Developing novel theory and methods for understanding the genetic architecture of complex human traits (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Funding available for developing new theories and methods to understand genetic influences on human traits using interdisciplinary approaches and large datasets.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: November 5, 2026 (Renewal / Resubmission / Revision applications)
Funding Amounts: Budgets based on project needs; NCI limit of $350,000 in direct costs per year; up to 5 years
Summary: Supports novel theory and methods explaining how genetic and non-genetic factors shape complex human trait variation.
Key Information: Teams must span natural and social sciences, and methods must generalize across human traits; clinical trials are not allowed.
Description
This NIH R01 program supports novel theory, models, and methods for understanding how genetic and non-genetic factors contribute to complex human trait variation across individuals, families, and populations. Participating institutes are the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and National Cancer Institute (NCI).
The program seeks approaches that go beyond counting trait-associated alleles and estimating their frequencies and effects. Research should address interdependencies across biological, social, and ecological scales through formal theory, mechanistic models, simulations, and empirical validation using publicly accessible, large-scale datasets. The goal is more comprehensive understanding of why people vary in disease propensity and presentation, rather than trait prediction alone.
