Genomic Research in AAT-Deficiency and Sarcoidosis study (GRADS) Cooperative Research Project Grant: Clinical Centers (U01)

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The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), issued by NHLBI, NIH, is to invite applications to participate in the NHLBI Genomic Research in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and Sarcoidosis (GRADS) program, which will assemble a multidisciplinary team of investigators to conduct state-of-art genomic, microbiomics and phenotypic studies of two serious and understudied conditions that affect the lungs: Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AAT) and sarcoidosis. GRADS will include up to eight Clinical Centers and one Genomics and Informatics Center (GIC). This FOA solicits applications for Clinical Centers and runs in parallel with a separate FOA that solicits applications for the GIC (see RFA-HL-12-014). The GRADS Clinical Centers will participate in a study-wide protocol by enrolling, clinically and immunologically phenotyping participants, and collecting and processing biospecimens to be shipped to the GIC for genomics and microbiomics analyses. Additionally, each Clinical Center will develop a clinic-specific research protocol aimed at identifying pathogenetic mechanisms or predictors of AAT or sarcoidosis disease development/progression. Collectively the GRADS Clinical Centers will create a program-wide cohort of approximately 400 AAT and approximately 200 sarcoidosis subjects and controls. Up to 8 Clinical Centers will be funded, each led by one or more Investigators with expertise in AAT, sarcoidosis, pulmonary medicine, immunology, genomics or cell biology. A Steering Committee of all the Clinical Center Principal Investigators will be organized by the GIC (see RFA-HL-12-014) to develop the study-wide protocol(s) and monitor study operations.

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