Sequencing Core(s) for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01) | RFA RM 17 016

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 17 016

The grant opportunity titled "Sequencing Core(s) for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-17-016) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary funding announcement designed to support the sequencing needs of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network during its Phase II. The UDN is a national research effort focused on solving difficult, unresolved medical cases by combining deep clinical evaluation with advanced laboratory and genomic approaches. In this particular FOA, NIH is seeking applicants that can function as sequencing core(s), meaning centralized, high-capacity groups that can generate high-quality genomic sequence data and related deliverables to help UDN investigators identify potential genetic causes of participants' conditions.

The funding mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement, which generally means NIH expects to have substantial programmatic involvement compared with a standard research grant. In practice, this usually translates to close coordination with NIH staff and the broader UDN consortium, alignment with network-wide standards, and participation in shared planning, data-sharing, and operational processes. The activity category is listed under health, and the associated CFDA number is 93.310. The FOA was created on August 15, 2017, and the original application closing date was November 2, 2017.

The purpose statement is straightforward: provide support for sequencing for Phase II of the UDN. While the excerpt does not spell out technical requirements, a sequencing core in a network like UDN typically needs to deliver reliable, clinically relevant next-generation sequencing at scale, maintain rigorous quality control, and provide consistent outputs that can be interpreted alongside phenotype and other clinical data. This may involve whole exome sequencing, whole genome sequencing, or other targeted approaches depending on network needs, along with downstream processing steps such as alignment, variant calling, annotation, and standardized reporting formats that integrate well with UDN analysis pipelines. Because this is a network-based effort, the emphasis is usually on harmonization: reproducible methods, strong documentation, standardized metrics, secure handling of sensitive human data, and the ability to coordinate turnaround times and workflows across multiple clinical and research sites.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based entities: state, county, and city or township 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; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as described); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible applicants. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types 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), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth suggests NIH intended to encourage participation from a wide range of organizations capable of providing sequencing services, including institutions that broaden geographic reach and institutional diversity.

Foreign eligibility is limited in a specific way. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are stated as not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. In practical terms, this typically means a U.S. applicant could include certain foreign collaborations or activities as part of the project if they meet NIH policy definitions and are appropriately justified and structured, but a foreign institution cannot serve as the prime applicant for this FOA.

The award ceiling and the number of expected awards are not provided in the excerpt, so the size and scale of funding cannot be determined from the supplied text alone. The sponsor agency is NIH. Overall, this FOA is centered on building or maintaining the sequencing infrastructure that the UDN relies on to pursue diagnoses for complex cases, emphasizing network coordination, standardized high-quality genomic data generation, and eligibility across a wide range of U.S. organizations with the capacity to operate as a sequencing core within a national consortium.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sequencing Core(s) for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-02. (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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