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Technology Development for Genomics
When beginning your next investigator-initiated application, consider the following NIH highlighted topic. The area of science described below is of interest to the listed NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). This is not a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).
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Topic Description
Post Date: September 10, 2025
Expiration Date: August 29, 2026
Technology development has enabled advances in our ability to connect genomic variants, function, and disease, leading to clinical impact. Research is needed to innovate and develop new methods, technologies and systems that enable rapid, low-cost determination of nucleic acid sequence and genotyping along with epigenetic, functional, and synthetic genomics experiments. This includes development of completely novel approaches as well as achieving orders-of-magnitude improvements in genomic technologies (resolution, throughput or cost). Technology transfer from developers to users is a goal, as well as collaborative, multidisciplinary programs that closely integrate research projects in academic and industrial laboratories. For genomics, the needs include high-throughput technology development that is both comprehensive (genome-wide or transcriptome-wide) and generalizable (likely to be useful for many biological systems and diseases). Innovation is needed for both experimental and computational approaches.
Some examples of research topics that could support these goals:
- Methods to quantify or map gene expression, chromatin accessibility, epigenomics, somatic variation, structural variation, epitranscriptomics, and nuclear architecture;
- Functional genomics technologies such as genome editing, epigenome editing, transcriptome editing, or massively parallel reporter assays to comprehensively characterize gene expression control, or other aspects of genome function;
- Methods that allow for multiple informative genomic assays (multiomics) to be collected on the same sample;
- Methods bringing spatial or temporal resolution to genomic measurements;
- Methods for native, full length and comprehensive direct RNA sequencing, DNA sequencing, and detection of multiple modified bases, including methods utilizing new physical, chemical, or enzymatic detection methods;
- Novel enzymatic, biological, chemical, or physical approaches to oligonucleotide synthesis, nucleic acid construct synthesis, or both;
- Methods measuring functional interactions between genetic variants and regulatory elements, in cis or trans;
- Molecular and cellular high-throughput phenotyping methods for assays of the effects of genetic variation or perturbations
Participating ICOs
NHGRI's interest includes all of the examples above. NHGRI’s focus is on approaches that are comprehensive (genome-wide or transcriptome-wide) and generalizable (likely to be useful for many biological systems and diseases).
ICO Scientific Contact:Mike Pazin
[email protected]
NIAID is interested in supporting projects that focus on research and technology development in the areas of genomics and metagenomics to understand HIV/AIDS or its co-morbidities (TB, malaria, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections); other infectious diseases including those transmitted by arthropod vectors; immunologic and allergic diseases, or organ transplantation; and other areas arising from genomics that are relevant to NIAID's scientific mission. Of specific interest are projects that advance genomic epidemiology to understand pathogen, intermediate host, and arthropod vector evolution, drug resistance, and transmission.
ICO Scientific Contact:Inka Sastalla
[email protected]
NIDA is interested in the application of genetic technology to the problems of addiction, and routes towards novel gene therapy developments.
ICO Scientific Contact:Amy Lossie
[email protected]
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) seeks applications that develop innovative and transformative computational methods that advance genomic research and improve human health. Areas of interest include novel algorithms for predictive modeling of genomic and metagenomic data, analysis of genetic variation, and methods to characterize genotype-phenotype relationships. NLM also supports tool development to explore functional aspects of genomic regions and scalable solutions for data integration, harmonization, and management. Emphasis is placed on informatics approaches that analyze large-scale phenotypic datasets—especially from high-throughput experiments—and integrate diverse omics data using advanced algorithms to uncover biological patterns and accelerate understanding of complex systems.
ICO Scientific Contact:Catherine Farrell
[email protected]
The areas of interest of the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research in the Office of Research on Women’s Health (OADR-ORWH) include:
- Projects exploring functional genomics and epigenetic modifications tailored to women's health, aimed at understanding sex-specific traits, disease susceptibilities, and their impact across the life course.
- Development of advanced, high-throughput genomic technologies to identify sex-specific genetic markers and their disease associations.
- Developing computational tools to integrate the interactions of genetics with environmental factors to accelerate diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and cures, and enhancing health for people with autoimmune disease.
This office does not award grants. Applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers listed in this topic.
ICO Scientific Contact:Elena Gorodetsky, M.D., Ph.D.
[email protected]
Victoria Shanmugam, MBBS, MRCP, FACR, CCD
[email protected]
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