Small Research Grants for Analyses of Data for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource (R03) | PAR 16 348

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 348

The Small Research Grants for Analyses of Data for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource (R03) funding opportunity (PAR-16-348) is an NIH Common Fund grant designed to support small, focused research projects that make practical use of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program, often called Kids First. Kids First was created to build a high-value pediatric research data resource that combines genome sequence data with detailed phenotype and clinical information. The larger vision is to help researchers better understand the genetic and biological mechanisms that contribute to childhood cancers and structural birth defects, which in turn can improve how these conditions are diagnosed and, over time, support the development of more precise and targeted treatments. A central feature of the program is broad data sharing: the initiative aims to aggregate and standardize data across many cohorts and then make those data widely available to the research community so more investigators can ask new questions and validate findings.

This specific FOA focuses on encouraging meritorious small research projects that either analyze existing Kids First datasets or help develop datasets that are already part of the Kids First Data Resource or could reasonably be incorporated into it. In practice, that means projects might concentrate on generating new insights from available genome-wide and phenotype-linked datasets related to pediatric cancer and/or structural birth defects, improving how those datasets are curated or harmonized, or demonstrating ways the data can be used to answer well-defined scientific questions. The opportunity also explicitly welcomes projects aimed at developing or adapting statistical methods suited for genome-wide analyses in these pediatric disease areas, recognizing that childhood cancers and birth defects often present analytical challenges that differ from adult disease studies (for example, rare variant interpretation, small cohort sizes, heterogeneity across subtypes, and the need to integrate genotype with rich clinical phenotype descriptions).

The award mechanism is the NIH R03 small grant, which is intended for tightly scoped projects that can be completed with limited resources compared to larger NIH mechanisms. The listed award ceiling is $200,000. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the opportunity falls under a discretionary grant category with activity areas spanning education and health-related research. The opportunity was originally posted on 2016-06-29 and lists an original closing date of 2018-01-23, indicating it was part of a specific application window in that period.

Eligibility is broad and inclusive, reflecting NIH’s intent to draw participation from many sectors capable of conducting high-quality research and data-focused work. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S. governmental entities (state, county, city/township governments, special districts), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education. It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition, the FOA highlights categories of organizations often emphasized for broad participation, such as 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). It also allows eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), which opens the door for international collaborators where appropriate.

Overall, the grant is best understood as a targeted way to spur concrete, publishable analyses and useful dataset development activities that increase the scientific value of the Kids First Data Resource. Rather than funding large-scale data generation efforts alone, it emphasizes smaller projects that can quickly add value by analyzing shared genomic and phenotypic data, improving the readiness and usability of relevant datasets, and advancing statistical approaches that help the field extract reliable insights from genome-wide data in pediatric cancer and structural birth defects.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Small Research Grants for Analyses of Data for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource (R03)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.273, 93.394, 93.395, 93.399, 93.853, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-06-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-23. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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