Supporting Talented Early Career Researchers in Genomics (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Funding Agency:
- National Institutes of Health
Program objectives:
An essential element of the mission of NHGRI is to support talented researchers early in their careers, clearing a path for them to drive innovation at the forefront of the field of genomics. NHGRI is committed to the NIH Next Generation Researchers Initiative, which aims to promote the growth, stability, and diversity of the biomedical workforce through a focus on early career stages. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is intended to support early career researchers as they begin to establish a vibrant, independent research program in genomics. For the purposes of this NOFO, the term "genomics" encompasses issues and activities in all of the foundational areas of research that are of interest to NHGRI, as outlined in the NHGRI 2020 Strategic Vision.
Research Goals and Scope:
This program is aimed at supporting genomics researchers who are early in their independent research career. Consistent with this, Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must have Early Stage Investigator (ESI) status as defined by the NIH. NHGRI is committed to building a diverse community of genomics researchers, and welcomes applications supporting early stage investigators with a long-term interest in pursuing genomics research from a variety of backgrounds, e.g., individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical research, individuals at institutions that have not traditionally received significant funding from NHGRI, and individuals who have not previously been involved in NHGRI funded research programs.
PD/PIs must propose a defined research project that is responsive to the mission of NHGRI. This includes the development of resources, approaches, and technologies that accelerate and support studies focused on the structure and biology of genomes; the genomics of disease; the implementation and effectiveness of genomic medicine; genomic data science and bioinformatics; and ethical, legal, and social issues related to genomic advances. More information about NHGRI's vision and priority areas can be found in the NHGRI 2020 Strategic Vision and on the web pages for the NHGRI Division of Genome Sciences, Division of Genomic Medicine, and Division of Genomics and Society.
PD/PIs are strongly encouraged to discuss planned applications with the listed Scientific Contact for this RFA, in order to ensure that their proposed research meets the goals of this program, and is scientifically within the mission of NHGRI. Examples of research that would not be appropriate include, but are not limited to: the use of genomic approaches to understand a specific disease or limited set of diseases, including projects that focus on tumor or somatic cancer genomes; research focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying disease or other biological processes; the development of technologies or approaches that target a limited subset of loci or genomic regions. Applications that fall outside of the mission of NHGRI will be considered non-responsive to this announcement and will not proceed to review.
An important goal of this program is the career development of outstanding, early stage investigators in genomics. In addition to a detailed experimental plan, the application must include a plan for professional and scientific activities which includes engaging an advisory committee to provide feedback on the research program and offer career guidance, commitment from the institution to actively support the research program development of the PD/PI, and additional career enhancement activities as appropriate. Applications that do not include this plan will be considered non-responsive to the announcement and will be withdrawn prior to review. See Section IV.2 for detailed application instructions.
Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs.
Application budgets need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project, and cannot exceed $400,000 in direct costs per year.
February 28, 2025; February 27, 2026
Lisa H. Chadwick, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-435-7275
Email: lisa.chadwick@nih.gov