International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC): UK Research Consortia
This call is now closed for applications and is available for reference purposes only.
- Objectives of the Call
- Background
- MRC participation in the IMPC
- MRC Mouse Network
- Research Consortia Expressions of Interest
- Eligibility and Assessment
- Roadshows
- Access to funding for follow-up studies using the mice that emerge from IMPC
- Key Dates
- Contacts
Objectives of the Call
Through its partnership in the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) the MRC will, over the next 5 years, produce over 300 transgenic mouse lines bearing a single gene knock-out and analyse them using broad-based, high-throughput phenotyping. These knockout mice, together with the wealth of associated data, will serve as a valuable resource for UK researchers investigating gene function and human pathophysiology.
This Call invites Expressions of Interest from UK-based research groups to:
(a) nominate genes that should be prioritised for the production of knock-out mice and phenotyping,
(b) propose Research Consortia and provisional research strategies to utilise the emerging mice and data to pursue more detailed physiological studies and thus capitalise on these valuable resources.
This call is aimed at existing or new research consortia involving both basic and clinical researchers who are either using mouse models now, or intend to do so in the future. This call will not provide funding, but MRC’s standard response-mode funding schemes are available to support follow-on research studies utilizing the mice that emerge from IMPC.
Background
The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC)
The IMPC is a strategic partnership between major international mouse genetics research institutions and national funding organisations, established to address the challenge of developing an encyclopaedia of mammalian gene function.
The IMPC envisages a 10 year programme to undertake a broad-based, systematic genome-wide phenotyping project of knock-out mice generated from the embryonic stem cell mutant lines developed by the International Knock-out Mouse Consortium (IKMC; http://www.knockoutmouse.org). Each mutant line will undergo a broad suite of high-throughput tests to identify developmental, anatomical, physiological, behavioural and pathological phenotypes.
The IMPC will provide access to high quality, freely accessible phenotype data covering all major organ systems, as well as access to mouse knock-out strains of lasting biological and medical value.
Further information can be found on the IMPC web site (http://www.mousephenotype.org), including participating organizations, scientific and business plan, related news and events. A report from the IMPC working group on phenotyping can also be found on the website. This report summarizes the proposed tests being considered now and in the future, and broken down by therapeutic area. The pipeline has not been finalized but is a good representation of likely tests, although specific platforms and/or parameters may be added or removed, depending on future recommendations from the Working Group and local priorities established at individual mouse production and phenotyping centres (e.g. MRC Mary Lyon Centre).
MRC participation in the IMPC
An important component of MRC’s research portfolio has been the support of large-scale mouse mutagenesis and phenotyping studies to better understand mammalian biology and identify novel models of human disease. To capitalise on these investments, and the UK’s research strengths, the MRC recently announced a £10m initiative over the next 5 years to contribute to the global IMPC effort. This will be directed through the MRC Mary Lyon Centre and the MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit who will be responsible for creating, archiving, and phenotyping 330 knock-out mice strains. Gene selection will be targeted, with at least 250 high priority lines nominated and selected via this Call for Expressions of Interest.
MRC Mouse Network
It is essential that the MRC IMPC programme fully engages with the UK research community and we are therefore setting up an MRC Mouse Network. This Network will bring together expert users of mouse models in order to collaborate with the IMPC. We envision this Network to initially consist of a number of research consortia who will respond to this Expression of Interest. The Network will help to ensure that MRC’s investment into the IMPC initiative is being fully utilized by the UK research community and propagated into follow-on blue skies or translational research programs. Participating labs in the MRC Mouse Network will benefit from:
Co-ordination of the MRC Mouse Network will be managed by the Mary Lyon Centre.
Research Consortia Expressions of Interest
To ensure that the MRC IMPC programme is driven by the needs of the UK research community, and to determine which research areas the UK scientific community is best positioned to fully exploit these resources, we are now calling for Expressions of Interest for Research Consortia.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted according to the guidance provided in ‘Research Consortia for MRC Mouse Network – Expressions of Interest guidance and evaluation notes’. Frequently Asked Questions can be accessed here.
Research Consortia are invited to submit proposals for establishing new, or developing existing, research collaborations and nominate candidate genes for prioritised knock-out mouse production and phenotyping. Consortia will need to demonstrate:
- Strategic vision – a strong provisional programme of research within an over-arching scientific theme (e.g. disease area, or signalling pathway(s) relevant to disease) describing how the consortium proposes to pursue in-depth, follow-on studies using the IMPC mice/data to better understand gene function and disease
- Partnership – evidence of existing collaborative links, and proposals to develop these further, involving recognised research excellence and combining murine pathophysiology, human genetics and clinical communities.
All mice & data will be available to the UK community through public repositories (EMMA) and databases (EUROPHENOME), irrespective of whether researchers are part of a successful Research Consortia or not. However, successful Research Consortia will benefit from fast-tracking their knock-out mice of interest.
Successful Research Consortia will form the basis of a MRC Mouse Network, enabling Research Consortia to be fully engaged with the MRC IMPC Programme and, therefore, privy to the progress of the programme at the earliest opportunity, and the opportunity to influence the direction of the MRC IMPC Programme as described above.
Eligibility and Assessment
Eligible institutions include UK higher education institutions, Research Council institutes, and eligible Independent Research Organisations (IROs) – see the RCUK web guidance for further information: Eligibility for Research Council funding-RCUK
Commercial and industrial organisations are not eligible as lead investigators/institutions, but are eligible as co-applicants through a sub-contract or partnering relationship with another institution eligible for direct receipt of funds.
Applications for Research Consortia will be reviewed and selected by the MRC Cross-Board Advisory Group for Mouse Phenotyping.
Roadshows
A series of workshops will be held to promote the opportunities available in the MRC IMPC Programme, including in the MRC Mouse Network. These workshops will be held at five or six major academic centres across the UK, and will include presentations on the utility of mouse models in understanding gene function and human disease, as well as talks about the IMPC. These workshops will take place May-August. Further information and registration can be obtained through: mousenetworkroadshow@har.mrc.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)1235 841082.
Access to funding for follow-up studies using the mice that emerge from IMPC
This Call will not provide funding to develop the Research Consortia or pursue detailed biological investigation of the IMPC mice. The MRC’s standard response-mode funding schemes are available to support these research activities http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Grants/index.htm .
Date of publication 27th May 2011.
Key Dates
Activity |
Date |
Announcement of Expressions of Interest |
27 May 2011 |
Roadshows |
May-August 2011 |
Deadline for Expressions of Interest |
31 August 2011 |
Meeting of the Cross-Board Advisory Group to assess Expressions of Interest |
20 September 2011 |
Applicants notified of decisions |
early October 2011 |
Contacts
For administrative queries relating to this Call, or for scientific queries about the submission of an Expression of Interest (e.g. MRC strategy in this area, the contents of the case for support/proforma), please contact: MRCEventsandcommitteesteam@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
If you have scientific and technical questions about the IMPC, the MRC IMPC resources available, gene prioritisation, generation of mouse knockouts, phenotyping, the MRC Mary Lyons Centre, etc., please contact Dr Nanda Rodrigues, Scientific Business Manager, MRC Harwell, n.rodrigues@har.mrc.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 01235 841275.
Roadshow enquiries should be directed to mousenetworkroadshow@har.mrc.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0)1235 841082