How To Apply

NIH CIDR Program Applications

All investigators requesting access through the NIH funded CIDR Program must submit an electronic application to NIH. Applications are continuously accepted and are reviewed six times per year. Applications are not required to access CIDR through the JHU Genetic Resources Core Facility

Lab tech with instrument
Photo by Tameka U Shelford

Step 1 - Initial Contact

Investigators are required to obtain approval before submitting an application. Approval should be obtained two months prior to submitting an application. Intramural NIH investigators should contact Dr. Barbara Thomas. Extramural grantees must obtain approval from the supporting NIH Institute Liaison.

All investigators can apply for access to CIDR before submitting an NIH grant application. If access is granted, a letter verifying CIDR’s commitment to perform the genotyping will be provided to use in a grant application.

Data from genomic studies may be subject to the NIH data sharing policy. Communication with the Institute Liaison should include what phenotypic measures will be shared and subject consents relevant to data sharing.

Step 2 - Application Process

Applications are accepted via continuous receipt and must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Access to the CIDR Program is awarded using the X01 grant award mechanism. Please take special note of the Approach Guidelines documents which offer advice on particular items to include in your application.

All applications must include a Data Dictionary of phenotypic measures to be shared, along with a Data Summary summarizing the data collected.

Step 3 - Application Review

Applications are evaluated for scientific and technical merit in accordance with the NIH peer review procedures. The CIDR Access Committee (CAC) is convened by NHGRI and reviews applications no later than 120 days after receipt. The primary criterion used by CAC is the likelihood that the dataset will provide power to map a significant association between a trait and a causal genetic variant.

Applications that receive a priority score are reviewed by the CIDR Board of Governors (BOG), an inter-Institute NIH committee comprised of the Directors or designees of the supporting Institutes. The BOG makes the final decision about which projects are accepted for genotyping. This decision is based on the CAC's evaluation and the priorities of the supporting Institute.

Step 4 - Access Notification

After the review process, applicants will receive a letter from NIH outlining the final decision about access to CIDR. CIDR will contact investigators whose studies are granted access to begin project initiation.