Collaborative Activities to Promote Metabolomics Research (Admin Supp) | PA 16 005

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the "Collaborative Activities to Promote Metabolomics Research (Admin Supp)" opportunity?

This NIH opportunity (PA 16-005) is an administrative supplement under the NIH Common Fund Metabolomics Program. It supports added, collaborative activities that bring metabolomics into an already-funded NIH research project in order to strengthen metabolomics use in translational and clinical research.

What is the main purpose of this administrative supplement?

The purpose is to strengthen the nation's capacity to perform high-quality metabolomics work by helping active NIH-funded research teams integrate metabolomics into their existing studies. The supplement is meant to improve researchers' ability to use metabolomics to better understand disease mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and evaluate treatment response, while also addressing the specialized design, lab, and data-analysis needs that metabolomics requires.

Is this funding for a brand-new project or an add-on to an existing NIH award?

It is an add-on. This is an administrative supplement intended to expand the scientific reach of an active NIH-funded parent award by adding a metabolomics component. It is not described as funding a standalone, entirely new project.

Who is this supplement designed for?

It is designed for investigators who already hold an active NIH-funded research grant and want to expand the parent project's scope by adding metabolomics through a collaboration with metabolomics experts.

What kinds of activities does the supplement support?

The supplement supports new, interactive collaborations between an existing basic or clinical research team and metabolomics experts. Supported metabolomics activities are those that are integrated into and enhance the parent award's research strategy, such as metabolite profiling, pathway analysis, or other metabolomics measurements that meaningfully address the parent project's aims.

How should the metabolomics work relate to the parent project's aims?

The metabolomics component should be directly integrated into the parent project's research strategy and should strengthen or accelerate the outcomes of the funded project. The request should be justified in terms of how metabolomics will meaningfully address the parent award's scientific aims.

Does the collaboration have to be interactive, or can we simply pay another lab to run assays?

The collaboration must be interactive. A central requirement is that the collaboration cannot be limited to outsourcing metabolomics assays. The supplemental work must include deliberate collaboration and must also build metabolomics capability within the parent biomedical research group receiving the supplement.

What does "building metabolomics capability" mean in practical terms?

It means the supplement activities should include knowledge transfer and skill-building so the parent research team becomes better equipped to plan, execute, and interpret metabolomics studies going forward. Examples specifically noted include strengthening skills in metabolomics study design, selection and use of metabolomics technologies, and downstream analysis and interpretation of metabolomics data.

What aspects of metabolomics study design are emphasized?

The opportunity highlights study design considerations such as sample collection timing, biospecimen handling, managing batch effects, and using appropriate controls, along with broader planning and design issues that are important for high-quality metabolomics.

What types of metabolomics expertise are expected to be involved?

The supplement is intended to connect basic or clinical research teams with metabolomics experts who can contribute to specialized study design, laboratory technology choices and use, and sophisticated data analysis and interpretation.

What is the intended longer-term benefit for the parent research team?

The intent is that, by the end of the supplement period, the parent research team will be better equipped to plan, execute, and interpret metabolomics studies in the future, leaving lasting capacity rather than only producing a one-time dataset.

What is the award ceiling for this administrative supplement?

The listed award ceiling is $100,000.

What is the CFDA number and category for this opportunity?

The health activity category is listed under CFDA 93.310.

When was this opportunity created, and what closing date is shown?

The record indicates the opportunity was created on October 9, 2015. The original closing date shown is February 15, 2016.

What are the key eligibility requirements from an administrative standpoint?

Because this is an administrative supplement, applicants generally must tie the request directly to an eligible, active NIH award and justify how the added metabolomics collaboration will accelerate or strengthen the funded project's outcomes.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligible applicant organizations include a wide range of institution types, including 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 tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other categories listed in the opportunity record.

Are minority-serving institutions and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly highlights eligibility for groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and faith-based or community-based organizations.

Are federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories, or foreign organizations eligible?

Yes. The opportunity notes that eligible applicants include eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

Why does NIH emphasize collaboration and training rather than only generating metabolomics results?

The opportunity recognizes that metabolomics can substantially improve biomedical research but also requires specialized study design, laboratory technology, and sophisticated data analysis and interpretation. The supplement is structured to broaden access to metabolomics expertise while ensuring collaborations leave lasting metabolomics capacity within biomedical research teams, rather than functioning as a one-time, outsourced service.