Diversity Centers for Genome Research (U54 Clinical Trials Optional) | RFA HG 22 026

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HG 22 026

The Diversity Centers for Genome Research (DCGR) opportunity is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U54; clinical trials optional) designed to build strong, durable genomics research centers at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The overall goal is twofold: to support cutting-edge genomic science led by MSI-based teams, and to strengthen the national workforce by expanding the number of diverse scientists and clinician-scientists who are prepared to conduct innovative genomics research. In practice, the program funds centers that can tackle major genomics questions while also creating structured training and career-development experiences tied directly to the center's research.

A key requirement is that applicant institutions must qualify as MSIs as described in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and must have a clear mission to serve historically underrepresented populations in biomedical research. They must also be doctorate-granting in the health professions or health-related sciences. The FOA sets additional eligibility thresholds based on recent NIH funding history: to fit the program's intent of building capacity where it is most needed, the institution must have averaged less than 50 million dollars per year in total NIH support and less than 25 million dollars per year in total R01 costs across the last three fiscal years. The program is therefore aimed at institutions that have strong potential but comparatively lower NIH funding levels, helping them scale into nationally competitive genomics research hubs.

Each funded DCGR center is expected to be multi-investigator and interdisciplinary, meaning the award supports a team rather than a single lab. The scientific core of each center is a set of 2 to 3 interrelated genomic research projects that are innovative and designed to work together in a coherent program. The projects can focus on one or more high-priority areas across modern genomics, including genomic technology and methods development, genome structure, genome function, genomics of disease, and the use and impact of genomic information in clinical care. The scope also explicitly includes genomic data science and computational genomics, as well as research on ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI). Importantly, the FOA highlights genomics and health equity as a potential focus, reinforcing that the science can and should address questions relevant to equitable health outcomes and the responsible use of genomics in diverse communities.

Beyond research deliverables, the centers must build training and experiential learning into the program in a way that is aligned with the funded projects. This includes didactic components (formal instruction), practicum experiences (hands-on skill building), and research participation that meaningfully integrates trainees into the center's work. The intent is not generic training, but a pipeline that produces researchers with real genomics expertise gained through direct engagement with the center's scientific aims. This workforce component is central to the DCGR concept: the center should simultaneously generate genomics discoveries and develop the people and institutional environment needed to sustain that work over time.

Eligibility is broad within the MSI landscape and includes, among others, 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). Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and certain tribal governments and tribal organizations are also listed as eligible applicant types, and U.S. territories or possessions may apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S.-based applicant can include specific, justified international elements of the work when NIH policy permits.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed as RFA-HG-22-026 and is offered as a cooperative agreement, which usually indicates a more substantial NIH programmatic role during the award compared with a standard research grant. The activity falls under the health category and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.172, 93.242, and 93.307. The posted award ceiling is 1,400,000 dollars. The original closing date was 2024-06-24, and the announcement was created on 2022-09-22.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Diversity Centers for Genome Research (U54 Clinical Trials Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.172, 93.242, 93.307.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-09-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-24. (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 $1,400,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for RFA HG 22 026

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: