Notice Number: NOT-RM-09-001

Key Dates
Release Date: October 3, 2008
Application Receipt Date:  October 28, 2008

Issued by
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/) on behalf of the NIH Common Fund/Roadmap.

The purpose of this notice is to clarify the Research Objectives (Program Components) located in the Funding Opportunity Description and the Review and Selection Process located in the Award Information for the funding opportunity announcement (FOA), RFA-RM-08-017, Epigenomics of Human Health and Disease (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-017.html). 

In reference to the following statement in the Program Components that “investigators funded under this FOA may propose to engage in collaborative research activities with investigators funded under the Reference Epigenome Mapping Centers (REMCs) to provide biospecimens for analytical services to be conducted by the REMCs” the following clarification should be noted. The REMCs are not independently funded to provide analytical services to applicants to this FOA, so applicants to this FOA who propose to establish collaborations with the REMCs for analytical services must ensure that the proposed budget, including personnel and reagent/supply costs necessary to support these activities, is included in the application.

Because the REMCs are recently established components of the Epigenomics Program, it may not be possible for applicants to this FOA to establish a formal financial agreement with an REMC prior to the application receipt date for this FOA.  If applicants to this FOA are considering establishing financial collaborations with the REMCs to conduct analyses of biospecimens, they are encouraged to discuss possible arrangements with the REMC awardees prior to submitting an application to this RFA, and then to include a statement describing the proposed collaboration in their application. Financial support for the REMC should be included as part of the budget of the application. 

In the Review and Selection Process section, the question “Does the applicant identify adequate informatics expertise and include evidence and assurances that a working relationship with the REMCs will be in place so that all data obtained through the study will be formatted in a manner that is consistent with the Roadmap Epigenomics Mapping Centers?” does not require applicants to this FOA to establish a formal financial relationship with the Mapping Centers to demonstrate that requisite evidence and assurances are in place.   Applicants instead should indicate in their application their intent to engage in communications with the REMCs and the Epigenomics Data Analysis and Coordination Center (EDACC) and to comply with any data formatting requirements of the Roadmap Epigenomics Program.  Applicants may propose to utilize the EDACC to perform the data formatting, analysis, and transfer to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), and would need to submit a letter of collaboration to request inclusion of their data in the EDACC activities and make financial arrangements with the EDACC to support these activities.

A list of NIH awardees to the Epigenomics Roadmap Program, including the REMCs and EDACC, can be found at: http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/epigenomics/fundedresearch.asp.

Inquiries

Direct inquiries regarding this notice to:

Brenda K. Weis, M.S.P.H., Ph.D.
Office of the Director
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
5635 Fishers Lane, Room 2089, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Telephone: 301-451-2067
Fax: 301-443-7043
Email: [email protected]