Genomic Variant Interactions With Other Variants Or The Environment (UM1 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
NIH funds centers to study how genetic and environmental interactions affect genomic variants, experimentally test combinations, and share data and prediction methods; clinical trials are not allowed.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: December 14, 2026 (Application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1.5 million in direct costs annually for up to five years
Summary: Supports IGVF interaction centers studying how genetic or environmental interactions modify genomic variant effects beyond additive expectations.
Key Information: Clinical trials and foreign subawards/subcontracts are not allowed.
Description
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) supports interaction centers through UM1 cooperative agreements within the second phase of the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) Consortium. Centers will develop theoretical and quantitative frameworks, experimentally test genetic or variant–environment combinations, and investigate whether non-additive interactions meaningfully modify variant effects on human traits and disease.
The program combines discovery research with community resource development. Centers will contribute data, analyses, and approaches for prioritizing future interaction tests to the IGVF portal and catalog. The goals include more effective variant testing, better interpretation of genome-wide association studies, and improved polygenic scores. Centers must coordinate with other consortium members on assays, variants, cell types, and shared analyses rather than operate as independent projects.
