dkNET community events and announcements in December, 2021

Dear dkNET Community,

dkNET provides updates on activities of interest to the NIDDK-supported community. You could keep up to date on these activities through our Twitter feed @dkNET_info, through our Community Calendar, or through dkNET e-mail list. If you have an event or funding opportunities you'd like to advertise, please contact us info_at_dknet.org.

• Meet the dkNET Team at Cell Bio Virtual 2021 Meet the dkNET team at our networking sessions at the American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting Cell Bio Virtual 2021 this year! Come join us to discuss challenges in using bioinformatics tools, and learn about FAIR data and new NIH mandates on data management and sharing (1) Networking Session “Challenges in Using Bioinformatics Tools for Bench Researchers” on Monday, December 6, 2021,10:00-10:45 am PST (2) Networking Session “FAIR Data and You: Are you ready for 2023?” will be live on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 10:00-10:45 am PST. More information: https://dknet.org/about/blog/2373

• Join dkNET Upcoming Webinar in December 2021: Save the dates! PanoramaWeb, presented by Dr. Michael MacCoss, will be held on Friday, December 10, 2021, 11 am-12 pm PT. Register it now! 

• Recordings and Slides are Now Available for the dkNET webinar “The Microphysiology Systems Database (MPS-Db): A Platform For Aggregating, Analyzing, Sharing And Computationally Modeling In Vitro Data”, presented by Dr. Bert Gough on November 12, 2021: Recording; Slides. 

• Congratulations to our 2021 dkNET New Investigator Pilot Program in Bioinformatics Awardees: Drs. Rafael Arrojo e Drigo, Alok Joglekar, Alan Rupp, Jack Virostko, and Kenneth Young. The 2022 funding cycle is opening now! Letter of Intend Due Date: Jan. 28, 2022. Application Due Date: Feb. 28, 2022.

• New Resources added to dkNET

• Islet Regulome Browser (RRID:SCR_021781) is a web visualization tool that provides access to interactive exploration of pancreatic islet genomic data. It allows access and exploration of pancreatic islet epigenomic and transcriptomic data produced by different labs worldwide.

• ImmGen (RRID:SCR_021792) is a project that combines immunology and computational biology laboratories in an effort to establish the complete road map of gene expression and regulatory networks in all immune cells. It will generate, with rigorously standardized conditions, complete compendium of genome-wide data sets showing expression of protein-coding genes for all defined cell populations of the mouse immune system.

• PARASAIL (RRID:SCR_021805) is a software tool of multiple sequence alignment for global, local, and semi-global alignments.

• Mouse Developmental Anatomy Ontology Browser (RRID:SCR_021808) is a browser for mouse developmental anatomy. The ontology of mouse developmental anatomy was originally developed by Jonathan Bard and his colleagues as part of Edinburgh Mouse Atlas Project (EMAP) in order to provide a structured controlled vocabulary of stage-specific anatomical structures for developing laboratory mice.

• UMI4Cats (RRID:SCR_021780) is a software R package for analyzing UMI-4C[a technique that combines chromosome conformation capture (4C) and unique molecular identifiers (UMI)] chromatin contact data. It is used to analyze chromatin contact profiles obtained by UMI-4C.

• MariaDB (RRID:SCR_021763) is an open-source relational database management system that is a compatible drop-in replacement for MySQL database technology. It includes a selection of storage engines, including high-performance storage engines, for working with other RDBMS data sources. It uses standard and popular querying language. It runs on a number of operating systems and supports a wide variety of programming languages.

Events in December 2021

Dec. 01, 2021

2021 Emory SCORE SABV Virtual Workshop: “How to Incorporate Sex as a Biological Variable in Your Research”

On behalf of Dr. Igho Ofotokun, the Emory Specialized Center of Research Excellence (SCORE) is pleased to announce its 2nd Annual “How to Incorporate Sex as a Biological Variable in Your Research” virtual workshop being held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 from 10am-3:00pm EST (7:00am-12:00pm PST)

More Information: https://form.jotform.com/212233495905153

Dec. 01-10, 2021 

Cell Bio Virtual 2021

Cell Bio, the joint meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) and European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), is an arena to showcase a diverse global community of the brightest minds in cell biology. The meeting focuses on cell biology as the fundamental basis of biology as well as sessions on emerging interdisciplinary topics.

More Information: https://www.ascb.org/cellbio2021/

Dec. 02-03, 2021 

Collaborating for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology (CAIRIBU) 2021 Annual Meeting

The purpose of the CAIRIBU meeting is to bring together the Directors of the NIDDK U54 O’Brien Urology Centers and their research teams, the Directors and research teams of the P20 Exploratory Centers for Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology, and the Directors for the Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research (KURe) and Urological Epidemiology (KEpi) Institutional Research Career Development Programs and their scholars. Collectively, these Centers and Programs are part of the CAIRIBU umbrella – Collaborating for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology. This meeting will promote interactions between Centers and Programs and between CAIRIBU investigators and the broader benign urologic research community. Primary objectives include sharing research resources and advancing students and early investigators in their development as future leaders in the field of benign urology. Registration Deadline: November 30, 2021

More Information: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/news/meetings-workshops/2021/CAIRIBU-2021-Annual-Meeting

Dec. 02, 2021 

Abstract Submission Deadline: Digestive Disease Week 2022

DDW 2022 will be taking place May 21-24, 2022, in San Diego, California and virtually. Join us in 2022 to discover the latest research, present your own and expand your knowledge. Whether you’re searching for insights, feedback or collaboration, you’ll find what you need to advance your goals at DDW 2022.

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021: Abstract submission closes

March 30, 2022: Early bird registration deadline

More Information: https://ddw.org/attendee-planning/ddw-2022/

Dec. 02, 2021 

NIH Funding Opportunity Pre-Application Webinar: Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) RFAs: RFA-RM-22-003, RFA-RM-22-004, RFA-RM-22-005

The NIH Common Fund will hold an interactive pre-application webinar on December 2, 2021 from 12:30-2:00PM (EST) for the following Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs): RFA-RM-22-003, RFA-RM-22-004, and RFA-RM-22-005. NIH program and review staff will discuss these funding opportunities and answer questions from webinar attendees.

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-RM-22-004.html

Dec. 06, 2021 *Meet the dkNET team

Cell Bio Virtual 2021 dkNET Networking Session: “Challenges in Using Bioinformatics Tools for Bench Researchers”

The last decade has seen significant growth in the number of online bioinformatics tools and data resources. Discovering and learning how to use these publicly available bioinformatics resources can be a challenge for bench scientists. In this session, we will discuss these challenges, how the community can help, and resources that can help researchers, educators, or trainees learn how to use these online resources or bioinformatics tools.

Target Audience: All attendees, particularly bench scientists, educators who provide instruction on bioinformatics tools, or bioinformaticians who are interested in their tools being used more by the researcher community.

Session Leaders: Drs. Jeffrey Grethe, Maryann Martone, and Ko-Wei Lin

Join this Networking Session on Monday, December 6, 2021, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM PST

More Information: https://dknet.org/about/blog/2373 

Dec. 07, 2021 

LIPID MAPS Webinar: "Bridging anti-inflammatory nitro-fatty acid signaling to metabolism"

Stacy G. Wendell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology and the Scientific Director of the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Metabolomics and Lipidomics Core. Dr. Wendell’s current research is focused on the formation and signaling of bioactive fatty acids in asthma and inflammation. More specifically, Dr. Wendell studies how electrophilic fatty acids, such as nitroalkenes promote cellular protective responses through the modulation of immune cell metabolism to alter inflammatory signaling pathways.

Presented by: Dr Stacy G. Wendell

Tune into the webinar on December 7th, 2021 at 5pm GMT | 9am PST

More Information: https://www.lipidmaps.org/resources/webinars/17

Dec. 07, 2021 

Keystone Symposia Abstract Submission Deadline: Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis encompasses bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system (CNS). This is mediated via the autonomic nervous system, including the vagus nerve and enteric nervous system (ENS), and endocrine, immune, and metabolic pathways. These systems coordinate physiology and behavior in health and disease. The underlying mechanisms and pathways are now being elucidated in this emerging area of scientific interest. Understanding the gut-brain axis augments neurobiological mechanisms and provides opportunities to treat CNS disorders from the periphery as well as metabolic and immunologic diseases. This meeting will bring together basic and applied scientists from across academia and industry to advance our understanding of gut-brain signaling. Conference Dates: March 20-23, 2022.

More Information: https://www.keystonesymposia.org/KS/Online/Events/2022X6/Gut-Brain-Axis.aspx?EventKey=2022X6%20%20

Dec. 07, 2021 *Meet the dkNET team

Cell Bio Virtual 2021 dkNET Network Session: “FAIR Data and You: Are you ready for 2023?"

On January 25, 2023 the new NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing will come into effect. The new policy will require all NIH funded researchers to develop a data management and sharing plan. It is expected that “scientific data should be made accessible as soon as possible, and no later than the time of an associated publication, or the end of the award/support period, whichever comes first.” Are you ready? Do you have appropriate data management practices in place? You are not alone! In this networking session, we will discuss the challenges that researchers are facing with data management and sharing, and introduce resources that could help you comply with these new mandates. Participants can share experiences about what challenges they face and can share potential solutions.

Target Audience: All participants are welcome to join, particularly biomedical researchers, grant applicants, trainees, and educators. 

Session Leaders: Drs. Jeffrey Grethe, Maryann Martone, and Ko-Wei Lin

Join this Networking Session on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM PST

More Information: https://dknet.org/about/blog/2373 

Dec. 08, 2021 

DRC Virtual Seminar: “It is Time for a Moonshot for Diabetic Retinal Disease”

Diabetes Research Virtual Seminar on Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 at 11:00am PST

Presenter: Thomas W. Gardner, MD, MS (University of Michigan),  S. Robert Levine, MD

More Information: https://diabetes-virtual-seminar.org/

Dec. 10, 2021 

Boston NORC Virtual Symposium on Precision Nutrition

Friday, December 10, 2021 from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST. Agenda:

• “A diet personalised to your metabolism” presented by Dr. Sarah Berry, Ph.D., Reader in Nutritional Sciences, King’s CollegeLondon

• “Personalized nutrition based on gut microbiome and clinical data" presented by Professor Eran Segal, Principal Investigator, Weizmann Institute, Israel

• José M. Ordovás, Ph.D., Lead Scientist and Senior Scientist, Nutritionand Genomics Team, JM USDA HNRCA, Professor, Nutrition andGenetics, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of NutritionScience and Policy at Tufts University

More Information: https://norccentral.org/2021/05/boston-norc-virtual-symposium-on-precision-nutrition/

Dec. 10, 2021 

dkNET Webinar "PanoramaWeb: A Resource to Manage, Share, and Collaborate on Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Experiments"

Abstract: PanoramaWeb was developed with the goal to address the growing need for a community resource to store, share, analyze, and reuse mass spectrometry assays created and refined with the Skyline Windows Client via a web-browser. Panorama allows laboratories to store and organize curated results contained in Skyline documents with fine-grained permissions, which facilitates distributed collaboration and secure sharing of published and unpublished data via a web-browser interface. It is fully integrated with the Skyline workflow and supports publishing a document directly to a Panorama server from the Skyline user interface. Panorama captures the complete Skyline document information content in a relational database schema. Curated results published to Panorama can be aggregated and exported as chromatogram libraries. These libraries can be used in Skyline to pick optimal targets in new experiments and to validate peak identification of target peptides. The Panorama Public repository makes use of the full data visualization capabilities of Panorama which facilitates disseminating results processed with Skyline upon publication. The website can provide reviewers and readers access to the data behind the published conclusions and improves the transparency of quantitative mass spectrometry assays. Additionally, PanoramaWeb is build on-top of LabKey Server, a biomedical research data management system. This makes PanoramaWeb an ideal resource for mass spectrometry and proteomics collaborative projects as there is infrastructure for sharing documents, wiki pages, message boards, and managing shared specimens etc. Laboratories and organizations can set up Panorama locally by downloading and installing the software on their own servers. They can also request freely hosted projects on https://panoramaweb.org, a Panorama server maintained by the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington

Presenter: Michael J. MacCoss, Ph.D. Professor of Genome Sciences, University of Washington

Join dkNET Webinar on Friday, December 10, 2021, 11am-12pm PDT

More Information: https://dknet.org/about/blog/2375

Dec. 11-14, 2021 

63rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting

Join us at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia – or virtually – from December 11-14, 2021, to discover the newest advances in hematology. You won’t want to miss the world’s premier event in malignant and non-malignant hematology! This meeting includes a wide range of workshops, presentations, and Q/As. 

Location:  Atlanta, Georgia, USA

More Information: https://www.hematology.org/meetings/annual-meeting

Funding Opportunities Information and Deadlines in December 2021

Dec. 02, 2021 

AASLD Funding Opportunities (6) Application Due

AASLD Funding Opportunities with Applications Due December 2, 2021:

The Pinnacle Research Award in Liver Diseases is a three-year basic science award that provides early career scientists with support for their research to bridge the gap between completion of research training and attainment of status as an independent research scientist. The additional research experience provided by this award is intended to enable early career scientists to successfully compete for research awards from national sources, particularly the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Well-trained investigators who hold MD, PhD or MD/PhD degrees and are pursuing a career in liver disease research are encouraged to apply.

2. Clinical, Translational and Outcomes Research Award in Liver Diseases

The Clinical, Translational and Outcomes Research Awards in Liver Diseases are two-year awards of $200,000 ($100,000/year) intended to foster career development for individuals performing clinical research, translational research, or outcomes research in a liver-related area and who have shown commitment to excellence at an early stage of their research study. The awards ensure that a significant portion of young investigator's time is protected for research, with an overall objective of enabling young investigators to develop independent and productive research careers in liver disease. Up to two applications per distinct department will now be accepted per single sponsoring institution.

3. Afdhal / McHutchison LIFER Award

The purpose of this two-year, $100,000 ($50,000/year) award is to foster career development for fellows performing clinical research and/or translational research in a liver-related area and who have shown commitment to excellence at an early stage of their research study. The award is intended to ensure that a significant portion of the investigators’ time is protected for research, with an overall objective of enabling the investigators to develop independent and productive research careers in liver disease.

4. Pilot Research Award in Liver Diseases

The purpose of this award is to support highly innovative research ideas that have a clear potential to produce high-impact results, but that have little or no preliminary data to successfully compete for funding from other sources. This award is not intended to support ongoing research in the applicant’s laboratory, but rather support new ideas or approaches that have not previously been studied.

5. Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research   

The purpose of this award is to support new, highly innovative PSC research ideas that focus on questions pertaining to the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and/or management of PSC in children and/or adults. Responsive projects will address highly innovative research ideas that have a clear potential to produce high-impact results, but that have little or no preliminary data to successfully compete for funding from other sources. This award is not intended to support ongoing research in the applicant’s laboratory, but rather support new ideas or approaches that have not previously been studied.

6. Autoimmune Liver Diseases Pilot Research Award  

The purpose of this one year, $20,000 award is to provide supplementary funding during the pilot phase of basic, translational or clinical research projects in autoimmune liver disease (e.g. autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis) in preparation for future grant applications by the recipient. Projects should address focused research questions pertaining to the pathogenesis, diagnosis, management or outcome of autoimmune liver diseases in children and adults.

Dec. 02, 2021 

NIDDK Funding Opportunity Application Due: National Program for the Career Development Of Physician Scientists in Diabetes Research (Diabetes - Docs) (K12 Clinical Trial Optional)

The purpose of the Diabetes-Docs Program is to support the career development of physicians committed to a career in diabetes research. The program is intended to remedy the dearth of pediatric endocrinologists and physicians from other specialties conducting innovative research into the causes and consequences of diabetes. Diabetes-Docs will be a single national program, implemented by one or more PD/PIs, together with an advisory committee composed of basic and clinical investigators who have a strong record of funded research and successful training of physician-scientists. Although there will be one national administrative center awardee, scholars are expected to be appointed and supported at their home institutions around the country. The program will have a focus on Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) research, with the major funding from the Statutory Special Diabetes Program https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/research-areas/diabetes/type-1-diabetes-special-statutory-funding-program/about-special-diabetes-program. Starting in the second year, the program will expand to support the career development of physicians whose research focuses on innovative projects in type 2 diabetes. The program is expected to deliver on goals to increase the diversity of physician scientists with independent research careers in the mission of NIDDK https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/research-programs#diabetes.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) allows appointment of Scholars (K12) proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial; or proposing a separate ancillary clinical trial; or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, as part of their research and career development.

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-dk-21-019.html

Dec. 03, 2021 

The Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP) Funding Opportunity Application Due: HuBMAP Integration, Visualization & Engagement (HIVE) Collaboratory (OT2)

The purpose of this Research Opportunity Announcement (ROA) is to solicit applications for the HuBMAP Integration, Visualization & Engagement (HIVE) Collaboratory that will: 1) manage the data generated by the HuBMAP Consortium, 2) coordinate internal and external Consortium activities, 3) develop novel tools for visualizing, searching, and modelling data and 4) build an atlas of tissue maps. The HIVE will be composed of projects funded in three component areas all of which are expected to work closely together to act as the unified backbone for the HuBMAP Project. The HIVE is expected to work closely with the other funded projects as part of the HuBMAP Consortium to catalyze development of a framework for mapping the human body and exemplarily maps with high spatial resolution. *Invitation to submit full proposal will be sent 

More Information: https://commonfund.nih.gov/sites/default/files/HuBMAP-HIVE-OTA-21-012-v2-508.pdf

Dec. 03, 2021 

The Jackson Laboratory Funding Opportunity Application Due: Diversity Outbred Pilot Grant Program

The purpose of the Diversity Outbred Pilot Grant Program is to explore new uses for genetic diversity in biomedical research. This program aims to enable a greater understanding of the impact of genetic diversity on experimental outcomes and to assess its contribution to phenotypic variability across a range of research areas.

More Information: https://dknet.org/about/dknetnews/2358

Dec. 08, 2021 

NIH Funding Opportunity Application Due: HIV-associated Non-Communicable Diseases Research at Low- and Middle-Income Country Institutions (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

The goals of this program are to support locally relevant research in critical areas of HIV-associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) Institutions, to enhance research capacity, and to build a network of researchers both within and across LMICs to address this critical burden. This initiative is expected to stimulate new research on the interplay between HIV and development of NCDs in persons living with HIV (PLWH). This includes exploratory studies to uncover the extent to which HIV infection influences the etiopathogenesis of the NCDs; and to identify and develop appropriate approaches for effective diagnosis, prevention, therapeutic interventions and integrated clinical care for PLWH with the comorbid conditions. Applicants should develop their studies in keeping with the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/par-21-246.html

Dec. 08, 2021 

NIDDK Funding Opportunity Application Due Date: Bioinformatics Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (F32)

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to enable promising postdoctoral fellows to obtain interdisciplinary training from outstanding faculty sponsors in bioinformatics and scientific research relevant to the mission of NIDDK's Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (DDEMD).  This training will require mentorship in both bioinformatics and metabolic disease disciplines.  In order to advance bioinformatics science and encourage its application to these diseases and disorders, NIDDK invites applications from individuals with novel individual development plans (IDP).  The fellowship training plan should focus on interdisciplinary approaches and mentorship among data or computer science and medicine in topics related to diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases.

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-379.html  

Dec. 09, 2021 

NIH Funding Opportunity Application Due: Pediatric Obesity Discovery Science Research to Improve Understanding of Risk and Causal Mechanisms for Obesity in Early Life (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to solicit applications to accelerate development, testing and implementation of evidence-based interventions—that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for NIH-designated populations that experience health disparities (HDPs) in the United States—to mitigate disparities in provision of care and treatment decisions, reduce susceptibility to chronic pain and improve patient outcomes. Expected outcomes of this initiative include evidence-based interventions that mitigate: 1) the effects of bias, stigma and discrimination at multiple levels, and/or 2) socioeconomic, environmental and other barriers to quality pain assessment, treatment and management. Studies that address multiple socioecological domains and levels of influence (e.g. organizational/institutional, community/neighborhood, societal) to advance health equity and mitigate health disparities in pain management are of higher priority. Studies must address research topics within the mission and research interests of participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-ns-22-002.html

Dec. 15, 2021

ISAC Funding Opportunity Application Due: Innovative Science Accelerator Program (ISAC) Funding Program

The ISAC Award provides seed funding for exceptionally innovative, disruptive (high-risk/high-reward) research relevant to KUH communities that has the potential to lead to groundbreaking or paradigm-shifting results that will change the field.  ISAC awards are NOT Pilot & Feasibility projects for the generation of more preliminary data for traditional NIH applications (e.g., R01).

Three-page applications are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed three times a year.  Investigators may request up to $100,000 (direct + indirect costs) total costs for one year.

More Information: https://dknet.org/about/dknetnews/2326

Dec. 17, 2021 

NIH Funding Opportunity Letter of Intent Due: Cellular Senescence Network: Technology Development and Application in Human Systems (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The purpose of this FOA is to solicit applications for the development of novel, untested analytics and technologies to identify and map senescent cells in human tissues at high resolution. This FOA supports the accelerated proof-of-principle demonstration and validation of promising tools, techniques and methods that can be integrated, scaled and applied to multiple human tissues. The initial two-year UG3 phase will support the development and demonstration of feasibility of these emerging technologies in the identification and mapping of senescent cells in mammalian tissues. The subsequent UH3 phase is to support initial validation in human tissues, optimization and scale-up, and generation of production level data. Investigators responding to this FOA must submit both UG3 and UH3 projects as part of a single application. UG3 projects that have met their quantifiable milestones will be administratively considered by NIH staff and prioritized for transition to the UH3 phase, depending on the availability of funds.

Application Deadline: January 18, 2022 

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-22-004.html

Dec. 20, 2021 

NIH Funding Opportunity Letter of Intent Due: Cellular Senescence Network: Murine Tissue Mapping Centers (U54 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to establish state-of-the-art Tissue Mapping Centers (TMCs) within the Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) to build an atlas of cellular senescence in mice. The overarching goal of the SenNet consortium is to identify and functionally characterize, at single-cell resolution, the heterogeneity of senescent cells across multiple human tissues in health and lifespan. A previous FOA (RFA-RM-21-008) established the TMCs to generate data and build maps in humans. The purpose of this FOA is to solicit applications that complement the human effort by generating an atlas of cell senescence in mice that will help inform the ongoing effort in humans and serve as a blueprint for future translational research performed in mice. Through collaborative efforts, the murine component of the consortium will generate a multimodal, multidimensional atlas of senescent cells in various murine tissues (tissue choices will be predominantly dictated by the corresponding human tissues already in use within the SenNet consortium); develop innovative tools and technologies to identify and characterize senescent cells; and aggregate data across the Network into a searchable atlas of murine Cellular Senescence. The TMCs solicited through this RFA will create high-resolution, high-content, multiscale biomarkers and maps of cellular senescence across the murine lifespan, to generate a murine-specific companion to the human Senescence atlas. The mouse component of the SenNet consortium will initially focus on healthy murine tissues (modified disease models are not allowed) derived from both inbred and outbred mouse strains that are commonly used and have demonstrated value in pre-clinical research. TMCs will be expected to integrate and optimize all parts of the data generation pipeline, from tissue collection and preservation through analyses at organ-, tissue- and single-cell- level using omics, imaging and other approaches, to data integration, analysis and interpretation. Application Due: January 19, 2022

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-22-003.html

Dec. 20, 2021 

NIH Funding Opportunity Letter of Intent Due: Cellular Senescence Network: Technology Development and Application in Murine Systems (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The purpose of this FOA is to solicit novel analytics and technologies to identify and map senescent cells in murine tissues at high resolution. This FOA supports the accelerated proof-of-principle demonstration of promising tools, techniques and methods that can be integrated, scaled, and applied to multiple murine tissues. The initial two-year UG3 phase will support the development and demonstration of feasibility of these emerging technologies in the identification and mapping of senescent cells in murine tissues. The subsequent UH3 phase is to support initial validation in multiple murine and/or human tissues, optimization and scale-up, generation of production level data and the application of the technology to describe cellular senescence in a mouse life course situation (for example development or lifespan). Investigators responding to this FOA must submit both UG3 and UH3 projects as part of a single application. UG3 projects that have met their quantifiable milestones will be administratively considered by NIH staff and prioritized for transition to the UH3 phase, depending on the availability of funds.Application Deadline: January 19, 2022

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-22-005.html

Dec. 21, 2021 

NIDDK Funding Opportunity Application Due: NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) Genetic Research Centers (GRCs) (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) was established in July 2002 for the purpose of identifying genetic variation predisposing to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Since its establishment and in collaboration with the International IBD Genetics Consortium, the NIDDK IBDGC has identified over 250 IBD susceptibility loci. However, for the great majority of these loci, the specific causal variants and effector genes have not yet been identified, and the biological mechanisms through which these variants influence IBD pathophysiology remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to renew the IBDGC with a continued mission to characterize the genetic architecture of IBD phenotypes, particularly in populations currently underrepresented in IBD genomic studies, and to elucidate the biological mechanisms by which genetic variants influence IBD pathophysiology, phenotypes and clinical course. The Genetic Research Centers (GRCs) of the IBDGC will serve as sites for enrollment of IBD patients, relatives and healthy controls, for laboratory-based studies on biological samples obtained from these subjects, and for mechanistic studies of the risk variants identified, and of the genes, proteins and pathways they impact.

More Information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-dk-21-022.html