Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers Consortium (U2C) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the MMPC opportunity (RFA-DK-15-010)?

The Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers Consortium (MMPC) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DK-15-010) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U2C) intended to support a national network of specialized centers. These centers perform high-quality, in-depth metabolic phenotyping in mouse models as a shared-service resource for the research community.

What is the main purpose of this program?

The program is designed to strengthen diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic disease research by providing investigators access to standardized, sophisticated testing capabilities that many individual laboratories cannot readily build, staff, or maintain. The emphasis is on operating reliable phenotyping service centers rather than funding a single hypothesis-driven research project.

Is this a traditional research grant focused on one project?

No. This opportunity is centered on supporting shared-service centers that deliver advanced mouse metabolic phenotyping on a fee-for-service basis. It is not described as a traditional research project grant focused on a single hypothesis.

What kind of award mechanism is used?

The announcement uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U2C). This generally means NIH anticipates substantial involvement in coordinating activities and ensuring the consortium functions cohesively and consistently across the network.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

Based on the description provided, a cooperative agreement implies NIH expects to play a substantial role in coordinating consortium activities and in promoting consistent operations and standards across MMPC sites (as opposed to a more hands-off relationship typical of some other mechanisms).

What are MMPC member centers expected to do under this announcement?

Funded MMPC centers are expected to provide phenotyping services to researchers both within their own institutions and to outside investigators, with equal priority and at comparable cost. Centers are also expected to use standardized procedures to generate high-quality, comparable data.

Can outside investigators use MMPC services, or is access limited to the host institution?

Outside investigators are explicitly expected to be served. The announcement states that services should be available to both internal and external researchers, with equal priority and at comparable cost.

Are MMPC services offered as fee-for-service?

Yes. The opportunity describes the centers as providing advanced phenotyping capabilities as a fee-for-service resource.

Can mice or tissues be shipped to an MMPC site for testing?

Yes. A key feature described is that mice and/or mouse tissues can be shipped to an MMPC site, where standardized procedures are used to assess a range of physiologic and pathologic measures.

What types of phenotyping and analyses are included in the scope described?

The testing scope described includes metabolism and metabolic flexibility, body composition, feeding behavior, physical activity, tissue pathology, brain and other organ function, microbiome-related analyses, and other relevant physiologic, anatomic, or disease indices.

Does the opportunity include microbiome-related work?

Yes. The description specifically includes microbiome-related analyses and references mouse models useful for studying how the microbiota influences host metabolism.

Does the MMPC network provide access to specialized mouse models?

Yes. In addition to testing, centers may offer access to specialized mouse models either for studies conducted at the center or for distribution to the broader research community.

What are examples of specialized mouse models mentioned in the description?

Examples mentioned include mice that have undergone bariatric surgery and models that are particularly useful for studying microbiota influences on host metabolism. These examples reflect an emphasis on emerging and translationally relevant areas in metabolic research.

What research areas is this opportunity intended to support?

The stated purpose is to strengthen research related to diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic diseases by enabling rigorous, standardized metabolic phenotyping in mouse models.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The activity is listed under CFDA 93.847, titled Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

How much funding is available under this opportunity?

The estimated total funding amount listed is $5,430,000, and the award ceiling is $750,000. These figures set expectations for the approximate upper range of support per award as defined in the full announcement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad among U.S.-based organizations and government entities. The description includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses, as described), and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities).

Are specific institution types explicitly included?

Yes. The eligibility language explicitly includes HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, AANAPISI institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and certain tribal governments and organizations.

Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.

Are foreign components of U.S. organizations allowed?

No. The description states that foreign components of U.S. organizations are not allowed, consistent with NIH policy restrictions referenced in the notice.

What are the key dates for this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was posted and created on July 17, 2015. The original and current closing date is November 3, 2015. The archive date is December 4, 2015.

Where was the full announcement made available?

The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide, as indicated in the description.

Who should be contacted for technical access issues related to the announcement?

The provided contacts direct technical access issues to the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster.

What is the overall goal of maintaining a consortium of MMPC centers?

The overall goal is to maintain and enhance a coordinated U.S. infrastructure for rigorous, standardized mouse metabolic phenotyping. This helps investigators generate comparable, high-quality data intended to accelerate discovery in metabolic disease research.

Does the description indicate how service priority and pricing should be handled between internal and external users?

Yes. The description states that researchers within the center's institution and outside investigators should receive equal priority and be served at comparable cost.