Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS)

Key Facts

Status: Open

Posted date: September 23, 2025

Opportunity ID: 360642

Opportunity number: PAR-26-036

Opportunity category: Discretionary

Agency name: National Institutes of Health

Agency code: HHS-NIH11

Award floor: $0

Award ceiling: $0

Cost sharing required: No

Funding Instrument Types
  • Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity
  • Health
Eligible Applicants
  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Independent school districts
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Others
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
  • Small businesses
  • Special district governments
  • State governments
Tools
Categories (use these for quoted searches)
  • agency_code:hhs_nih11
  • category_of_funding_activity:health
  • cost_sharing_or_matching_requirement:false
  • eligible_applicants:city_or_township_governments
  • eligible_applicants:county_governments
  • eligible_applicants:for_profit_organizations_other_than_small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:independent_school_districts
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_governments_federally_recognized
  • eligible_applicants:native_american_tribal_organizations_other_than_federally_recognized_tribal_governments
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_having_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:nonprofits_that_do_not_have_a_501_c_3_status_with_the_irs_other_than_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:others
  • eligible_applicants:private_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_and_state_controlled_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_housing_authoritiesindian_housing_authorities
  • eligible_applicants:small_businesses
  • eligible_applicants:special_district_governments
  • eligible_applicants:state_governments
  • funding_instrument_type:cooperative_agreement
  • opportunity_category:discretionary
  • status:open
Description

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) intends to promote an initiative by publishing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for the Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS) program. The purpose of the CEGS program is to bring together interdisciplinary teams of investigators to form tightly focused, well-integrated projects that address challenging biomedical questions from a genomics perspective. CEGS are expected to develop highly innovative novel concepts, methods, approaches, tools, and technologies to address these questions and achieve a transformative advance not likely developed by standard R01s or other projects over the same timeframe. Importantly, each CEGS will address a critical issue in genomic science, genomic medicine, computational genomics, or an issue that cuts across more than one of these areas. Given these goals, each center is required to have outstanding scientific plans and management strategies that balance a high level of risk with the potential for high payoff. Additional goals of the CEGS program include broadening the pool of researchers able to work in or use genomics, and dissemination of CEGS developed methods and tools to the broader research community.In February 2024 a mixed-methods evaluation (see evaluation report) was completed to assess the outcomes of this flagship NHGRI program. The evaluation highlighted several strengths such as the high-risk, high-reward nature of the CEGS funding mechanism, a focus on technology development linked to biological questions, and the funding of several breakthrough resources and approaches that have surpassed genomics to stimulate many research areas. Suggestions for improvements, such as widening the focus and increasing outreach opportunities, will be addressed in this renewal.

Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS)
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) intends to promote an initiative by publishing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for the Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS) program. The purpose of the CEGS program is to bring together interdisciplinary teams of investigators to form tightly focused, well-integrated projects that address challenging biomedical questions from a genomics perspective. CEGS are expected to develop highly innovative novel concepts, methods, approaches, tools, and technologies to address these questions and achieve a transformative advance not likely developed by standard R01s or other projects over the same timeframe. Importantly, each CEGS will address a critical issue in genomic science, genomic medicine, computational genomics, or an issue that cuts across more than one of these areas. Given these goals, each center is required to have outstanding scientific plans and management strategies that balance a high level of risk with the potential for high payoff. Additional goals of the CEGS program include broadening the pool of researchers able to work in or use genomics, and dissemination of CEGS developed methods and tools to the broader research community.In February 2024 a mixed-methods evaluation (see evaluation report) was completed to assess the outcomes of this flagship NHGRI program. The evaluation highlighted several strengths such as the high-risk, high-reward nature of the CEGS funding mechanism, a focus on technology development linked to biological questions, and the funding of several breakthrough resources and approaches that have surpassed genomics to stimulate many research areas. Suggestions for improvements, such as widening the focus and increasing outreach opportunities, will be addressed in this renewal.
Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS)
Open
National Institutes of Health
Health
Cooperative Agreement
State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses
Others
2025-09-23