Key Dates

Related Announcements

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Issued by

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to inform the scientific community that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans to fund a limited research center exam cycle in the Generation 2 (Offspring) and Omni 1 Cohorts of the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). The examination is expected to begin in September 2025. The exam is intended in part to serve as a platform for additional, independently funded exam components via investigator-initiated grants or other independently funded projects to enrich the exam data collection with additional hypothesis-driven content. The research aims of such exam-related ancillary projects need not be limited to those within the mission of the NHLBI but must be consistent with and/or complement FHS study objectives.

This Notice allows interested researchers to develop their research hypotheses and designs; comply with any applicable cohort study-specific and NIH $500K requirements; submit and, if necessary, re-submit their grant applications; receive funding awards; and participate in exam planning and coordination prior to the exam start.

THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO). NO SOLICITATION FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS WILL BE ISSUED FOR THIS PURPOSE. APPLICANTS MUST USE EXISTING FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS AS APPROPRIATE.

Background

The NHLBI is implementing this plan in response to the report, “Strategic Transformation of Population Studies: Recommendations of the Working Group on Epidemiology and Population Sciences from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council and Board of External Experts” (Roger VL et al, Am J. Epidemiol 2015;181(6):363-367). In its report, the Working Group offered seven recommendations to the NHLBI to take advantage of new scientific opportunities and delineate future directions for the Institute’s epidemiology research portfolio on heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and disorders. The seventh recommendation was to “implement a competitive peer review–based model for its portfolio of large epidemiologic and population studies.” Within this recommendation, the NHLBI was advised to adopt a model for its existing cohort studies in which decision-making about renewal of funding for study infrastructure is separated from peer review of innovative research content. As this Notice describes, peer-reviewed investigator-initiated research projects will provide this innovative content and serve as the “predominant driver of the research agenda” in the FHS' exam, as called for by the Working Group.

Additional Information

This Notice is being released now to allow time for interested researchers to develop NIH grant applications to fund exam components addressing innovative research questions in the FHS.

Interested investigators are not required to be FHS investigators, but they must submit and receive approval of a proposal to conduct a FHS ancillary study, per the FHS research proposal policies. They will be expected to work collaboratively with the FHS investigators and to follow FHS policies and procedures. They will also be expected to comply with FHS and NHLBI requirements for sharing of collected ancillary study data with the FHS study (see NHLBI Policy for Data Sharing from Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Studies).

Researchers desiring data for their analyses beyond what will be obtained via the core exam components must plan and budget for the additional data collection in their grant applications. The core components of FHS' limited exam may include: reception and consent; update of demographic information, smoking history, and medical history including medications; anthropometry; blood pressure; and collection of blood and urine for analytes measured in real time and for storage in the FHS Biorepository for future research purposes (example of prior exam form). Laboratory assays that are likely to be funded as part of the core limited exam may include fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and serum albumin. Collection of any additional data required to address an application's specific aims must be planned and budgeted for in the grant application, including consideration of participant compensation. In addition, an FHS examination integration fee must be budgeted for, along with other costs to be determined in consultation with FHS staff prior to submission of grant applications.

Timing for Submission of Grant Applications

Grant applications submitted by the standard June 5, 2024 Council Cycle receipt date as described at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/due-dates-and-submission-policies/due-dates.htm should allow recipients adequate time to cooperate with FHS investigators and committees in the planning process for conduct of the exam.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Julie Mikulla, MBA, MSc, RN, PMP
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Email: julia.mikulla@nih.gov