The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to solicit applications that further examine and characterize molecular underpinnings surrounding telomere status and accompanying biological pathways in response to environmental insults.
Donor Name: National Institutes of Health
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: American Samoa, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/14/2023
Size of the Grant: $2 million
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
Research Objectives/Scope
The initiative will support studies that directly investigate molecular mechanisms and pathway interactions governing telomere dynamics/status in response to environmental insults and how this works in combination to elicit changes at both the cellular and tissue/organismal level.
Research Topics of Interest
Studies that examine the connection between telomere status and associated biological responses (e.g., DNA damage response (DDR) and damage-induced foci, altered gene expression and transcriptional regulation, and inflammation/immune response and its regulation) when faced with relevant human environmental exposures or endogenous mimics. This includes uncovering new paradigms of telomere-dependent pathway communication in response to environmental exposures and how this affects functions at the cellular or tissue/organismal level (e.g., senescence, epigenetic changes as a function of chromosome dynamics, windows of susceptibility (WOS) and across lifespan, ability to respond to other stressors, and relevant genetic variants associated with telomere complex machinery and increased susceptibility or protection following exposure). Examples of studies responsive to this FOA include but are not limited to studies that:
- Measure the trajectory of telomere fate after early life exposures to understand how changes in telomere status (e.g., new telomere length set-point), correlate to other biological response pathways (e.g., immune response, mitochondrial communication) and their consequent effect on cellular, tissue or organismal health (e.g., the ability to respond to downstream stressors/responses);
- Examine telomere status, following its trajectory as a function of either acute and or chronic exposures to determine its relationship with other biological pathways (e.g., senescence, apoptosis) and how this affects functions at cellular and organismal (e.g., lifespan) levels;
- Both characterize and compare the DDR at telomeres versus other parts of the genome, which may include similar repetitive sequences, in response to an acute and or chronic exposure(s). This could include elucidation of the potential interplay between repair machinery and the types of damage at repetitive sequences influence cellular, tissue, and or organismal function;
- Examine how damage (e.g., oxidative damage) at telomeres affects other cellular processes across the lifespan using a model organism and if this drives chronological aging;
- Examine how changes in telomere status is associated with cellular function in either susceptibility or resilient (i.e., new normal/homeostatic scenarios) backgrounds. For example, an investigation examining how gene by environment interactions drive the cell’s ability to respond to DNA damage or affect immune function would be plausible.
- Explore how telomeric regions can be used as a proxy or sentinel for adverse health outcomes, by providing key mechanistic details that underly the relationship between repeat sequence status (e.g., length, mutations, DDR) and genome integrity (e.g., mutational load of non-telomeric DNA, strand breaks) when treated with an exposure and the biological response (e.g., senescence, inflammation, and any other indicator of dysfunction at the cellular/tissue/organismal level). Such studies could include examination of the changes in repair kinetics or complex (e.g., DDR) machinery between telomeres and other segments of the genome.
Funding Information
- NIEHS intends to commit $2 million in FY 2024 to fund 4-5 awards.
- The maximum project period is 5 years.
Eligibility Criteria
- Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
- The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
- Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- For-Profit Organizations
- Small Businesses
- For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)
- Local Governments
- State Governments
- County Governments
- City or Township Governments
- Special District Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
- Federal Government
- Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
- U.S. Territory or Possession
- Other
- Independent School Districts
- Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
- Regional Organizations.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
