NIDCR Research Grants for Analyses of Existing Genomics Data (R01) (Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 25 164

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 164

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is offering an R01 research grant opportunity titled "NIDCR Research Grants for Analyses of Existing Genomics Data (R01) (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-25-164). The program is designed to support research teams that can answer important questions in human dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) biology, as well as DOC diseases and conditions, by analyzing genomics data that already exist and are publicly available. The central idea is to extract new biological and clinical insight from datasets that have already been generated, rather than funding the collection of new primary genomics datasets as the main activity.

Projects funded under this opportunity are expected to rely on statistical and computational genomics approaches, and applicants can use established methods or propose new analytic techniques developed during the project. NIDCR explicitly signals interest in work that involves data and metadata mining, integrative analyses that combine multiple datasets or data types, and advanced computational strategies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning. Importantly, the scope is not limited to genomics alone: applicants may incorporate other complementary data types when useful (for example, phenotypic, clinical, imaging, environmental, behavioral, microbiome, or other omics data), as long as the core activity remains analysis of existing genomics data relevant to DOC outcomes.

A key requirement is validation. Even though the work centers on secondary analysis of existing datasets, the NOFO requires experimental or in silico validation of the findings. This means a project cannot stop at producing associations, predictions, or computational outputs; it must include a credible plan to confirm results, either through laboratory experimentation or through rigorous computational validation strategies. Validation can also apply to newly developed analytic methods, where the applicant must demonstrate that the method performs as claimed and produces reliable, interpretable results for the intended DOC research use cases.

NIDCR also identifies specific priority areas to guide applicants toward high-impact topics. One major priority is research aimed at understanding oral health disparities, with the goal of informing strategies that improve oral health outcomes for all individuals. Applications that examine how genetic variation, ancestry, social and environmental context, or structural factors intersect to shape DOC health and disease risk fit well within this emphasis, especially when the work is designed to produce insights that could translate into more equitable prevention, diagnosis, or care. In addition, NIDCR encourages projects that investigate and characterize human biological pathways relevant to DOC conditions, particularly when such pathway-level understanding can help identify intervention targets. The NOFO also welcomes studies that help define the pathogenicity of known genetic variants, which can strengthen interpretation of existing variant evidence and potentially improve risk assessment or mechanistic understanding.

The award mechanism is an NIH R01, meaning it supports discrete, hypothesis-driven (or strongly question-driven) research projects that are typically multi-year and substantial in scope. The opportunity is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," so proposed work must not include a clinical trial as defined by NIH. Applicants can still work with human data and clinically relevant outcomes, but they must stay within the bounds of secondary data analysis and validation activities that do not constitute an NIH clinical trial.

Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types. Eligible applicants span public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Tribal entities are included, both federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations. The NOFO also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations and regional organizations. This wide eligibility aligns with the program's interest in inclusive participation and, notably, its emphasis on disparities-related research.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary NIH grant under the Health funding activity category (CFDA/Assistance Listing 93.121). The opportunity was created on 2024-11-18, and the listed original closing date is 2026-05-07. The notice does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided summary fields, so applicants would typically consult the full NOFO text for any budget guidance, project period limits, and review considerations. Overall, the grant is aimed at investigators who can leverage existing genomic resources to produce validated, biologically meaningful discoveries in dental, oral, and craniofacial health, with a clear preference for work that advances equity, clarifies mechanisms, and improves interpretation of genetic variation.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCR Research Grants for Analyses of Existing Genomics Data (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): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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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