Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 12 008
Apply for RFA ES 12 008
- The National Institutes of Health in the education environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "TaRGET I Chromatin Structure, Genomics, and Transcriptional Responses to the Environment (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113 Environmental Health 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 23, 2012 and posted on Aug 23, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 19, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts Small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) State governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Private institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity titled "TaRGET I Chromatin Structure, Genomics, and Transcriptional Responses to the Environment (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-ES-12-008) is a discretionary NIH grant program led through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). It was designed to support research that explains, in a mechanistic and testable way, how environmental exposures and toxicants alter gene expression by acting on chromatin biology and upstream regulatory processes. The central motivation is that, while the field has made progress cataloging exposure-associated epigenetic signatures such as DNA methylation changes and other epigenetic marks, there has been comparatively less investment in the deeper mechanistic work that explains how those marks are created, maintained, and functionally linked to altered transcription. This FOA aims to shift the research landscape away from studies that are primarily descriptive or correlative and toward studies that identify causal pathways and molecular players connecting exposure to changes in chromatin state and gene regulation.
Scientifically, the opportunity emphasizes the need to understand what happens "upstream" of classic epigenetic readouts. That includes how exposures influence the proteins, complexes, and functional genomic elements that organize chromatin and govern transcriptional programs, such as factors that regulate chromatin accessibility, nucleosome positioning, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, enhancer and promoter activity, and the machinery that establishes and preserves stable expression patterns over time. In practical terms, applicants were encouraged to propose projects that do more than identify that an exposure is linked to a methylation change or a transcriptional shift; they were expected to interrogate the underlying biological mechanisms that connect exposure to the resulting chromatin and transcriptional outcomes. The overall goal is a stronger causal understanding of how environmental signals get "written" into functional genome regulation, thereby improving the biological interpretation of epigenetic signatures and strengthening the basis for environmental health risk assessment and intervention strategies.
From a program and funding standpoint, this was an R01 research project grant mechanism with an estimated total funding pool of about $3,000,000 and an expected number of roughly five awards. The listed award ceiling was $400,000 (as presented in the source data). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The funding activity category is associated with environment and health, and the CFDA numbers included 93.113 (Environmental Health) and 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), reflecting the broader NIH classification structure tied to the participating institutes and program interests.
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizations, including various levels of government (state, county, city or township, special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), with noted distinctions), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, independent school districts, and for-profit entities including small businesses. The announcement also explicitly included several institution types and community-serving organizations as eligible, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies. At the same time, non-U.S. (foreign) institutions and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were not eligible to apply, although foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed, which typically means certain scientifically justified activities or collaborations can occur abroad under an eligible U.S. applicant organization.
Key administrative dates show the FOA was posted and created on August 23, 2012, with an original and current closing date of November 19, 2012, and an archive date of December 20, 2012, indicating it is no longer active as a current solicitation. The full announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide at the link provided in the source, and support contacts were routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster emails for access or technical issues related to the posting.
In essence, this grant opportunity was built to deepen the mechanistic foundation of environmental epigenomics by funding projects that connect exposure to chromatin structure and transcriptional control through specific proteins, regulatory elements, and genome-function pathways, rather than stopping at exposure-associated epigenetic patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding opportunity number for this program?
The program is titled "TaRGET I Chromatin Structure, Genomics, and Transcriptional Responses to the Environment (R01)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-ES-12-008.
Which agency and institute ran this funding opportunity?
This is an NIH discretionary grant program led through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
What type of grant mechanism is this?
The opportunity uses the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism.
What is the main scientific goal of the FOA?
The FOA was designed to support mechanistic, testable research explaining how environmental exposures and toxicants alter gene expression by acting on chromatin biology and upstream regulatory processes that control transcription.
What problem in the field was this FOA trying to address?
The FOA was motivated by an imbalance in the field: many studies had cataloged exposure-associated epigenetic signatures (for example, DNA methylation changes and other epigenetic marks), but fewer studies had focused on the deeper mechanisms that create and maintain those marks and link them causally to altered transcription. This program aimed to encourage work that identifies causal pathways and molecular players rather than mainly descriptive or correlative associations.
What kinds of studies were encouraged versus discouraged?
Applicants were encouraged to go beyond identifying that an exposure is linked to a methylation change or transcriptional shift and instead interrogate the biological mechanisms that connect exposure to chromatin and transcriptional outcomes. The emphasis was on mechanistic and causal understanding rather than primarily descriptive or correlative studies.
What does the FOA mean by focusing "upstream" of classic epigenetic readouts?
"Upstream" refers to the proteins, complexes, and functional genomic elements that organize chromatin and control transcriptional programs. The FOA emphasized understanding how exposures influence the regulatory machinery that produces downstream epigenetic signatures and gene expression changes.
What specific biological processes and genome regulatory features were highlighted?
The FOA highlighted areas such as chromatin accessibility, nucleosome positioning, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, enhancer and promoter activity, and mechanisms that establish and preserve stable gene expression patterns over time.
How does this program relate to environmental epigenomics?
It was positioned as a way to deepen the mechanistic foundation of environmental epigenomics by connecting environmental signals to functional genome regulation through specific pathways and molecular players, improving interpretation of epigenetic signatures.
What broader impacts or applications were mentioned?
The FOA described strengthening the biological interpretation of epigenetic signatures and improving the basis for environmental health risk assessment and intervention strategies by building a more causal understanding of exposure-driven gene regulation changes.
How much total funding was expected to be available?
The estimated total funding pool was about $3,000,000.
How many awards were expected?
The FOA anticipated roughly five awards.
Was there an award ceiling?
Yes. The listed award ceiling was $400,000 (as presented in the source data).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What funding activity category was associated with this opportunity?
The funding activity category was associated with environment and health.
What CFDA numbers were associated with this FOA?
The CFDA numbers included 93.113 (Environmental Health) and 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs), reflecting NIH classification and participating institute/program interests.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad across U.S.-based organizations, including state, county, city or township governments, special districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) with noted distinctions), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, independent school districts, and for-profit entities including small businesses.
Were specific institution and community-serving organization types explicitly included?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included eligibility for organization types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies.
Are foreign (non-U.S.) institutions eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) institutions and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were not eligible to apply.
Are foreign components allowed in any form?
Yes. Foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed, meaning certain scientifically justified activities or collaborations could occur abroad under an eligible U.S. applicant organization.
When was the FOA posted and created?
The FOA was posted and created on August 23, 2012.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed was November 19, 2012.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. The archive date was December 20, 2012, indicating the solicitation is no longer active.
Where was the full announcement hosted?
The full announcement was hosted through the NIH grants guide at the link provided in the source information.
Who was listed for technical or access support related to the posting?
Support contacts for access or technical issues were routed through NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster emails, as described in the posting information.
In one sentence, what was the core purpose of this FOA?
The FOA aimed to fund R01 projects that move beyond descriptive epigenetic signatures to identify causal mechanisms linking environmental exposures to chromatin structure changes and transcriptional regulation.
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA ES 12 008) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42) Apply for RFA ES 13 001 Funding Number: RFA ES 13 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Superfund Research Program Occupational and Safety Training Education Programs on Emerging Technologies (R25) Apply for RFA ES 13 004 Funding Number: RFA ES 13 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| NLM Administrative Supplements for Informationist Services in NIH funded Research Projects (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 13 276 Funding Number: PA 13 276 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Biogeochemical Interactions Affecting Bioavailability for in situ Remediation of Hazardous Substances (R01) Apply for RFA ES 13 010 Funding Number: RFA ES 13 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Analysis of Genome Wide Gene Environment (G x E) Interactions (R21) Apply for PAR 13 382 Funding Number: PAR 13 382 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42) Apply for RFA ES 14 001 Funding Number: RFA ES 14 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Senior Fellowship (Parent F33) Apply for PA 14 151 Funding Number: PA 14 151 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Administrative Supplements for the U.S. Japan Brain Research Cooperative Program (BRCP) U.S. Entity (Administrative Supplement) Apply for PA 14 249 Funding Number: PA 14 249 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42) Apply for RFA ES 14 007 Funding Number: RFA ES 14 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Interventions for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Native American Populations (R01) Apply for PAR 14 260 Funding Number: PAR 14 260 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) Research (U01) Apply for RFA TW 14 001 Funding Number: RFA TW 14 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) Research Training (U2R) Apply for RFA TW 14 002 Funding Number: RFA TW 14 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Spatial Uncertainty Data, Modeling, and Communication (R21) Apply for PA 15 009 Funding Number: PA 15 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Spatial Uncertainty Data, Modeling, and Communication (R01) Apply for PA 15 010 Funding Number: PA 15 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Spatial Uncertainty Data, Modeling, and Communication (R03) Apply for PA 15 011 Funding Number: PA 15 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Environmental Influences during Windows of Susceptibility in Breast Cancer Risk (U01) Apply for RFA ES 14 012 Funding Number: RFA ES 14 012 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Coordinating Center for the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (U01) Apply for RFA ES 14 011 Funding Number: RFA ES 14 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| NLM Administrative Supplements for Informationist Services in NIH funded Research Projects (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 15 249 Funding Number: PA 15 249 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Superfund Research Program Occupational and Safety Education Programs on Emerging Technologies (R25) Apply for RFA ES 15 014 Funding Number: RFA ES 15 014 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Direct Phase II SBIR Grants to Support Extended Development, Hardening, and Dissemination of Technologies in Biomedical Computing, Informatics, and Big Data Science (R44) Apply for PAR 15 288 Funding Number: PAR 15 288 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Environment Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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