Notice of Special Interest (NOSI)—Administrative Supplements to Prepare Data Assets for Infectious and Immune-mediated Diseases for Inclusion into the NIAID Data Ecosystem

The purpose of this NOSI is to highlight interest in supporting supplemental funding applications for award recipients currently funded by participating NIH Institutes and Centers to prepare data assets relevant for infectious- and immune-mediated disease research for inclusion in the NIAID Data Ecosystem. Research may include studies that strive to generate a better understanding of mechanisms for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious- and immune mediated diseases.

On December 16th, 2022 during a Pre-Application Webinar for the NIAID Data Ecosystem NOSI, NIAID Staff presented details on the context of the NOSI and answered questions from potential applicants. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are below.

Please email datascience-foa@niaid.nih.gov with additional questions or to request the presentation slides and recording from the Pre-Application Webinar.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should researchers discuss with their Program Officers of the parent grant to determine if the supplement is appropriate?
   It is highly recommended that researchers considering this supplement discuss it with their parent grants’ Program Officers to ensure they meet all eligibility criteria.

2. Are foreign components allowed?
   Yes, foreign components are allowed.

3. Will these supplements be peer reviewed?
   The applications to this NOSI will not be reviewed by an NIH study section but will be reviewed by program staff for eligibility, scientific merit, and programmatic relevance.

4. What is the earliest start date for the supplement if submitted for the February 13, 2023 deadline?
   The start is expected to be before October 2023.

5. Are there any restrictions or limitations on the size of the datasets for this supplement?
   There are no requirements regarding the size of the datasets. Applicants need to demonstrate value of the data to research in infectious- and immune-mediated diseases, which does not necessarily depend on size.

6. Does the dataset have to be generated by the parent grant that the supplement relates to?
   The dataset does not have to be generated by the parent award, but proposed work to prepare the dataset for inclusion in the NIAID Data Ecosystem will need to be within the scope of the parent award.

7. Can researchers apply for this supplement in preparation for future completion of data collection?
   Researchers may apply for this supplement before data collection has been completed, as long as the data will be ready for the NIAID Data Ecosystem by the end of the supplement project performance period. Feasibility of completion must be demonstrated convincingly in the application.

8. Is source code for models allowable?
   Source code is a digital asset/object, so would be in scope of this NOSI if the code is already developed. All other criteria mentioned in the NOSI will apply, including demonstrating value, sharing in a reusable way, rich metadata, etc.

9. If the data owners do not approve of the data access necessary for inclusion in the NIAID Data Ecosystem, would the generation of synthetic data that represents a robust model of the real dataset be considered as a responsive supplement application?
   Generation of synthetic data to be shared is outside the scope of this NOSI, since the data assets must exist already. In case of controlled or restricted access data, we’d encourage work on creating rich metadata that describe the access protocol in detail.