PFINDR Phenotype Finder IN Data Resources A Tool to Support Cross study Data Discovery Among NHLBI Genomic Studies (UH2/UH3) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The PFINDR (Phenotype Finder IN Data Resources) grant opportunity, listed as RFA-HL-11-020, is an NIH funding announcement designed to make it easier for scientists to find and compare relevant genomic studies by improving how phenotypes are organized across major public datasets. The core problem it targets is that phenotypic variables (the measurable traits and clinical characteristics recorded in studies) are often labeled, structured, and documented differently from one study to another, even when they are essentially measuring the same thing. This makes cross-study discovery and reuse difficult, especially in large genomic repositories. PFINDR seeks projects that can develop and apply advanced informatics methods to systematically categorize and map these phenotypic measures across multiple datasets, so researchers working in cardiovascular, lung, blood, and sleep research can more quickly identify which studies contain the variables they need and understand how comparable those variables are across cohorts.

The work is expected to focus on data that live in NIH-accessible repositories, with dbGaP (the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes) explicitly named as the primary example, although equivalent public databases are also allowed. The emphasis is on phenotype mapping and cross-study data discovery rather than generating new primary data. In practical terms, applicants are being asked to build tools, workflows, and computational approaches that can take the messy reality of real study data dictionaries and variable definitions and translate them into a more unified, searchable structure. The intended outcome is a resource or method that helps the broader community discover which NHLBI-related genomic datasets are relevant to a question and how to navigate phenotypic differences among studies.

This FOA uses the NIH cooperative agreement mechanism and specifically the two-phase UH2/UH3 structure (Exploratory/Developmental). That means the NIH expects substantial programmatic involvement and a strong milestone-driven management style. The first phase, UH2, is a two-year pilot intended to prove feasibility and value. During UH2, investigators implement phenotype mappings in one or more proposed scientific focus areas within the heart, lung, blood, and sleep domains, using dbGaP or a comparable public database. The pilot phase is explicitly milestone-driven, so applicants need to define clear deliverables and measurable success criteria that show their approach works, is useful to users, and can be expanded.

Continuation to the second phase, UH3, is not automatic. After UH2, NIH will conduct an administrative review and select the project that demonstrated the most useful and extensible phenotype mapping approach for scale-up. The UH3 phase then applies the successful pilot approach to a broader array of heart, lung, blood, and sleep phenotypic variables within dbGaP, essentially turning a proven pilot into something more comprehensive and broadly applicable across NHLBI-relevant datasets. Importantly, applicants must submit a single combined UH2/UH3 application, but must follow the FOA instructions that distinguish what is proposed and delivered in each phase.

Funding is planned at about $2 million in total costs for the UH2 pilot period (FY 2011-2012) and about $3 million in total costs for the UH3 scale-up period (FY 2013-2015). The NIH anticipated making up to two awards for the UH2 pilot stage and then one award for the UH3 stage, reflecting a competitive down-selection after the pilot. As with most federal opportunities, awards are contingent on the availability of funds and the presence of enough high-quality applications.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of organizations that can carry out informatics and data-resource work. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities, special district governments, independent school districts, U.S. territories or possessions, and regional organizations. The FOA also notes additional eligible groups such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, and even non-U.S. (foreign) entities. No cost sharing or matching is required.

Administratively, the opportunity was posted June 8, 2010, with an original (and final) application closing date of September 15, 2010, and an archive date of October 16, 2010. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the related CFDA program areas include sleep disorders research (93.233), cardiovascular diseases research (93.837), lung diseases research (93.838), and blood diseases and resources research (93.839). The official announcement link is hosted on the NIH Grants Guide (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-11-020.html), and NIH’s Office of Extramural Research provides webmaster contacts for access or linking issues.

Overall, PFINDR is essentially a targeted informatics initiative to reduce friction in cross-study genomic research by making phenotypes more findable and comparable across NHLBI-relevant datasets. It is structured to reward approaches that demonstrate real-world utility during a tightly managed pilot and then can be scaled into a broader, repository-wide phenotype discovery capability that supports cardiovascular, lung, blood, and sleep research communities.

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