, as indicated in the FOA, seem to play a central role than would normally be expected. What is the thinking behind the examples roles of this committee, as indicated in the FOA?

The intent is for the PIs and key personnel to be responsible for the design and implementation of this program. The Advisory Committee’s primary function is to advise on progress and help evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program. Given the partnership model, a committee may help advise on the many components of an integrated program and may potentially provide assistance, thus the rationale on examples given.

Do you encourage dry lab, wet lab or a combination for this application?

We are not being prescriptive about this to leave room for innovation. As noted in the NHGRI Strategic Vision, one of our priority areas is to ensure that the next generation of genomic scientists are sufficiently trained in data science. We also recognize that wet lab genomics research is important, thus programs that focus on dry lab, on wet lab or combination programs are all acceptable. Further, we also encourage genomic medicine and ELSI-focused programs which may not fall under the categories of dry or wet lab.