SUNBEAM - Analysis and Bioinformatics Center (ABC) (UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AI 21 060

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 21 060

The SUNBEAM - Analysis and Bioinformatics Center (ABC) funding opportunity (RFA-AI-21-060) is an NIH cooperative agreement (UM1; clinical trial not allowed) aimed at building a dedicated mechanistic omics and systems biology center to support the Systems Biology of Early Atopy (SUNBEAM) birth cohort study. The core idea is to create a centralized analytic hub that can receive and assay biologic samples collected from newborns, infants, and very young children enrolled in the SUNBEAM cohort, then apply modern omics profiling and integrative computational approaches to uncover what drives early atopic disease. The scientific emphasis is on identifying determinants and early predictors of atopic outcomes, with particular focus on food allergy and atopic dermatitis (AD), and on translating high-dimensional molecular data into actionable insights about disease pathways and biomarker candidates.

In practical terms, SUNBEAM-ABC is meant to function as the cohort's omics engine and analytics backbone. It would generate and/or analyze multi-omics data (for example, genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiome-related data, immune profiling, and other systems-level measurements as appropriate to the study) from cohort-derived specimens, then integrate these datasets to map molecular and cellular pathways involved in atopic disease development. A key deliverable is analytic infrastructure: standardized pipelines, robust bioinformatics workflows, data integration methods, and systems biology analyses that allow the broader SUNBEAM program to move from raw biospecimens and complex datasets to mechanistic hypotheses and early predictive biomarkers. The center is positioned to support a comprehensive understanding of early-life immune and barrier biology as it relates to allergic sensitization and clinical disease, rather than operating as a standalone project disconnected from the cohort.

From an administrative standpoint, this is categorized under Health, with CFDA number 93.855, and is run by the National Institutes of Health. The award mechanism being a cooperative agreement signals substantial NIH program involvement compared with a typical investigator-initiated grant, meaning awardees should expect active coordination with NIH and close alignment with the SUNBEAM program's overarching goals, milestones, and shared standards. The notice explicitly states "clinical trial not allowed," which generally means the funded activities must not include prospective assignment of human participants to interventions to evaluate health-related outcomes; the work should remain within observational cohort support, specimen assay, and analytic methodology rather than interventional clinical testing.

Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S.-based organization types: state, county, and local governments; 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 Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher-ed institutions where relevant); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is constrained in a way typical for many NIH opportunities. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant. However, "foreign components" are allowed under the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition, meaning a U.S. applicant can include certain parts of the work performed outside the U.S. if properly justified and approved, even though a foreign institution cannot serve as the applicant organization.

Key identifiers and dates in the source information include the funding opportunity title and number (SUNBEAM - Analysis and Bioinformatics Center (ABC); RFA-AI-21-060), the creation date (2021-09-20), and an original closing date of 2022-02-15. The opportunity listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the supplied text, but it frames the award as a program-level infrastructure and analytics center intended to materially enable the SUNBEAM birth cohort's mechanistic discovery work on early atopy, particularly food allergy and atopic dermatitis, through rigorous omics generation, bioinformatics processing, and systems biology integration focused on pathways and early-life biomarkers.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SUNBEAM - Analysis and Bioinformatics Center (ABC) (UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-09-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-02-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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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