Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Genomics, Epigenomics and Transcriptomics Chemical Analysis Sites (U24) | RFA RM 15 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 15 010

The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Genomics, Epigenomics and Transcriptomics Chemical Analysis Sites (U24) funding opportunity (RFA-RM-15-010) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to build out key data-generation hubs for the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC). MoTrPAC is a Common Fund effort focused on understanding, at a molecular level, how physical activity produces health effects across tissues and organ systems. The core idea behind this announcement is to fund specialized "Chemical Analysis Sites" that can apply state-of-the-art genomics, epigenomics, and transcriptomics technologies to biospecimens collected from both humans and animal models participating in structured physical activity interventions, then help turn those measurements into broadly useful datasets and early biological insights.

Under this FOA, funded sites are expected to function as consortium-facing analytic centers rather than stand-alone research projects. The work centers on generating high-quality multi-omics data from tissue samples (for example, sequencing-based assays and related molecular profiling that capture genetic variation, gene expression patterns, and epigenetic marks that change with activity). In addition to running the assays, awardees are expected to contribute their resulting datasets to a public MoTrPAC consortium database, supporting the broader goal of rapid data sharing and reuse by the scientific community. A further expectation is participation in initial statistical and integrative analyses aimed at identifying "fingerprints" of candidate molecular transducers of physical activity, meaning molecular signals and pathways that plausibly mediate the biological response to exercise and could become targets for future mechanistic studies, diagnostics, or therapeutics.

Because this is a cooperative agreement (U24), NIH involvement is typically more active than in a standard grant mechanism. In practical terms, applicants should expect coordinated milestones, shared protocols and standards, close collaboration with other MoTrPAC components, and participation in consortium governance and working groups. The FOA emphasizes appropriate technology and the ability to deliver consistent, comparable data across many samples and sites, which generally implies strong quality control, standardized pipelines, careful attention to batch effects, and robust data management practices suitable for large-scale consortium science.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher-education institutions in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply; however, foreign components are allowed if they meet the NIH definition in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning discrete elements of the project may be conducted abroad under specific conditions while the applicant organization remains domestic.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, with a health-related activity category, and is associated with CFDA number 93.310. The announcement was created on October 8, 2015, and listed an original closing date of March 18, 2016. The notice does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the excerpted source data, but the intent is clearly to fund multiple coordinated sites that together can cover the scale and breadth of omics profiling MoTrPAC requires.

In short, this FOA is about standing up consortium-grade genomics, epigenomics, and transcriptomics analysis capacity dedicated to exercise biology. Successful applicants would be organizations that can reliably process and analyze large numbers of biospecimens from exercise interventions, generate high-quality and standardized multi-omics datasets, share data rapidly through public consortium infrastructure, and collaborate on early statistical analyses to pinpoint molecular signatures that explain how physical activity drives changes in health and disease risk.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Genomics, Epigenomics and Transcriptomics Chemical Analysis Sites (U24)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-03-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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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