This document describes NIH’s process for considering planned applications for projects whose goal is to develop genetic and genomic resources for non-mammalian model systems. This process will be used for projects that are large (generally greater than $500,000 in direct costs per year) or that require a long-term commitment (such as databases and repositories). Applications for projects that are known to be of interest to specific institutes should be submitted in the standard manner. However, applicants are encouraged to discuss these projects with the appropriate institute staff member.

The process described below is designed (1) to provide guidance to investigators prior to submission of a grant application and (2) to provide a mechanism for determining whether there is sufficient programmatic interest in the proposed project before the investigators prepare and submit an application.

1. A representative of the model organism community should discuss the plan with the NIH contact person (or the NMM committee co-chairs, if there is no contact person).

2. If NIH considers the planning process to be far enough along, the applicants should submit a concept paper to the NIH contact person (or to the NMM committee co-chairs, if there is no contact person). The concept paper must address the following questions:

1. By what process did the community obtain input and reach a consensus about the priority for the proposed project?

2. What other sources of support, including non-U.S. sources, exist?

3. What are the advantages and limitations of the model organism for research purposes, including genome size, tractability for genetic studies, ease of use, generation time, storage of organism or gametes, etc.?

4. What is the justification for needing the genomic resources now, rather than later, when costs are likely to be lower?

5. Do the proposed resources exist, or are there plans to develop such resources, outside the U.S.?

6. What are the unique advantages of having the genomic information of this organism?

7. What scientific advances will be made possible that otherwise would not, given the current state of the genomic tools?

8. With as great precision as possible, what is the cost of the project?

9. What is the duration of the project?

10. How will resources, such as databases and repositories, be supported after the completion of the project?

11. How will data and resources generated by this project be made available rapidly and efficiently to the research community?

12. What genomic resources, including databases and repositories, currently exist?

13. What is the size of the research community for the organism?

14. Who will benefit from the improved genomic resources? The immediate community? The broader biomedical research community?

15. What will be the benefits?

16. How will data and resources generated by this project be made available rapidly and efficiently to the research community? Are there any material transfer agreements that would affect the availability of data or resources produced by this project?
    (For information on NIH’s policies on intellectual property, see http://www.nih.gov/science/models/sharing.html.)

3. NIH staff have formed working groups to coordinate and share information about genomic activities related to some model organisms. If a working group has been established for a particular model organism, the contact person will distribute the concept paper to that working group. If no working group exists, the contact person will distribute the concept paper to the NMM committee and to its liaisons from other agencies.

• If one or more Institutes and Centers (IC’s) and/or other agencies express an interest in providing support for the development of the proposed genomic resources, the applicant will be invited to submit a grant application.

• If no IC is interested in accepting a formal application, the applicant will be notified.

February 25, 2000