NHGRI, NIMH to Fund 10 Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 (GenomeWeb News) - The National Institutes of Health has issued a request for applications for its Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science program, which supports multi-investigator, interdisciplinary teams that are developing "innovative genomic approaches to address a particular biological problem," NIH said.

"A CEGS will focus on the development of novel technological or computational methods for the production or analysis of comprehensive data sets, or on a particular genome-scale biological problem, or on other ways to develop and use genomic approaches for understanding biological systems," NIH said in the RFA.

According to the RFA, available here, the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health intend to support ten CEGS centers under NIH's P50 specialized center funding mechanism, as well as an unfixed number of projects under its P20 planning grant mechanism, through 2007.

The size and duration of awards will vary, NIH said, but applicants can request up to $2 million in direct costs per year, for up to five years, for each P50 grant. The total length of support for any P50 center under the CEGS program will not exceed ten years, NIH said.

The P20 planning grants will award up to $150,000 in direct cost per year for up to three years.

Letters of intent are due Oct. 10, May 1, 2006, and May 1, 2007, for the P50 centers; and Oct. 10, Jan.1, 2006 and 2007, May 1, 2006 and 2007, and Sept. 1, 2006 and 2007, for the P20 grants.

Information on currently funded CEGS projects is available here.