Notice Number: NOT-RM-16-014

Key Dates
Release Date: May 13, 2016

Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: July 2016
First Estimated Application Due Date: November 2016
Earliest Estimated Award Date: July 1, 2017
Earliest Estimated Start Date: July 1, 2017

NOT-RM-16-015
NOT-RM-16-017
NOT-RM-16-016
NOT-RM-16-019
NOT-RM-16-018
NOT-RM-16-020

Issued by
Office of Strategic Coordination (Common Fund)
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Purpose

The Office of Strategic Coordination (Common Fund), with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications from foreign institutions in African countries to conduct investigator-initiated H3Africa ELSI Research Projects. An H3Africa ELSI Research Project is a discrete, specified, circumscribed research project, conducted by a single investigator or multiple investigators, that identifies, examines and/or addresses the ethical, legal and societal issues raised by genomic and environmental research and technology that pertain to individuals, families, communities and societies throughout Africa.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects and to complete the required institutional registrations necessary to be able to submit an application to the NIH.

The FOA is expected to be published in Summer 2016 as part of the H3Africa initiative (see h3africa.org) with an expected application due date in Fall 2016.

This FOA will utilize the U01 activity code. Details of the planned FOA are provided below.

Research Initiative Details

This Notice encourages African investigators to begin to consider applying for this new FOA; applicants with expertise and insights into new or emerging bioethical, legal, and societal issues of genomics in communities in Africa should particularly consider applying. Collaborative investigations in these areas are also encouraged.

Possible research questions to be addressed in the FOA include, but are not limited to views, conceptions, expectations, etc. of various stakeholders (communities, community leaders, religious leaders, families, researchers, policy makers, etc.) regarding genetic and genomic and environmental research; ethical, legal, and societal issues involving privacy and confidentiality for different communities in Africa; ethical, legal and societal issues of government regulations in African countries that are relevant to genetic and genomic research; ethical, legal, and societal issues surrounding collection of and use of data and samples in genetic/genomic and environmental research in Africa; ethical, legal, and societal issues surrounding sharing of data and samples in genetic/genomic research in Africa; ethical, legal, and societal issues of potential stigmatization and discrimination of individuals and/or families affected by a genetic disorder or gene and environment interactions conveying increased risk for particular disease outcomes; ethical, cultural, religious and socioeconomic factors that are likely to affect conduct of genetic/genomic research or application of findings derived from the genomic or G x E research; attitudes toward personal genomics testing in African communities; beliefs surrounding genetic inheritance and transmission of genetic diseases in African communities and genetic and environmental interactions for disease outcomes; and the appropriate use of consent forms, i.e. appropriate language and means of getting consent without coercion.

Investigators involved in H3Africa ELSI Research Projects will be expected to participate in H3Africa Consortium activities and abide by H3Africa guidelines, policies, and procedures (see h3africa.org).

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Ebony Madden, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Telephone: 301-503-5620
Email: ebony.madden@nih.gov