Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA ES 15 002
Apply for RFA ES 15 002
- The National Institutes of Health in the environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "TaRGET II Environmental Epigenomics Data Coordination Center (U24)" 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.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 7, 2015 and posted on Apr 7, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 24, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Private institutions of higher education Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities City or township governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Independent school districts Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) 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 not allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The TaRGET II Environmental Epigenomics Data Coordination Center (U24) opportunity (RFA-ES-15-002) is a National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) cooperative agreement meant to build and run a centralized data hub for the TaRGET II Consortium (T2C). The scientific driver behind the program is the growing evidence that environmental exposures can disrupt epigenomic marks such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility, and that these disruptions are linked to disease processes. TaRGET II is positioned as the next step after TaRGET I, which focused on understanding how environmental toxicants influence chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation through mechanisms including nucleosome positioning, chromatin remodeling, chromatin accessibility, and non-coding RNAs across different model systems.
A key challenge motivating this FOA is that, in humans, it is often impractical or impossible to repeatedly sample the actual disease-relevant “target” tissues where exposure-driven epigenomic changes might matter most (for example, certain internal organs or specific cell populations). TaRGET II addresses this by testing whether “surrogate” tissues or cells that are easier to access can reflect, predict, or otherwise inform what is happening in the target tissues after environmentally relevant exposures. In other words, the consortium is trying to determine when and how surrogate tissue epigenomic profiles can be used as workable stand-ins for harder-to-collect tissues, and to develop models that help identify which exposures and biological contexts are most informative.
Within that overall structure, this U24 award specifically funds the TaRGET Data Coordination Center (DCC). The DCC is responsible for collecting, storing, curating, and presenting the full range of outputs generated by the consortium. That includes not only primary data, but also standardized metadata (the contextual details needed to interpret and reuse the data, such as exposure conditions, sample descriptions, assay parameters, and processing steps) and analysis tools produced by TaRGET II investigators. A central deliverable is a publicly accessible database that allows the broader scientific community to explore and reuse information about how well exposure-induced epigenomic changes are conserved between target tissues/cells and selected surrogate tissues/cells. Because this is a cooperative agreement, the project is expected to operate with substantial NIH/NIEHS program involvement, emphasizing active coordination, shared standards, and consortium-wide integration rather than functioning as a standalone data repository.
This FOA was published alongside a companion announcement, RFA-ES-15-001 (U01), which funds the research projects generating the epigenomic data and developing the predictive models. Together, the U01 research sites and the U24 DCC form the TaRGET II Consortium. In practical terms, the U01 projects drive experimental design and data generation around exposure and tissue-surrogate questions, while the DCC ensures the resulting datasets are harmonized, quality-controlled, findable, and usable, with tools and displays that make cross-study comparisons possible.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, the program is categorized under environmental health (CFDA 93.113) and uses the cooperative agreement mechanism (U24). NIEHS anticipated making a single award, with an estimated total program funding level of about $1,000,000 and an award ceiling of $600,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement indicated. The opportunity was posted April 7, 2015, with an original and final closing date of June 24, 2015, and an archive date of July 25, 2015.
Eligibility for applicants is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city/township, special district governments, and certain housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; small businesses and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses are explicitly included as eligible); independent school districts; and tribal governments and tribal organizations, including federally recognized tribes and other tribal entities. The eligibility notes also call out categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISI institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, 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) organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and foreign components are not allowed under NIH policy as referenced in the announcement.
Overall, this funding opportunity is best understood as infrastructure and coordination support for a multi-site epigenomics consortium: the DCC is meant to make TaRGET II data coherent, comparable, and accessible, accelerating the field’s ability to determine whether surrogate tissues can reliably capture environmentally induced epigenomic signatures relevant to disease mechanisms and risk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the TaRGET II Environmental Epigenomics Data Coordination Center (U24) opportunity?
It is an NIH/NIEHS cooperative agreement funding opportunity (U24) to build and operate the TaRGET II Data Coordination Center (DCC), a centralized data hub for the TaRGET II Consortium (T2C). The opportunity is identified as RFA-ES-15-002.
Which NIH institute is sponsoring this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
What is the main purpose of the TaRGET II Data Coordination Center (DCC)?
The DCC is responsible for collecting, storing, curating, and presenting the full range of outputs generated by the TaRGET II Consortium. This includes primary data, standardized metadata, and analysis tools produced by TaRGET II investigators, with the goal of making the datasets harmonized, quality-controlled, findable, and usable across studies.
What types of data and resources is the DCC expected to handle?
The DCC is expected to manage primary consortium data as well as standardized metadata (for example: exposure conditions, sample descriptions, assay parameters, and processing steps) and analysis tools generated by TaRGET II investigators.
Is a public-facing resource required?
Yes. A central deliverable is a publicly accessible database that enables the broader scientific community to explore and reuse information about how well exposure-induced epigenomic changes are conserved between target tissues/cells and selected surrogate tissues/cells.
What scientific problem is TaRGET II trying to address?
TaRGET II is driven by evidence that environmental exposures can disrupt epigenomic marks (such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility) and that these disruptions are linked to disease processes.
Why does TaRGET II focus on "surrogate" tissues or cells?
In humans, it is often impractical or impossible to repeatedly sample the disease-relevant "target" tissues where exposure-driven epigenomic changes may matter most. TaRGET II tests whether easier-to-access surrogate tissues or cells can reflect, predict, or otherwise inform what is happening in harder-to-collect target tissues after environmentally relevant exposures.
What does "target tissue" mean in this program context?
"Target tissues" refers to the disease-relevant tissues or cell populations where exposure-driven epigenomic changes might be most important, but which may be difficult to sample (for example, certain internal organs or specific cell populations).
What does "surrogate tissue" mean in this program context?
"Surrogate tissues" or cells are tissues/cell types that are easier to access and sample, and are being evaluated for whether their epigenomic profiles can serve as workable stand-ins for the harder-to-collect target tissues.
How does TaRGET II relate to TaRGET I?
TaRGET II is positioned as the next step after TaRGET I. TaRGET I focused on how environmental toxicants influence chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation via mechanisms including nucleosome positioning, chromatin remodeling, chromatin accessibility, and non-coding RNAs across different model systems.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement (U24).
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
It means the project is expected to operate with substantial NIH/NIEHS program involvement, emphasizing active coordination, shared standards, and consortium-wide integration rather than functioning as a standalone data repository.
How does this U24 opportunity fit with the rest of the TaRGET II Consortium?
The U24 funds the DCC, while companion U01 awards fund research projects that generate the epigenomic data and develop predictive models. Together, the U01 research sites and the U24 DCC make up the TaRGET II Consortium, with U01s driving experimental design/data generation and the DCC ensuring data harmonization and cross-study usability.
What is the companion funding announcement for the TaRGET II research projects?
The companion announcement is RFA-ES-15-001 (U01), which funds the research projects generating epigenomic data and developing predictive models.
What is the CFDA number and broad program area for this opportunity?
The opportunity is categorized under environmental health with CFDA 93.113.
How many awards did NIEHS anticipate making under this FOA?
NIEHS anticipated making a single award.
What was the estimated total program funding level and the award ceiling?
The estimated total program funding level was about $1,000,000, and the award ceiling was $600,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is indicated.
When was the opportunity posted and what were the closing dates?
The opportunity was posted April 7, 2015. The original and final closing date was June 24, 2015. The archive date was July 25, 2015.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants listed include: state, county, city/township, and special district governments; certain housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; small businesses and other for-profit organizations (explicitly including for-profits other than small businesses); independent school districts; tribal governments and tribal organizations (including federally recognized tribes and other tribal entities); regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and eligible federal agencies. The eligibility notes also call out categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISI institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.
Are foreign components allowed?
No. Foreign components are not allowed under NIH policy as referenced in the announcement.
What is the key deliverable the DCC should provide to the scientific community?
A publicly accessible database that supports exploration and reuse of information about how exposure-induced epigenomic changes compare between target tissues/cells and surrogate tissues/cells, enabling cross-study comparisons and broader reuse.
Beyond data storage, what role does the DCC play in making TaRGET II outputs useful?
The DCC supports consortium-wide harmonization by curating standardized metadata, applying quality control, and providing tools and displays that make the results comparable and interpretable across multiple studies and sites.
What kinds of epigenomic marks are highlighted as being affected by environmental exposures?
The opportunity highlights DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility as examples of epigenomic marks that can be disrupted by environmental exposures.
What is the overall goal of building this data hub in the context of environmental health?
The overall goal is to make TaRGET II data coherent, comparable, and accessible so the field can more quickly determine whether surrogate tissues can reliably capture environmentally induced epigenomic signatures relevant to disease mechanisms and risk.
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