RFA-HG-24-026
Limited Competition: Building Partnerships and Broadening Perspectives to Advance Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research (BBAER) Program (UM1), Clinical Trial Optional
Summary
RFA-HG-24-026: BBAER Program – ELSI Research
Research Focus
The Building Partnerships and Broadening Perspectives to Advance Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research (BBAER) Program supports transdisciplinary research addressing ethical, legal, and social implications of advances in human genetics and genomics. The program targets timely, complex, and understudied topics in this domain and emphasizes active engagement of relevant communities—groups affected by and interested in genomics research—as team members in the scientific process, not merely as research subjects. Applicants must establish ELSI research teams with meaningful community partnerships, build research capacity in ELSI scholarship, and develop the ELSI workforce through early-career scholar and staff training. The intended contribution is to broaden perspectives and expertise in genomics ELSI research by supporting underrepresented research organizations and fostering innovation in how genomic advances are assessed and addressed.
At a Glance
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Who can apply: Domestic U.S. organizations (including territories) that received less than $30 million per year in total NIH funding for the past three fiscal years (FY 2021–2023); limited competition for underrepresented institutions in NHGRI ELSI funding.
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Funding & project length: Not stated.
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Award mechanism: UM1 (Research Project with Complex Structure Cooperative Agreement); clinical trial optional.
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Key dates: Letter of Intent due September 16, 2024 (or July 1, 2025 / June 31, 2026); applications due March 2025, July 31, 2026, or July 31, 2027 (multiple cycles); earliest start August 1, 2025; program expires August 3, 2026.
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Best fit for: Institutions new to NHGRI ELSI funding seeking to conduct genomics ethics/policy research with community-engaged teams, build institutional capacity, and train early-career scholars in transdisciplinary approaches.
Key Facts
Deadline
Sun, August 2, 2026
Posted
Wed, July 10, 2024
Award Range
— – $850,000
Keywords
Research Areas
Gotchas (5)
Limited competition restricted to organizations receiving less than $30 million in total NIH funding per year for past three fiscal years (FY 2021-2023)—applicant must verify eligibility based on spec
95%
Source Text
“This limited competition NOFO will support meritorious applications submitted by research organizations that are underrepresented in NHGRIs ELSI Research Program, to include domestic organizations in the U.S. and its territories that received less than $30 million in total NIH funding per year for each of the past three fiscal years (i.e., FY 2021, FY 2022, and FY 2023).”
Five mandatory Elements (A-E) with multiple sub-elements must all be included in application; failure to address any Element or sub-element could result in non-compliance
98%
Source Text
“Applications in response to this NOFO must include the following five Elements A, B, C, D and E; and should address each of the corresponding sub-elements (e.g., A1, A2, etc.) in support of BBAER goals.”
Sustainability of BBAER Site activities following end of federal award project period is expected—may impose post-award obligations or affect budget planning
85%
Source Text
“Sustaining some or all of the activities proposed following the end of the federal award project period is expected.”
Applicants must designate a leader(s) for each of the five BBAER Elements; organizational chart/diagram depicting management structure is required
92%
Source Text
“Each BBAER Element must have a designated leader(s). An individual may have more than one leader role, and co-leaders are allowed. Applicants must include a description of the roles and responsibilities held by each Leader/co-Leader and include an organizational chart/diagram that depicts from where the BBAER Site will be managed; who will lead each Element; and the positions, roles, and relationships among all those involved in BBAER Site activities.”
UM1 mechanism is a Research Project with Complex Structure Cooperative Agreement, which typically involves substantial NIH involvement and oversight beyond standard grants
88%
Source Text
“Activity Code: UM1, Research Project with Complex Structure Cooperative Agreement”