Request for Information (RFI): Specific Needs for Metabolomics Reference Standards


Notice Number: NOT-RM-11-025

Key Dates

Release Date: October 21, 2011
Open date: October 21, 2011
Response Date:  November 21, 2011
After November 21, 2011, responses will no longer be considered.

Issued by

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued from the Common Fund (http://commonfund.nih.gov) through the NIH Office of the NIH Director, Office of Strategic Coordination in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (http://dpcpsi.nih.gov/osc). The RFI will be administered by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI/NIH), (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov) on behalf of the NIH.

Purpose

The NIH Common Fund Metabolomics Working Group is seeking comments regarding the need for high quality reference standards for use in research studies using metabolomic approaches. The NIH Common Fund supports cross-cutting programs that are expected to have exceptionally high impact. All Common Fund initiatives invite investigators to develop bold, innovative, and often risky approaches to address important problems that may seem intractable or to seize new opportunities that offer the potential for rapid progress and broad impact.

Background

The NIH Common Fund is currently developing a multi-component program to help increase metabolomics research capacity. One of the goals of the program is to expand the repertoire of chemically identifiable metabolites through synthesis of reliable standards.

Information Requested

Information is requested on the following topics relating to metabolomic reference standards:

1. The classes of metabolites that most urgently require reference standards for metabolite identification and at what range of concentrations. Please include a brief rationale.

2. Whether these metabolite standards should be available in unlabeled form, labeled with radioisotopes or heavy isotopes, or available in both labeled and unlabeled forms. If labeled forms are desired, please specify the labeled element desired for each suggested metabolite.

3. The highest priority metabolite reference standard needed in your field. Please state that field.

4. The metabolite reference standards that would benefit the broadest number of biomedical fields.

5. The key quality control requirements that synthesized reference standards need to meet.

Responses

Please send responses identifying the question number above, if appropriate, to NCIMetabolomicsRFI@mail.nih.gov by November 21, 2011.

This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation for applications or as an obligation on the part of the Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it.  Please note that the United States Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for its use of that information. 

Responses will be compiled and shared internally and with working groups convened by the NIH, as appropriate.  In all cases where responses are shared, the names of the respondents will be withheld. 

We look forward to your input and hope that you will share this document with your colleagues. 

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Pothur Srinivas, Ph.D., MPH
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Bethesda, MD 20892 
Telephone:  301-402-3712
FAX:  301-480-1455
email: srinivap@nhlbi.nih.gov