NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The National Eye Institute has issued a request for applications to support genomic and genetic research in vision disorders.
The institute said that it intends to support the analysis of multiple existing individual datasets or combined data sets as well as the development of statistical, computational, and bioinformatics tools for such integrative data analyses of research that has been carried out on vision disorders.
Among the objectives of the research, according to NEI, is to perform integrative data analysis, to redefine and refine genotype-phenotype relationships for vision disorders; develop new computational tools and software for analyzing and interpreting existing data sets; and analyzing large-scale high-throughput genetic and phenotype data sets that are available from the NIH's dbGaP resource.
The institute noted that data sets obtained from NEI-funded genome-wide association studies are available to qualified investigators through the NCBI dbGaP database. These data sets include the AMD-MMAP Cohort Study, Whole Genome Association Twin Study of Myopia and Glaucoma Risk Factors, and NEI Age-related Eye Disease Study.
NEI expects to fund four to six awards each year. It will provide award winners with up to $250,000 to support direct annual costs for up to three years.
The institute noted that the awards will not support the collection of additional data sets other than existing ones.
More information on the RFA can be found here.