Ancillary Studies to the NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 22 023

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 22 023

The NIH, through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), offered this discretionary grant opportunity (RFA-DK-22-023) to support ancillary research projects that plug into the existing NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC). The scientific backdrop is that the IBDGC, working alongside the International IBD Genetics Consortium, has already mapped more than 250 genetic susceptibility loci linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Even with that progress, the field is still facing a major bottleneck: only a small fraction of those loci can be followed up with deeper functional work using current consortium resources, meaning most of the actual biological mechanisms behind the genetic signals remain unresolved. This FOA was designed to push beyond gene mapping and into the next stage of discovery by expanding how many loci, variants, genes, and IBD-relevant biological domains can be investigated using the consortiums established participants, biospecimens, and datasets.

At its core, the program aims to fund well-justified ancillary studies that leverage the IBDGC infrastructure to move from association to mechanism. Projects are expected to focus specifically on identifying causal variants within known IBD risk loci and/or functionally characterizing the effector genes that translate those variants into real biological effects. In practical terms, that typically means narrowing down which specific variants in a risk region are likely driving disease risk, linking those variants to changes in gene regulation or gene function, and then demonstrating how those changes impact relevant pathways or cell types involved in IBD pathophysiology and clinical course. The FOA also emphasizes broadening the scope of IBD phenotypes and physiological domains examined, consistent with the renewed mission of the IBDGC to clarify genetic architecture across diverse populations and to better understand how genetics influences disease features and outcomes, not just overall susceptibility.

A key boundary condition is that proposed ancillary studies must not duplicate work that the IBDGC is already conducting or has completed. The intention is to complement and extend the consortiums active portfolio rather than re-run overlapping analyses. The opportunity uses the R01 grant mechanism and is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which signals that the funded work should be mechanistic, translational, genomic, computational, or laboratory-based in a way that does not meet NIHs definition of a clinical trial. Applicants are expected to design projects that make strong use of existing IBDGC resources, such as curated cohorts, genotype and phenotype datasets, and available biospecimens, rather than building an entirely independent patient recruitment enterprise.

From an administrative standpoint, the awarding agency is the National Institutes of Health, with the activity falling under CFDA 93.847 and categorized under food and nutrition and health. The award ceiling listed is $300,000, indicating the maximum amount that could be requested under the terms shown in the source information. The original closing date provided is 2023-11-08, and the FOA was created on 2022-12-23. While the source text does not specify the number of expected awards, it indicates that awards would be made under the NIH grant framework, with the usual competitive review considerations focused on significance, innovation, approach, investigators, and environment, plus fit to the consortium-based ancillary purpose.

Eligibility is broad and includes many standard applicant types such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and various levels of government (state, county, city or township, special district), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants and organizational categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Indian/Native American tribal governments (other than federally recognized), non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and faith-based or community-based organizations. This breadth aligns with the FOAs emphasis on studying diverse populations and expanding the biological and phenotypic scope of IBD genetics research by encouraging participation across a wide range of institutions and communities.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a mechanism to accelerate post-GWAS discovery in IBD by funding targeted ancillary projects that use the IBDGCs established cohorts, samples, and data to pinpoint causal variants, identify and validate effector genes, and clarify the biological pathways linking genetics to IBD mechanisms and clinical behavior, while avoiding overlap with the consortiums ongoing or completed studies.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ancillary Studies to the NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (R01 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): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-12-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-11-08. (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 $300,000.00 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.

Apply for RFA DK 22 023

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