Research Resource for a National Swine Resource and Research Center (U42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) encourages applications to provide continuing support for a National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC). The NSRRC aims to enable gold-standard science in biomedical research by serving as a centralized national resource for the creation, breeding, cryopreservation, and distribution of genetically modified models. By consolidating these essential functions, the NSRRC significantly reduces variability and improves reproducibility across studies, ensuring that researchers have access to consistent, high-quality, specific pathogen-free models. Centralizing the resource also eliminates redundancy and high costs associated with individual laboratories maintaining separate facilities and breeding programs for these models, allowing investigators to focus their efforts on research rather than infrastructure. Additionally, the NSRRC provides genotyping and phenotyping services, infectious disease monitoring, and protocol distribution to facilitate their use for biomedical research. The Center also serves as a source of information and training related to the care and use of these models in biomedical research to study human health and disease and suitability of a model’s faithful representation of the biological system(s) proposed to be studied. The Center serves as a resource to lead the development of alternative or complementary approaches available, including new approach methodologies (NAMs), alongside in vivo models.

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of: (1) The scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; (2) the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; (3) the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; (4) the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; (5) the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project; and (6) the relevance and importance to announced program objectives. The major elements in evaluating proposals for scientific instruments include assessments of (1) the need for the instruments; (2) technical expertise in the requested technology; (3) advancements of research projects when the novel technology is available; (4) administration of the usage of the instrument and (5) institutional support for the long term maintenance and the usage of the instrument.