The common marmoset has recently emerged as a promising model system to understand the primate brain. In particular, marmoset behavior is similar in many ways to human behavior and the technology for germ line transmission of exogenous genetic information is now possible. However, existing colonies and commercial sources are currently unable to provide sufficient marmosets for neuroscience research.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications to expand existing colonies of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) for neuroscience research in the United States. Awardees under this FOA are expected to expand their current marmoset colonies to provide healthy, well-characterized animals that will be made available to the neuroscience research community. Awardees are also expected to participate in and provide health and genetic information to an NIH-Funded Marmoset Coordination Center to help the community understand the pedigree of individuals in the relatively small captive marmoset population and improve the genetic diversity of that population across multiple colonies.
NIH plans to establish a marmoset coordination center (see the companion funding opportunity announcement RFA-MH-20-150 ) that will guide the breeding strategy across the entire US marmoset population to maximize the health and genetic diversity of the population and serve as a bridge between the marmoset colonies and the neuroscience research community. Awardees under this FOA are expected to share appropriate information with the coordination center, the other awardees, and the broad neuroscience research community to facilitate the use of this scarce resource.
Deadlines:
RFA-MH-20-145 Expiration Date October 4, 2019
