Diversity Centers for Genome Research Pre-Application Webinar FAQ

Are research intensive Minority Serving Institutions eligible to apply?

To be eligible for the either RFA, applicant institution must be a domestic institution located in the United States and its territories which:

• Has received an average of less than $50 million per year in NIH support and also less than $25 million per year of R01 total cost of NIH support for the past three fiscal years;
   
• Awards doctorate degrees in the health professions or the sciences related to health; and
   
• Has a documented historical and current mission to educate students from any of the populations that have been identified as underrepresented in biomedical research as defined by the National Science Foundation NSF, see Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering) (i.e., African Americans or Blacks, Hispanic or Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, U.S. Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities) or has a documented record of: (1) recruiting, training and/or educating, and graduating underrepresented students as defined by NSF (see above), which has resulted in increasing the institution's contribution to the national pool of graduates from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue biomedical research careers and, (2) for institutions that deliver health care services, providing clinical services to medically underserved communities.

Are there expectations/exceptions for data sharing?

Awardees are expected to comply with the NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy as well as the NHGRI’s genomic data sharing expectations. NHGRI supports the broadest appropriate genomic, phenotypic, and metadata data sharing with timely data release through widely accessible data repositories. Resources such as study protocols, informed consent form templates, aggregate results, and bioinformatic tools are expected to be made available through an open access section of a database such as dbGaP, AnVil, other public web sites, and/or publication in the scientific literature. Centers are encouraged to get feedback from the communities in which the research will be performed regarding plans for sharing individual level data resulting from the research projects with the scientific community for research purposes. Feedback and recommendations for data access, protection of participant and patient privacy and confidentiality, and management of health information should be integrated into the Center’s data sharing plan.

Budgets should include any funds required to support sharing of genomic data under this FOA (e.g., to obtain samples with explicit informed consent for future research use and broad data sharing, to implement processes to seek new consent from study participants, or to prepare the data for submission to appropriate repositories).

What does it mean to have inter-related projects? Do all the research projects have to be in one disease area

The Centers should have 2-3 inter-related genomics projects that address one or more critical issues in genomics, including genomic technology and methods development; genome structure; genome function; genomics of disease; use and impact of genomic information in clinical care; ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics research; genomics and health equity; data science and/or computational genomics. The projects should complement each other but do not have to be in the same disease area.

How do we know if our proposed research projects are responsive to the RFA?

Please reach out to the relevant program contact(s) to discuss your proposed research projects. The program director will give you an indication of whether your proposed aims are responsive to the RFA.

Do the genomic research projects have to be related to mental health or minority health and health disparities research?

No, the research projects have to be related to one or more critical issues in genomics, including genomic technology and methods development; genome structure; genome function; genomics of disease; use and impact of genomic information in clinical care; ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics research; genomics and health equity; data science and/or computational genomics. If proposing clinical genomic research projects, any disease area(s) is responsive to the RFA as long as the approach, methods, applicability, etc. are generalizable. The National Institution of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) will provide co-funding to support targeted research projects related to their core missions.

Are collaborations allowed for the RFAs?

Collaborations with research-intensive institutions and industry, which are needed to obtain the expertise to perform the proposed research and carry out the aims of the cores, can be included.  However, at least 70% of the budget (direct costs) will need to stay at the applicant institution.

What are the required components to be responsive to the UG3/UH3 RFA (RFA-HG-22-027)?

Phase I (UG3)

The Phase I (UG3) portion of the application should include:

• Plans for the organization, implementation, and evaluation of a full-scale genomic research center
• Plans for recruitment and retainment of relevant faculty and trainees
• Training on software and equipment that will be acquired in Phase II
• Plans for testing and implementing protocols and procedures
• Plans for enhancing the research experiences, courses, career development and genomic didactic and practicum opportunities proposed in Phase II
• Strategies to identify and provide solutions for any logistical problems that can be foreseen
• Plans for how the Center will use their external advisory committee to evaluate progress and give recommendations for needed activities to become a full-scale genome center
• Milestone Plan
• Evaluation Plan

Phase II (UH3)

The Phase II (UH3) portion of the application must include all the components of a full-scale center:

• Administrative Core
• Genomic Workforce Development Core
• Community Engagement Core
• Research Project(s): 2-3 projects
• Milestone Plan
• Evaluation Plan
• External Advisory Committee
• Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives