RFA-HG-27-012-Full-Announcement.html

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This is a Request for Application (RFA) issued by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) under the National Institutes of Health to establish the GREGoRi Technology Integration Center (TechIC) as part of the Genomics Research to Elucidate the Genetics of Rare Diseases: Innovation (GREGoRi) initiative. The RFA solicits cooperative agreement applications (U01 activity code) with a funding amount of $3 million total in FY 2027 to support one award. The maximum project period is five years with a budget cap of $2.25 million in direct costs per project year. Applications are due by 5:00 PM local time on a rolling basis with review cycles in March 2027, May 2027, and July 2027, with an earliest start date of October 30, 2026. The funding opportunity is part of CFDA 93.172 (Human Genome Research).

The TechIC will develop a structured, multi-omic dataset from individuals with rare genetic diseases and appropriate controls to enable rigorous evaluation and benchmarking of molecular assays beyond DNA sequencing for rare disease diagnosis. Key deliverables include establishing the dataset with core molecular data types (whole genome sequencing, DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, transcriptome, and proteomic/metabolomic data), developing methods and best practices for using these technologies in clinical genetics, and partnering with the GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center to share harmonized data via NHGRI's AnVIL platform. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, state/local governments, and other domestic entities; foreign subawards are prohibited. The PD/PI must commit at least three person-months annually (or 1.2 months if multiple PDs/PIs with total effort of at least three person-months). Applications involving human subjects research require IRB approval and informed consent for broad data sharing (General Research Use or Health/Medical/Biomedical without additional restrictions). The center must participate actively in the GREGoRi Consortium governance structure, including Steering Committee and working group meetings, and collaborate with related initiatives such as IGVF, HPRC, ClinGen, and others.

RFA-HG-27-012-Full-Announcement.html

Text of this file

Department of Health and Human Services

Part 1. Overview Information

Participating Organization(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Components of Participating Organizations

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Note: Not all NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) participate in Announcements. Applicants should carefully note which ICOs participate in this announcement and view their respective areas of research interest at the ICO-Specific Scientific Interests website. ICOs that do not participate in this announcement will not consider applications for funding.

Funding Opportunity Title

GREGoRi Technology Integration Center (U01, Clinical Trials Optional)

Activity Code

U01 Research Project – Cooperative Agreements

Announcement Type

New

Related Notices

Check for any recent Notices of NIH Policy Changes that may impact application requirements.

Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

RFA-HG-27-012

Companion Funding Opportunity

RFA-HG-27-011

, U01 Research Project (Cooperative Agreements)

RFA-HG-27-013

, U01 Research Project (Cooperative Agreements)

Number of Applications

See Part 2, Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Assistance Listing Number(s)

93.172

Funding Opportunity Purpose

The Genomics Research to Elucidate the Genetics of Rare Diseases:innovation (GREGoRi) initiative seeks to accelerate a paradigm shift in rare disease diagnosis by reimagining the tools, molecular technologies and analytical approaches used to identify the causal gene(s) and/or variant(s) underlying rare genetic disorders. The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is to establish the GREGoRi Technology Integration Center, which will enable the development of standards and best practices for applying new and emerging molecular methods in rare disease diagnosis. A major deliverable of the Center will be a multidimensional dataset that can be used for the development and benchmarking of novel tools and strategies that facilitate rare disease diagnosis.

Funding Opportunity Goal(s)

As a leading authority in the field of genomics, the mission of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is to accelerate scientific and medical breakthroughs that improve human health by driving cutting-edge research, developing new technologies, and studying the impact of genomics on society. Congress initially established NHGRI to characterize the structure and function of the human genome, including the mapping and sequencing of individual genes. This also includes reviewing and funding research proposals, developing training programs, coordinating international genome research, communicating advances in genome science to the public, and reviewing and funding proposals to address the ethical and legal issues associated with this research. NHGRI supports the development of methods, resources and technologies to improve the health of all humans through advances in genomics research. NHGRI supports research that accelerates foundational resources, technology development, and experimental and computational approaches for basic genomics and functional genomics research; for the application of genomics to medical science and clinical care; and to support ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) research concerning societal issues that need to be addressed, especially as genomic science advances. For years, NHGRI has participated in the NIH effort to turn discovery into health by helping small businesses develop innovative genomics technologies that improve health and save lives. NHGRI also develops and supports initiatives that expand opportunities for genomics education and careers, cultivating genomics training programs and workforce development initiatives.

Key Dates

Posted Date

June 18, 2026

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)

September 30, 2026

Application Due Dates
Review and Award Cycles
New
Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed)
AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed
Scientific Merit Review
Advisory Council Review
Earliest Start Date

October 30, 2026

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

March 2027
May 2027

July 2027

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Due Dates for E.O. 12372

Not Applicable

Expiration Date

October 31, 2026

Required Application Instructions

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.
Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Overview Information Key Dates Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Section II. Award Information Section III. Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Information Section V. Application Review Information Section VI. Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

Background and Program Overview Over the last decade, rapid advancements in the development of high throughput and cost-effective genome sequencing technologies have made it possible to obtain a precise molecular diagnosis for many individuals with an undiagnosed but likely genetic disease. However, a substantial proportion of individuals with a suspected genetic disease – more than 50% – remain undiagnosed after undergoing clinical genetic testing. In 2021, NHGRI launched the GREGoR (Genomics Research to Elucidate the Genetics of Rare Disease) Consortium, with the goal of developing new approaches to identify causal variants in individuals with rare genetic disease, particularly where whole exome sequencing was not successful. The research centers funded in phase I of GREGoR use approaches such as whole genome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and other methods to solve these more challenging cases. The data generated in GREGoR are shared with the broader research community via NHGRI's Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-space (AnVIL) through the AnVIL Portal.

Today, whole exome sequencing (WES) is considered to be a first-line approach for identifying the underlying cause of rare genetic disorders. While powerful, whole exome sequencing has a number of critical limitations that may contribute to the high rate of unsolved cases. First, WES cannot readily identify more complex variants such as copy number variants (CNV), repeat expansions, or structural variants (SV) that may contribute to disease. An additional challenge is that WES focuses primarily on protein coding regions of the genome, and is unable to detect potential causal variants in regulatory regions, introns, or other non-coding functional elements in the genome. Due to advances in the development of genomic and other molecular technologies, it is now possible to investigate many aspects of genome organization and function comprehensively and at scale, including RNA, protein and metabolites, genomic interactions, and the epigenome. In order for these technologies to be used to their fullest potential in the clinical genetics setting, more concrete guidance and the development of best practices supporting their use for rare disease diagnosis are needed.

A number of computational and analytical challenges also need to be addressed in order to fully realize the potential of these molecular approaches. For example, the integration of multiple molecular data types (including those generated by large-scale programs such as the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE), the Roadmap Epigenomics Program, or the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) Consortium) could inform variant prioritization, however doing so requires specialized domain knowledge or expertise that diagnostic labs may not have access to. Many current analytical approaches have other significant limitations, such as excluding many regions of the genome that may harbor disease-causing mutations, such as centromere, telomeres, repeat regions, and sex chromosomes, or not adequately accounting for more complex modes of inheritance. Finally, new genome representations such as the Human Pangenome Reference have the potential to better enable the identification of disease associated variation in whole genome sequence data, but most currently available tools rely on older, outdated reference genomes.

To close the diagnostic gap for rare diseases, there is a need for continued innovation in how such technologies are used in the clinical genetics setting, and in the computational tools and analytical methods that are used to identify and prioritize candidate genes or variants. In the second phase of GREGoR, GREGoR:innovation (GREGoRi), NHGRI seeks to catalyze a dramatic shift in rare disease diagnosis through the development of highly innovative solutions to some of the current challenges that face this field. In particular, GREGoRi will focus on accelerating the use of new or emerging molecular approaches in clinical genetics, on applying more established molecular technologies in innovative ways to obtain a molecular diagnosis, and on addressing significant computational challenges or analytical blind spots that have the potential to unlock new diagnoses.

To achieve the goals of GREGoRi, NHGRI is issuing an open call for applications through three notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs). These NOFOs are open to any investigator with ideas aligned with the goals of the program, regardless of whether they participated in the initial phase of the GREGoR Research Program.

The three NOFOs are:

GREGoRi Technology Integration Center (this NOFO): Accelerating the use of new and emerging genomic and molecular methods in rare disease diagnosis through the generation of a large scale multidimensional dataset, systematic evaluation, and the development of concrete recommendations for their use in this setting RFA-HG-27-012
GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center: Infrastructure and other support to ensure that the data, resources, computational tools and other products of the GREGoRi Research Program are available and useful to the broader research community, and other stakeholders RFA-HG-27-011
GREGoRi Innovation Projects: Fostering continued innovation in the tools and technologies for rare disease diagnosis, including proof of concept studies exploring the use of new and emerging molecular technologies in obtaining a molecular diagnosis for individuals with rare genetic diseases, and the development of novel computational tools or analytical methods that facilitate the identification of the gene(s) or variant(s) that contribute to rare genetic diseases RFA-HG-27-013

Scope and Objectives This NOFO solicits applications to establish the GREGoRi Technology Integration Center (TechIC), one of three components that make up the second phase of the GREGoR research program. The primary goal of the Technology Integration Center is to accelerate the use of new and emerging genomic and molecular technologies in obtaining diagnoses for individuals with rare genetic diseases through systematic evaluation and the development of concrete recommendations for how to use them most effectively to identify the causal gene(s) or variant(s) underlying rare genetic diseases.

Specific objectives of the Technology Integration Center are as follows:

Develop a structured, multi-omic dataset from individuals with rare disease and appropriate controls A major deliverable of the Technology Integration Center will be a structured multi-omic dataset that can be used for the development and benchmarking of novel analysis tools or methods for the identification of the gene(s) and/or variant(s) that underlie rare genetic diseases. This dataset should also facilitate a rigorous evaluation of the use and relative value of molecular assays beyond DNA sequencing in rare disease diagnosis, either individually or in combination, including approaches to obtaining diagnoses that do not start with DNA sequencing.

The TechIC will identify and enroll appropriate participants and define the necessary sample requirements. This data set may include a mix of individuals with rare disease that have not yet received a molecular diagnosis, those who have, and unaffected family members as necessary to meet the stated objectives. To simplify sharing of this dataset, the TechIC is expected to enroll participants into a single consent group that allows for the broadest possible sharing of genomic data through controlled access (e.g. General Research Use (GRU) or Health/Medical/Biomedical (HMB)). Detailed clinical and phenotypic data and metadata from participants should also be available and shared.

The TechIC will propose a core set of molecular data types that will form the foundation of this multi-omic dataset, and generate these data as needed for all enrolled participants. The TechIC should aim to include data types from the following broad categories in this core set of assays, although other data types and assays may be proposed as needed based on the planned study design:

Whole genome DNA sequence, preferably long-read
DNA methylation signatures
Chromatin accessibility profiling (such as ATAC-seq (assay for transposase accessible chromatin))
Transcriptome profiling
Proteomic and/or metabolomic data

The TechIC must have the capacity to incorporate new or emerging molecular technologies with potential to impact rare disease diagnosis as appropriate. The Center should work with researchers funded by the GREGoRi Innovation Projects NOFO to identify and prioritize emerging technologies that have potential to increase the likelihood of obtaining a molecular diagnosis for inclusion into the dataset.

Develop methods, standards and best practices for using large-scale molecular methods in rare disease gene discovery and diagnosis Although it is clear that DNA sequencing alone is not sufficient to obtain diagnoses for many individuals with rare disease, the adoption of other molecular technologies in clinical genetics settings has been slow. The TechIC will identify key barriers that limit the use of such technologies in these settings, and work to develop guidance and recommendations that will help accelerate their use in identifying the causal gene(s) or variants(s) underlying rare genetic diseases. Some examples include (but are not limited to):

Establishing the range of normal values for a given assay; evaluating the impact of ancestry or sample type on the normal range
Developing recommendations for the use of more readily available biosamples which may not be directly involved in the disease or phenotype of interest
Exploring alternative pathways to obtaining a molecular diagnosis that do not begin with DNA sequencing
Evaluating the strengths and limitations of different experimental protocols (such as for RNA-seq) in the context of rare disease diagnosis
Developing analysis strategies that leverage these data, either alone or in combination, to identify the gene(s) and/or variant(s) underlying rare genetic diseases

Partner with the GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center to share harmonized data via AnVIL The Technology Integration Center will work with the GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center to release data through NHGRI's Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab Space (AnVIL). Together, they will define the standards for phenotypic and molecular data along with associated metadata. The expectation is that the GREGoR data model Posted on GitHub (https://github.com/UW-GAC/gregor_data_models) will be used. The TechIC will also be expected to work closely with the Data Coordination and Outreach Center to ensure submitted data is compliant with the agreed-upon standards Applications including the following types of studies will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed

Projects that use a case-by-case approach to inform data generation, rather than generating a core set of molecular data across all enrolled participants
Projects that focus on a specific disease or a limited subset of diseases

Program formation and governance The award funded under this NOFO will be a cooperative agreement. The recipient will become a member of the GREGoRi Research Consortium, made up of investigators funded in response to the three related NOFOs. The recipient will be expected to work collaboratively with the other components of the GREGoRi Program and with NIH staff towards meeting consortium goals, in addition to the specific research goals outlined in their application.

Recipient responsibilities will include:

Working with GREGoRi consortium members to develop standards and metrics for data, metadata, and data quality
Contributing all data, metadata, protocols, methods, software, and other research products to the GREGoRi Data Coordination Center (DCC) and other appropriate repositories in agreed upon formats
Sharing best practices and lessons learned within the consortium and the external research community
Adhering to all consortium policies
Participating actively in consortium meetings, including the Steering Committee and working groups
Responding to requests for interim reporting from the GREGoRi DCC or NIH staff

Outside Collaborations Collaboration with stakeholder research communities outside of the GREGoRi Consortium helps maximize the impact of the Consortium's efforts. Recipients will also be expected to explore collaboration opportunities with other research projects and consortia with related interests or goals, such as the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) Consortium, the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium (HPRC), the Atlas of Variant Effects (AVE) Alliance, the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen), Molecular Phenotypes of Null Alleles in Cells (MorPhiC), Multi-Omics for Health and Disease (MOHD), or the Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Network. This may include participating in cross-consortium activities, such as working group meetings.

Data Sharing and Consents in GREGoRi A major deliverable of the GREGoRi Research Consortium is the GREGoR Data Resource, which makes all molecular and phenotype data collected under this program available to researchers through controlled access via NHGRI's Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-space (AnVIL). In order to streamline access to this valuable resource, NHGRI expects GREGoRi researchers to use samples that have been consented for the broadest possible data sharing. It is expected that samples will be consented for General Research Use (GRU) or Health/Medical/Biomedical (HMB) without any additional data use limitations. The Technology Integration Center should aim to enroll all participants into a single consent group.

For More Information Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the email address listed as the Scientific/Research Contact below to discuss the responsiveness of their planned project, and the alignment of the proposed work with the goals of the GREGoRi initiative.

In addition, NHGRI staff will hold an informational webinar for prospective applicants. At this webinar, staff will present an overview of the GREGoRi NOFOs and answer questions that applicants may have about the NOFOs. The time, date, and links to the webinar will be posted on the NIH website. The webinar is open to all interested applicants, but participation is not required to apply.

Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information

Funding Instrument

Cooperative Agreement: A financial assistance mechanism used when there will be substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement. Substantial involvement means that, after award, NIH scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities. See Section VI.2 for additional information about the substantial involvement for this NOFO.

Application Types Allowed

New

The OER Glossary and the How to Apply Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.

Clinical Trial?

Optional: Accepting applications that either propose or do not propose clinical trial(s).

Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial?

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards

NHGRI intends to commit a total of $3 million in FY 2027 to fund 1 award.

Award Budget

Application budgets are limited to $2.25 million in direct costs per project year, and must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

Award Project Period

The maximum project period is 5 years.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Organizations

Higher Education Institutions - Includes all types
Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
Private Institutions of Higher Education

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

Small Businesses
For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Local Governments

State Governments
County Governments
City or Township Governments
Special District Governments
Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized).

Federal Governments

Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government

U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

Independent School Districts

Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities

Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

Faith-based or Community-based Organizations

Regional Organizations

Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.8 Collaborative International Research Awards.

Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Required Registrations

Applicant Organizations Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply- Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information.

System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code. Foreign organizations must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)- A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.

eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

All PD(s)/PI(s) must be registered with ORCID. The personal profile associated with the PD(s)/PI(s) eRA Commons account must be linked to a valid ORCID ID. For more information on linking an ORCID ID to an eRA Commons personal profile see the ORCID topic in our eRA Commons online help.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply-Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.

A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.

An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise (in this NOFO, in a policy notice, or other notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Page Limitations All page limitations described in the How to Apply- Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Instructions for Application Submission

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply- Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

R&R or Modular Budget

Effective management of this center requires a significant commitment by the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s). For an application proposing a single PD/PI, that PD/PI is expected to devote at least 3 person months annually to the project. If multi-PDs/PIs are proposed, then one PD/PI must devote a minimum of 1.2 PM effort annually and the other(s) should devote sufficient time to serve his/her proposed role, with the total effort of all MPIs not less than 3 PMs annually
Budgets should include funds for the PD(s)/PI(s) and 3-5 other key personnel from the Center to attend one annual meeting of the full consortium and one additional in-person meeting per year (i.e. a Steering Committee meeting, analysis-focused meetings, etc.)
Budgets should include any funds required to support sharing of scientific data under this NOFO. This should include funds to prepare data for submission to the GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center. NIH provides guidance on allowable costs for data management and sharing here. For projects generating genomic data derived from research participants, investigators should consider costs associated with complying with the NIH and NHGRI Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy expectations (e.g., obtaining samples with explicit informed consent for future research use and broad data sharing, implementing processes to seek new consent from study participants, etc.)
The TechIC will be expected to work with other members of the GREGoRi Research Consortium (in particular, the Technology Innovation Projects) to add new or emerging molecular assays with potential to impact rare disease diagnosis into their data production pipeline. It is expected that these additions will occur in years 3-5 of this award. The data production budget requested in these years should accommodate this
Budgets may not request funds to support whole exome sequencing

R&R Subaward Budget

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

PHS 398 Research Plan All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

The Research Plan should describe plans to address the major objectives of the GREGoRi Technology Integration Center, described in Section I above.

Develop a structured, multi-omic dataset from individuals with rare disease and appropriate controls The Research Plan should clearly describe the characteristics of the proposed multi-omic dataset, and how the assembled dataset will help advance the goals of the GREGoRi Research Consortium.

Specific points that should be addressed include, but are not limited to:

A description of the study population that will be recruited to generate this dataset, the biospecimens that will be collected, and the rationale for the proposed design. The description should include specific information about the relative number of affected individuals (solved and/or unsolved) and unaffected family members that are targeted for inclusion, and any other planned selection criteria
How the center will work to identify individuals that have been consented for genomic data sharing through controlled access (GRU or HMB without any additional data use limitations), and for which detailed clinical and phenotypic data and metadata are available to be shared. This should include a description of how they will communicate data sharing requirements and expectations with any collaborators or sample providers
Specific timelines for enrollment of individuals into the dataset, obtaining necessary biospecimens, and data generation that ensure that data generation pipelines will remain full throughout the duration of the project
The specific phenotypic data (e.g., clinical data, environmental data, demographic variables and any non-genotype data), descriptive information and metadata that will be collected and shared as part of the dataset
The specific data types that will make up the core dataset, the rationale behind their selection, and how they will be obtained or generated. This should include a description of the technological platforms, experimental protocols, and analytical pipelines that will be used
The center's capacity for developing, improving, and integrating new or emerging approaches or technologies into their data production, including any that lead to improved data quality, efficiency and costs of the core molecular assays.
If previously generated data (such as DNA sequencing data) will be incorporated, a description of how the Center will ensure that these data are appropriately harmonized and meet GREGoRi data standards

Develop methods, standards and best practices for using large-scale molecular methods in rare disease gene discovery and diagnosis The research plan should describe how the proposed Center plans to approach the development of methods, standards and best practices for using the data types that make up the core data set in efforts to identify the causal gene(s) and/or variant(s) underlying rare genetic diseases.

Specific points that should be addressed include, but are not limited to:

A summary of some of the key barriers that currently limit the use of new or emerging molecular technologies in clinical genetics settings, and how the Center will go about prioritizing efforts towards developing methods, standards, and best practices that address these barriers
A description of the specific approaches that will be undertaken to develop these methods, standards and best practices, and how they will be disseminated to the broader research community

Partner with the GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center to share harmonized data via AnVIL The research plan should describe the Center's commitment to communicating, collaborating, and coordinating with the GREGoRi Data Coordination and Outreach Center (DCC), including their willingness to:

Work with the DCC and other consortium members to agree upon data formats and standards for all generated data types
Coordinate with the DCC to enable the transfer and rapid release of all data generated and any associated phenotypic data or other metadata
Adapt their submission pipelines if needed in order to better integrate with the needs of the GREGoRi Research Consortium or to support enhanced data sharing with the broader research community

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

The following instructions also apply:

The Resource Sharing Plan should summarize whether and how resources (e.g., educational materials; methods; models; physical products, materials, and reagents; protocols; research findings and products; and software) will be made available. Applicants should include a description of the format, an indication of who will be responsible for implementation and plans for long-term maintenance, whether there will be opportunities for community input and feedback, platform(s) or mechanism(s) that will be used to make resources publicly accessible, and proposed timeline for implementing the Resource Sharing Plan. Resource Sharing Plans should not duplicate other sections of the main Research Plan but should refer to them when appropriate. After initial review, NHGRI program staff may negotiate revisions of this plan with the prospective awardee. The final negotiated version of this plan will become a term and condition of the award.

Other Plan(s):

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

A Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) is required for any NIH-funded or conducted research that will generate scientific data. Applicants must submit the DMS Plan at the time of application using the NIH DMS Plan Format Page. The DMS Plan must address the elements in the structured format. Where the DMS Plan Format Page requires a "Yes or No" response, no additional narrative is allowed.
Recipients must comply with the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy and NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy. See https://grants.nih.gov/policy-and-compliance/policy-topics/sharing-policies. NIH recognizes Tribal sovereignty and the rights associated with Tribal sovereignty around data collection, data management and sharing of data and has published a supplemental Notice regarding the DMS Plan for American Indian/Alaska Native populations, NOT-OD-22-214. NHGRI supports the broadest appropriate data sharing with timely data release through widely accessible data repositories.
Per NOT-HG-21-022, NHGRI expects applications awarded under this NOFO to share comprehensive metadata and phenotypic, clinical, and environmental exposure data associated with the study; use standardized data collection protocols and survey instruments for capturing data, as appropriate; and use standardized notation for metadata (e.g., controlled vocabularies or ontologies) to enable the harmonization of datasets for secondary research analyses.
To ensure that maximal scientific benefit is derived from this significant public investment, this funding opportunity aims to advance and accelerate research by supporting rapid sharing of the resulting data with the broad scientific community for research use, through submission of all data to the NHGRI Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-Space (AnVIL), through submission of variant interpretations to ClinVar, and through publication in the scientific literature. Although NHGRI expects project datasets and human variant information from studies selected through this NOFO to be made available through AnVIL and ClinVar, data can be shared in other appropriate resources to enhance dissemination.
NHGRI strongly encourages studies that propose to derive genomic data from human specimens and cell lines to obtain participant consent either for general research use through controlled access or for unrestricted access. Similarly, consent language should avoid both restrictions on the types of users who may access the data and restrictions that add additional requirements to the access request process. NHGRI acknowledges that this will not always be possible or appropriate. In addition, individual participants who do not consent to future research use or broad sharing of their data (i.e., submission of their data to a publicly accessible data repository) may still participate in the primary study if consistent with study design. Additional guidance on informed consent can be found in the NHGRI Informed Consent Resource.
Appendix: Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide.
No publications or other material, with the exception of blank questionnaires or blank surveys, may be included in the Appendix.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered "Yes" to the question "Are Human Subjects Involved?" on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

Delayed Onset Study Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov

4. Submission Dates and Times Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH's electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply-Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372) This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply – Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization's profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply – Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant will not be reviewed.

Mandatory Disclosure

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200.113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.1.35.

Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov.

Post Submission Materials Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following scored review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed). An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific impact.

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider Factors 1, 2 and 3 in the determination of scientific merit, and in providing an overall impact score. In addition, Factors 1 and 2 will each receive a separate factor score.

Factor 1. Importance of the Research (Significance and Innovation)

Significance
Evaluate the importance of the proposed research in the context of current scientific challenges and opportunities, either for advancing knowledge within the field, or more broadly. Assess whether the application addresses an important gap in knowledge in the field, would solve a critical problem, or create a valuable conceptual or technical advance.
Evaluate the rationale for undertaking the study, the rigor of the scientific background for the work (e.g., prior literature and/or preliminary data) and whether the scientific background justifies the proposed study.

Innovation

Evaluate the extent to which innovation influences the importance of undertaking the proposed research. Note that while technical or conceptual innovation can influence the importance of the proposed research, a project that is not applying novel concepts or approaches may be of critical importance for the field.
Evaluate whether the proposed work applies novel concepts, methods or technologies or uses existing concepts, methods, technologies in novel ways, to enhance the overall impact of the project.
Specific for this NOFO:
Evaluate the extent to which the proposed activities will address key barriers that currently limit the use of new or emerging molecular technologies in clinical genetics settings.

If the proposal is clinical trial-oriented, evaluate if there is innovation in trial design. For example, innovative designs such as platform trials, adaptive, including real-time adaptive methods, seamless Phase I/II designs, and Bayesian designs are encouraged as applicable. Decentralized trial elements, including remote informed consent, remote study visits, and use of wearables are also encouraged as applicable.

Factor 2. Rigor and Feasibility (Approach)

Approach
Evaluate the scientific quality of the proposed work. Evaluate the likelihood that compelling, reproducible findings will result (rigor) and assess whether the proposed studies can be done well and within the timeframes proposed (feasibility).

Rigor:

Evaluate the potential to produce unbiased, reproducible, robust data.

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