NIDCR Small Research Grants for Analyses of Existing Genomics Data (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 20 046

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 046

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is offering a discretionary grant opportunity called "NIDCR Small Research Grants for Analyses of Existing Genomics Data (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," funding opportunity number PAR-20-046. This program uses the NIH R03 mechanism, which is designed to support small, focused research projects. The central aim is to fund high-quality research that answers important questions about human dental, oral, or craniofacial (DOC) conditions or traits by analyzing genomics datasets that already exist, especially data that are publicly available. Rather than paying for new patient enrollment or new clinical trial activities, this opportunity is meant to help researchers get more value out of existing genomic resources through thoughtful statistical and computational analysis.

Projects under this FOA are expected to rely on computational and quantitative approaches to study genomics data relevant to DOC health and disease. That can include using established analytic pipelines as well as developing and applying new methods within the same project, including machine learning-based approaches. In practice, this means an application could propose reanalyzing a public genomics dataset to identify genetic variants associated with a craniofacial trait, integrating multiple existing datasets to improve statistical power, applying modern predictive models to classify disease subtypes, or creating novel computational tools that make it easier to extract DOC-relevant biological insight from complex genomic information. The key idea is that the scientific contribution comes from the analysis and interpretation of already-collected genomic data, not from generating brand-new human subjects datasets.

The FOA is explicitly marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which signals that proposed work should not include conducting a clinical trial as defined by NIH. Applicants should structure their research around secondary analyses of existing data, method development, or computational validation activities rather than prospective interventions in human participants. While the research can still be directly relevant to human health and may use human genomic data, the funded activities should stay within the scope of data-driven, computationally oriented research rather than trial implementation.

In terms of funding scale, the listed award ceiling is $200,000, consistent with the small-grant nature of the R03 mechanism. The opportunity sits within the NIH health funding category and is associated with CFDA number 93.121. The original closing date shown in the source information is January 7, 2023, and the opportunity record indicates a creation date of November 8, 2019. Anyone considering applying should verify the current status and any updated due dates or reissues on NIH/grants.gov listings, since NIH opportunities are sometimes renewed, replaced, or re-posted under new numbers.

Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types across government, academia, and the private and nonprofit sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations and tribal governments that are not federally recognized (as specified); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional unspecified "other" entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories that emphasize inclusivity and participation from diverse institutions and communities, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

Overall, this grant opportunity is tailored for investigators who can take advantage of the growing ecosystem of existing genomics data to produce meaningful insights into dental, oral, and craniofacial biology and disease. It is a good fit for projects that are computationally intensive, hypothesis-driven (or method-development driven), and able to deliver clear value from reanalysis, integration, or novel modeling of available genomics datasets, all within a modest budget and without conducting clinical trials.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCR Small Research Grants for Analyses of Existing Genomics Data (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-11-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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