Bridge: building religious insights for developing genomic engagement

The National Human Genome Research Institute awarded Biola University, Inc. a $705,019 Cooperative Agreement on April 9, 2026, under the Human Genome Research program (CFDA 93.172) for the BRIDGE project: Building Religious Insights for Developing Genomic Engagement.

Biola University will conduct theological research, large-scale surveys, and qualitative interviews to identify religious and demographic variables that predict attitudes toward genomics among Christian populations in the United States. The project addresses critical gaps in understanding religious concerns about genomic medicine from reproduction through early childhood. Based on research findings, Biola will develop and empirically evaluate educational programs for religious communities and healthcare providers. The work leverages Biola's status as a learning community of professing Christians to establish the institution as a leader in ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) research around religious issues in genomics. Biola will create heterogenous teams of Christian community partners, including church leaders and theological scholars, to guide the research on engagement with genomic medicine and ensure broad perspectives across denominational traditions.

Performance occurs in California. The period of performance runs from April 9, 2026, through February 28, 2031. The funding obligation is $705,019.

Abstract

Religion is an understudied contributor to attitudes toward genomics, despite the large numbers of religious americans and evidence that religious concerns significantly predict these attitudes, which impact engagement with genomic medicine. Our project, bridge: building religious insights for developing genomic engagement, addresses critical gaps in understanding these concerns among demographically heterogenous christian populations in the US. Through biola university's unique status as a learning community of professing christians, the project will achieve nhgri's goal to broaden perspectives in elsi research through five key aims: 1. Establish biola university as a leader in elsi research around religious issues. We will leverage our capacity as a private institution with a long history of academic excellence from a christian perspective to bring together experts and graduate programs in a variety of elsi-relevant fields to address critical gaps in understanding religious concerns about genomic medicine. 2. Identify religious and demographic variables that predict attitudes toward genomics from reproduction through early childhood (grec) among christians in the US. This will be accomplished through theological research across christian traditions, large-scale surveys, and qualitative interviews. Educational programs for religious communities and healthcare providers will be developed based on research findings and empirically evaluated for effectiveness and feasibility. 3. Develop and partner with various groups of christians as community partners in team-based approaches to research. We will create heterogenous teams of christian community partners, including church leader and theological community teams, to ensure broad perspectives in guiding the research on engagement with genomic medicine. 4. Increase the capacity of biola and its community partners to engage in NIH-funded elsi research. We will strengthen biola's capacity for elsi research through an institutional needs assessment, capacity building plans, and ncura consultation. 5. Develop a workforce for elsi research focused on religious populations. Workforce development will target faculty, postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate students in psychology, public health, theology, and the social sciences. This project's significance lies in its potential to expand elsi research perspectives, improve patient-centered genomic medicine practices, contribute to more widespread and effective genomic medicine utilization among religious populations, and develop a new hub for elsi scholarship centered around religious issues. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of religious perspectives on genomic medicine, improved educational resources, increased research capacity at biola, and a trained workforce for future elsi research.