The DoD is offering the Neurofibromatosis Investigator-Initiated Award to support high-impact research in NF.

The NFRP Investigator-Initiated Research Award supports highly rigorous, high-impact research projects that have the potential to make an important contribution to NF research and/or patient care. Research projects may focus on any phase of research, excluding clinical trials. The rationale for a research idea may be derived from laboratory discovery, population-based studies, a clinician’s firsthand knowledge of patients, or anecdotal data. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that are relevant to NF and the proposed research project.

Optional NF Open Science Initiative (NF-OSI): The FY23 NFRP supports the NF-OSI (https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn17083165/wiki/588662), which is aimed at catalyzing research for NF through early access to data and data sharing within the NF community.

• The NF Data Portal (https://nf.synapse.org) is a central component of the NF-OSI and is intended as a format on which to share and explore NF datasets, analysis tools, resources, and publications. It is a public repository of raw data of scientific experiments that allows the re-analysis and confirmation of results by a third party.

○ The portal is not the place to share finalized results (these are generally publishable figures and related information), but rather any data point or image derived from experiments.

○ NF studies that involve generation of extensive datasets including, but not limited to, gene expression, genomic variants, methylation profiles, drug screening, drug combination screening, cellular physiology, chromatin activity, proteomics, imaging, kinomics, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and clinical studies are to utilize the NF Data Portal.

○ The portal allows participants to use the repository as their private data storage and selectively release the data to the public after an embargo period. For more information and requirements of participation, please visit https://nf.synapse.org/.

• Participants in the NF-OSI will share data following the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) Data Principles for reproducible science found in “The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship” (https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201618). Refer to the Data and Research Resources Sharing Plan document in Attachment 7.

• Applications utilizing the NF-OSI option will be eligible to apply for Level 2 funding as described in below and in Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions.

• Applications utilizing the NF-OSI option must demonstrate their commitment to meeting the intent of the initiative in their Data and Research Resources Sharing Plan, including a description of milestones with respect to making the data or research resource(s) available and how they will be accessible after the period of performance expires. See Attachment 7.

• Applications utilizing the NF-OSI option must describe how participation in the NF-OSI will advance and/or accelerate research in NF.

• Applications funded under the NF-OSI option will need to comply with data submission requirements that meet the intent of the initiative as a condition of continued funding for their project.

The NFRP Investigator-Initiated Research Award supports highly rigorous, high-impact research projects that have the potential to make an important contribution to NF research and/or patient care. Research projects may focus on any phase of research, excluding clinical trials. The rationale for a research idea may be derived from laboratory discovery, population-based studies, a clinician’s firsthand knowledge of patients, or anecdotal data. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that are relevant to NF and the proposed research project.

Optional NF Open Science Initiative (NF-OSI): The FY23 NFRP supports the NF-OSI (https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn17083165/wiki/588662), which is aimed at catalyzing research for NF through early access to data and data sharing within the NF community.

• The NF Data Portal (https://nf.synapse.org) is a central component of the NF-OSI and is intended as a format on which to share and explore NF datasets, analysis tools, resources, and publications. It is a public repository of raw data of scientific experiments that allows the re-analysis and confirmation of results by a third party.

○ The portal is not the place to share finalized results (these are generally publishable figures and related information), but rather any data point or image derived from experiments.

○ NF studies that involve generation of extensive datasets including, but not limited to, gene expression, genomic variants, methylation profiles, drug screening, drug combination screening, cellular physiology, chromatin activity, proteomics, imaging, kinomics, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and clinical studies are to utilize the NF Data Portal.

○ The portal allows participants to use the repository as their private data storage and selectively release the data to the public after an embargo period. For more information and requirements of participation, please visit https://nf.synapse.org/.

• Participants in the NF-OSI will share data following the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) Data Principles for reproducible science found in “The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship” (https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201618). Refer to the Data and Research Resources Sharing Plan document in Attachment 7.

• Applications utilizing the NF-OSI option will be eligible to apply for Level 2 funding as described in below and in Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions.

• Applications utilizing the NF-OSI option must demonstrate their commitment to meeting the intent of the initiative in their Data and Research Resources Sharing Plan, including a description of milestones with respect to making the data or research resource(s) available and how they will be accessible after the period of performance expires. See Attachment 7.

• Applications utilizing the NF-OSI option must describe how participation in the NF-OSI will advance and/or accelerate research in NF.

• Applications funded under the NF-OSI option will need to comply with data submission requirements that meet the intent of the initiative as a condition of continued funding for their project.