Informatics, Coordination and Service Center for the Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Centers (U42) | Apply Online

FAQs: Informatics, Coordination and Service Center for the Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Centers (MMRRC) (RFA RR 10 006)

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA RR 10 006) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant announcement issued through the National Center for Research Resources to fund a single organization to establish and operate a centralized Informatics, Coordination and Service Center (ICSC) for the national Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Centers (MMRRC) program.

What is the overall purpose of the ICSC award?

The purpose is to ensure there is no gap in the national infrastructure that researchers use to find, request, donate, and obtain mutant mouse strains for biomedical research, especially in light of the expected shutdown (August 31, 2010) of the prior coordinating center operated under contract at The Jackson Laboratory.

How many awards did NIH anticipate making?

NIH anticipated making one award to support one centralized ICSC.

What is the award mechanism?

The announcement uses the U42 Cooperative Agreement mechanism (Animal Models, and Animal and Biological Material Resource Cooperative Agreement).

What does a U42 cooperative agreement imply for the awardee?

A cooperative agreement typically implies substantial NIH program involvement compared with a standard research grant. The awardee should expect active collaboration and coordination expectations consistent with operating a shared national resource rather than an investigator-driven research project.

What is the maximum funding level for this opportunity?

Funding was capped at up to $650,000 in direct costs, dependent on appropriations and NIH funding availability.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching.

What are the key responsibilities of the funded ICSC?

The ICSC is expected to provide shared services to the MMRRC regional centers and the broader biomedical research community, including operating the public-facing MMRRC website portal, running a Customer Service Center, providing core informatics and database support, maintaining an archive of MMRRC documents/files, and coordinating strain acquisition and distribution across the network.

What website-related deliverables are expected?

A major deliverable is ongoing maintenance and continued enhancement of a public-facing website portal that serves as the main entry point to the national MMRRC system.

What is the role of the Customer Service Center under this award?

The awardee is expected to run a Customer Service Center that helps investigators interact with the MMRRC program, including handling inquiries and guiding users through the processes for donating strains to the repository and ordering strains from it.

What types of informatics work are included in the scope?

The ICSC is responsible for core informatics functions, including database-related activities that support searching, tracking, and managing strain information, as well as maintaining organized program records through a document and file archive.

What is meant by maintaining an archive of MMRRC documents and files?

The ICSC is expected to maintain an archive so program records, guidance, and shared resources are organized and accessible to support consistent operations across the MMRRC consortium.

What coordination activities are expected with the MMRRC consortium?

The ICSC is expected to actively participate in routine governance and communications of the MMRRC consortium, including joining monthly teleconferences and playing a role in the annual consortium meeting.

Does the ICSC coordinate operational workflows across regional centers?

Yes. The ICSC is expected to coordinate how strains are acquired into the system and distributed out to users so the network functions as a cohesive national resource rather than a set of independent sites.

Who is intended to benefit from the ICSC services?

The services are intended to support both the network of MMRRC regional centers and the broader biomedical research community that relies on access to mutant mouse strains.

Why was NIH establishing a new ICSC at the time of this announcement?

The new ICSC was intended to take over informatics and coordination roles that had been handled under contract by the mutant mouse informatics coordinating center at The Jackson Laboratory, which was expected to shut down on August 31, 2010.

What is the main operational outcome NIH was trying to protect?

NIH aimed to prevent disruptions in researchers ability to find, request, donate, and obtain mutant mouse strains by maintaining reliable national-level coordination, informatics, and customer support for the MMRRC program.

When was the opportunity posted and when was the application due?

The opportunity was posted on July 15, 2010, and the application closing date was October 7, 2010.

What is the archive date listed for the announcement?

The archive date was November 7, 2010.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 93.389.

What funding activity area is this opportunity categorized under?

The program is categorized under the Health and Education funding activity area.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included small businesses, other for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), public and private institutions of higher education, state governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and tribal organizations, among others.

Were any specific institution types explicitly referenced as eligible?

Yes. The eligibility language explicitly referenced categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

What kind of organization was NIH looking for?

Based on the scope, NIH was seeking an organization capable of delivering national-scale informatics, coordination, web portal operations, customer service, and consortium engagement for the MMRRC program.

Is this opportunity focused on conducting new biomedical research?

The described scope is centered on operating and improving shared infrastructure and services (informatics, coordination, portal, customer support, and documentation) for a national resource, rather than an investigator-driven research project.