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

The National Institutes of Health, through the Department of Health and Human Services, is soliciting applications under RFA-HG-27-007 to establish centers for the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) Consortium. The primary objective is to characterize genomic variation and assess how individual variants in DNA, RNA, or protein-coding elements impact genome function and phenotypes. Funded centers will utilize high-throughput methods to perturb variants, collect molecular and cellular data, and develop portable data processing pipelines. These centers are expected to collaborate within the consortium to coordinate assays and cell types, contributing raw and processed data to the IGVF Catalog via the Data Analysis and Coordination Center. The funding cycle runs from 2027 through fiscal year 2031, with a maximum project period of five years and budgets limited to 2 million dollars in direct costs per year. Notably, 20 percent of direct costs must be allocated to support collaborative work. Applications are evaluated based on scientific merit through the NIH peer review system and a second level of review by the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research, focusing on significance, overall impact, and the utility of the proposed assays. Clinical trials are not allowed, and research involving human subjects must comply with 45 CFR Part 46. Applicants must maintain active registrations in the System for Award Management and eRA Commons, and all Principal Investigators must have a linked ORCID ID. Required submissions include a Research Strategy limited to 30 pages, a Resource Sharing Plan, and a Data Management and Sharing Plan. Key personnel requirements include a minimum of three person-months of effort for the PD/PI and a dedicated Project Manager committing at least four person-months. Additionally, awardees must implement a cybersecurity incident response plan with a 48-hour notification requirement for any discovered incidents.