Utilizing In Vitro Functional Genomics Advances for Gene-Environment (G x E) Discovery and Validation (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA ES 20 018

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Utilizing In Vitro Functional Genomics Advances for Gene-Environment (G x E) Discovery and Validation (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)."

Which agency and institute are offering this grant?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

What is the funding opportunity number (RFA)?

The funding opportunity number is RFA-ES-20-018.

What is the primary scientific focus of this RFA?

The focus is to push gene-environment (G x E) research forward by using modern in vitro functional genomics approaches to discover and validate gene-environment interactions that contribute to complex human diseases.

What is the central idea behind this initiative?

The central idea is to take recent breakthroughs in lab-based genomic tools and apply them directly to environmental health and toxicology questions, improving how researchers identify and validate G x E interactions.

Is this opportunity meant to be exploratory, or is it looking for a specific type of evidence?

It emphasizes proof-of-principle studies that convincingly demonstrate how emerging in vitro approaches can be integrated with carefully defined exposure information to reveal mechanisms and interactions that traditional observational or epidemiologic designs may struggle to capture.

What kinds of research approaches are expected to be responsive?

Responsive projects are expected to leverage innovative in vitro systems and functional genomics technologies, paired with well-characterized exposures and robust genomic readouts, to identify causality, directionality, and mechanism in gene-environment interactions.

What does "well-characterized exposures" mean in the context of this opportunity?

The announcement describes well-characterized exposures as clearly specified environmental chemicals, toxicants, mixtures, or other relevant exposure paradigms with defined dose and timing.

What does the opportunity mean by "in vitro functional genomics"?

Based on the description, it refers to modern, lab-based functional genomics tools and genomic readouts applied in in vitro experimental models to connect environmental exposures to biological responses that depend on genetic background.

What is the overall goal of the research supported by this RFA?

The goal is to strengthen understanding of how genetic variation and environmental conditions work together to influence the risk, progression, or severity of complex disorders, using experimentally controlled and scalable lab approaches that can provide more direct evidence than correlation-based studies.

What grant mechanism is being used?

This opportunity is offered as an R01 research project grant.

Are clinical trials allowed under this funding opportunity?

No. It is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applications should not propose clinical trial activities as defined by NIH.

What does "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" imply for proposed work?

It means the proposed project should not include clinical trial activities as NIH defines them, and applicants should design projects accordingly within in vitro and related non-clinical-trial research approaches described in the announcement.

What is the activity area and CFDA listing for this opportunity?

The opportunity falls under the Environment and Health activity area and is listed as CFDA 93.113.

Is this funding provided as a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement?

The mechanism supports research grants (R01), not contracts or cooperative agreements, positioning it as investigator-initiated research within the specific priorities described in the announcement.

What was the original closing date for the opportunity?

The original closing date listed was 2021-02-01.

What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?

The opportunity record shows an award ceiling of $499,999, indicating the maximum amount expected per award under the terms presented in the source data.

Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. Nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status are eligible, based on the opportunity description.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

Are small businesses eligible to apply?

Yes, small businesses are included among the eligible applicant types.

Are tribal governments or tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (other than federally recognized) and also includes Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are minority-serving institutions specifically mentioned as eligible?

Yes. The notice highlights eligibility for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply?

Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes non-U.S. (foreign) entities.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included among eligible applicants.

Are eligible federal agencies allowed to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes eligible federal agencies.

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly listed as eligible applicant types.

Are regional organizations eligible?

Yes. Regional organizations are included in the list of eligible applicants.

Why does this opportunity emphasize in vitro approaches rather than traditional observational studies?

The description emphasizes that experimentally controlled, scalable in vitro lab approaches can provide more direct evidence about causality, directionality, and mechanism than correlation-based observational or epidemiologic designs alone.

What kinds of outcomes or deliverables would make a project a good fit for this RFA?

Projects that credibly integrate cutting-edge functional genomics with carefully defined exposure science, producing interpretable and actionable evidence about G x E mechanisms relevant to complex human disease, are described as aligned with the initiative.

How should applicants think about "discovery and validation" in this context?

The announcement frames discovery and validation as using innovative in vitro systems and genomic readouts, in combination with defined exposures, to reveal and confirm gene-environment interactions and mechanisms that may be difficult to establish through traditional study designs.

What is the broader purpose of this funding opportunity?

It is described as a targeted push to modernize environmental health science by anchoring gene-environment discovery in experimentally tractable, high-resolution in vitro genomics.