Genomic Variant Interactions With Other Variants Or The Environment (UM1 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
This grant will fund research centers to study how genetic variants interact with each other or the environment to influence health, aiming to improve variant testing and genomic predictions.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: December 14, 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $1,500,000 award ceiling; $10,000,000 estimated total funding; 5 expected awards
Summary: Supports interaction centers studying how other genetic variants or environmental factors modify genomic variant impact beyond additive effects.
Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed, and applications involving foreign subawards or subcontracts will not be considered for funding.
Description
This NIH funding opportunity supports interaction centers investigating how genetic or environmental interactions affect genomic variant impact. Centers will propose a research framework to determine whether effects beyond additive are important modifiers, then experimentally test combinations for interactions. They will share data and analyses through the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) portal and catalog, alongside methods for predicting the most important combinations for future testing.
The program combines research and resource development to identify structure within the interaction landscape. Its goals include more effective variant testing, better understanding of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and improved polygenic scores. Funded centers will participate in the IGVF Consortium, working with other components to coordinate assays, variants, cell types, and shared analysis strategies while making consortium resources accessible to a wide variety of users.
