Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 005
The NIH grant opportunity "In-Depth Phenotyping and Research Using IMPC-Generated Knockout Mouse Strains Exhibiting Embryonic or Perinatal Lethality or Subviability (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-17-005) is designed to push the field beyond standard, broad screening by supporting deeper biological investigation of a specific, high-value subset of knockout mouse lines. These are knockout (KO) strains being produced through the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC), a global effort to generate and characterize large numbers of gene knockouts in a systematic way. The NIH Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Program (KOMP2) is part of the IMPC, and the FOA emphasizes taking advantage of the moment when these lines are already being created, bred, and run through baseline adult phenotyping pipelines, making it more efficient for the research community to add targeted in-depth studies.
The scientific focus is on KO strains that show embryonic lethality, perinatal lethality, or subviability. In practical terms, these are lines where homozygous knockout animals die before birth, around birth, or survive at reduced rates, which often prevents them from being fully assessed in standard adult phenotyping screens. Even so, these lines can be exceptionally informative because they frequently point to genes that are essential for development, organogenesis, and early-life physiological systems. The FOA also highlights an important genetic reality: while homozygous mutants may be lethal, many of these mutations are expected to produce measurable and informative phenotypes in viable heterozygous animals. That creates a clear opportunity to study gene dosage effects and partial loss-of-function biology that can be directly relevant to human disease, where heterozygous variants are common.
This announcement encourages applicants to carry out phenotyping and/or hypothesis-driven research using these IMPC-generated strains, with an emphasis on more detailed follow-up than the standardized IMPC pipelines typically provide. The central idea is to leverage the existing infrastructure and ongoing breeding/production efforts within IMPC and KOMP2, and then layer on additional experiments that clarify developmental timing of lethality, affected tissues and organ systems, cellular and molecular mechanisms, and any detectable phenotypes in heterozygotes or conditional contexts. The program description frames this as a unique window of opportunity because the lines are already in motion through a large international pipeline, reducing duplicative effort and accelerating discovery if outside investigators step in to perform deeper characterization.
The broader context included in the FOA underscores the scale and pace of IMPC and KOMP2 production. KOMP2 had generated roughly 2,500 mouse strains at the time described, with plans to create about 6,000 more over the following five years, contributing to the IMPC goal of broad-based phenotyping for around 20,000 KO strains overall. Within that massive set, the FOA notes that a subset (described as about 30 strains in the provided text) are or are expected to be embryonic or perinatal lethal or subviable, and it is this subset that motivates the call for targeted, in-depth work because routine adult phenotyping alone cannot capture the key biology for these lines.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is an NIH discretionary grant using the R01 mechanism, categorized under Health, Income Security and Social Services, and associated with CFDA numbers 93.121 and 93.865. The source data lists an award ceiling of $499,999. The opportunity was created on 2016-10-07, and the original closing date provided is 2019-11-05. While the summary here focuses on the purpose and scope, these details matter for understanding how the announcement was structured and the general magnitude of support anticipated per award.
Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive, spanning many types of U.S.-based institutions and organizations as well as certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other categories. The FOA also explicitly names additional eligible groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible federal agencies; non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations); regional organizations; Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized; and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility aligns with the program goal of maximizing scientific uptake of these valuable mouse resources across the research community.
Overall, this FOA is essentially a call to take rare, information-rich knockout mouse lines that cannot be fully understood through standard adult screens because of early lethality or reduced viability, and to fund investigators who can perform the deeper phenotyping and mechanistic studies needed to translate those genotypes into clear biological insight. By tying the work directly to IMPC/KOMP2-generated strains, the program aims to speed discovery, reduce redundancy in model generation, and extract as much developmental and disease-relevant knowledge as possible from knockout lines that are otherwise difficult to study.Apply for PAR 17 005
- The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "In-Depth Phenotyping and Research Using IMPC-Generated Knockout Mouse Strains Exhibiting Embryonic or Perinatal Lethality or Subviability (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.865.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-11-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $499,999.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIH funding opportunity PAR-17-005?
PAR-17-005 is an NIH grant opportunity titled "In-Depth Phenotyping and Research Using IMPC-Generated Knockout Mouse Strains Exhibiting Embryonic or Perinatal Lethality or Subviability (R01)." It supports research that goes beyond standard broad screening by funding more detailed phenotyping and/or hypothesis-driven studies on a specific subset of knockout mouse lines generated through the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC).
What is the main goal of this FOA?
The main goal is to enable deeper biological investigation of high-value IMPC-generated knockout mouse strains that are embryonic lethal, perinatal lethal, or subviable, because these lines often cannot be fully assessed in standard adult phenotyping pipelines. The FOA aims to extract clearer developmental and disease-relevant insights by supporting targeted, in-depth follow-up studies.
Which grant mechanism does this opportunity use?
This opportunity uses the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism.
What mouse resources are central to this opportunity?
The FOA is centered on knockout (KO) mouse strains generated through the IMPC. It specifically highlights leveraging strains produced within the NIH Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Program (KOMP2), which is part of the IMPC.
What is the IMPC, and why is it important here?
The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) is a global effort to systematically generate and characterize large numbers of gene knockout mouse lines. It matters here because these lines are already being created, bred, and assessed through baseline pipelines, making it more efficient for investigators to add focused, in-depth studies rather than duplicating model generation efforts.
What is KOMP2, and how does it relate to IMPC?
KOMP2 (the NIH Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Program) is part of the IMPC. The FOA emphasizes using this existing infrastructure and ongoing strain production/breeding to accelerate deeper follow-up research on selected knockout lines.
What types of knockout mouse lines are the focus of the FOA?
The FOA focuses on IMPC-generated knockout strains that show embryonic lethality, perinatal lethality, or subviability. These are cases where homozygous knockout animals die before birth, around birth, or survive at reduced rates.
What does "embryonic lethality" mean in this context?
Embryonic lethality refers to knockout strains where homozygous knockout animals die before birth, preventing them from reaching stages typically used for standard adult phenotyping.
What does "perinatal lethality" mean in this context?
Perinatal lethality refers to knockout strains where homozygous knockout animals die around the time of birth, which likewise limits or prevents routine adult phenotyping.
What does "subviability" mean in this context?
Subviability refers to knockout strains where homozygous knockout animals survive at reduced rates. This reduced survival can limit the ability to complete standardized adult phenotyping, but the lines may still yield important biological insights.
Why target lethal or subviable knockout lines instead of fully viable lines?
These lines can be exceptionally informative because they often implicate genes essential for development, organogenesis, and early-life physiological systems. Their early lethality or reduced viability can signal critical biological functions that standard adult screens are not designed to capture.
Why are these strains difficult to study using standard adult phenotyping pipelines?
Standard adult phenotyping pipelines typically require viable adult homozygous knockout animals. When homozygous knockouts die before or around birth (or survive poorly), routine adult phenotyping alone cannot capture the key developmental and early-life biology associated with the gene knockout.
What kinds of studies does the FOA encourage?
The FOA encourages more detailed follow-up than standardized IMPC pipelines typically provide. This includes in-depth phenotyping and/or hypothesis-driven research that clarifies developmental timing of lethality, identifies affected tissues and organ systems, investigates cellular and molecular mechanisms, and evaluates phenotypes in viable heterozygous animals.
Does the FOA allow studies focused on heterozygous animals?
Yes. The FOA highlights that even when homozygous mutants are lethal, many mutations are expected to produce measurable and informative phenotypes in viable heterozygous animals. This supports studying gene dosage effects and partial loss-of-function biology.
Why is heterozygote phenotyping emphasized?
The FOA points to an important genetic reality: homozygous lethality does not eliminate the possibility of meaningful phenotypes in heterozygotes. Studying heterozygotes can reveal gene dosage effects and partial loss-of-function biology that can be relevant to human disease, where heterozygous variants are common.
How does this FOA aim to improve research efficiency?
It leverages a "window of opportunity" created by ongoing IMPC/KOMP2 strain production and baseline phenotyping. Because the lines are already being created and bred within a large international pipeline, outside investigators can add targeted experiments without duplicating the effort of generating the models from scratch.
What is meant by "baseline adult phenotyping pipelines" in the FOA summary?
It refers to standardized phenotyping workflows used to broadly screen adult knockout mice for a wide range of traits. The FOA is designed to complement these pipelines by supporting deeper, targeted studies for strains that cannot be fully evaluated as adults due to lethality or subviability.
What scale of mouse strain production does the FOA describe?
The FOA context notes that KOMP2 had generated roughly 2,500 mouse strains at the time described, with plans to create about 6,000 more over the following five years. This contributes to the IMPC goal of broad-based phenotyping for around 20,000 knockout strains overall.
How large is the specific subset of strains highlighted for in-depth study?
The FOA notes a subset described as about 30 strains in the provided text that are or are expected to be embryonic or perinatal lethal or subviable, motivating targeted, in-depth characterization beyond routine adult phenotyping.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-17-005.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The source data lists an award ceiling of $499,999.
What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.121 and 93.865.
How is this opportunity categorized in the source description?
It is categorized under "Health, Income Security and Social Services" in the provided administrative summary.
When was this opportunity created, and what closing date is listed?
The opportunity was created on 2016-10-07, and the original closing date provided is 2019-11-05.
Who is eligible to apply for PAR-17-005?
Eligibility is described as broad and inclusive. Eligible applicants include many types of U.S.-based institutions and organizations as well as certain non-U.S. entities, including governments, higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, small businesses, tribal organizations, and other specified groups.
Are U.S. government entities eligible (state, local, or special districts)?
Yes. The provided eligibility list includes state, county, city or township governments, and special district governments.
Are public and private colleges or universities eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education.
Are independent school districts eligible?
Yes. Independent school districts are explicitly included in the eligibility list.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and also includes small businesses.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations, as well as Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among eligible applicants.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility section explicitly includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations).
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly named as eligible groups.
Are Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly names several MSI categories, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
What is the program trying to achieve for the broader research community?
The program is designed to maximize scientific uptake of valuable mouse resources by encouraging researchers to perform deeper characterization of difficult-to-study knockout lines. It aims to reduce redundancy in model generation, accelerate discovery, and translate genotypes into clearer biological insights.
What biological questions are especially relevant under this FOA?
Based on the provided description, relevant questions include when and why lethality occurs during development, which tissues or organ systems are affected, what cellular or molecular mechanisms are involved, and whether heterozygous animals show measurable phenotypes linked to gene dosage effects.
Why does the FOA describe this as a "unique window of opportunity"?
Because the knockout lines are already moving through IMPC/KOMP2 production, breeding, and baseline phenotyping workflows. That timing can make it more efficient for investigators to add targeted in-depth experiments while the strains and infrastructure are already in active use.
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