The Human BioMolecular Atlas Program

The Human Biomolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP) employs an active and collaborative program management strategy using primarily Other Transactions (OTs), which are not contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements (see the HuBMAP Other Transactions Policy Guide).

HuBMAP leverages OTs to manage projects in which time-critical developments and nimble integration of ideas and expertise from various disciplines are essential to achieve a programmatic goal. The cutting-edge research supported by HuBMAP requires multidisciplinary teams of scientists. HuBMAP’s use of OTs facilitates engagement of nontraditional partners (e.g., large corporations and unaffiliated individuals) as well as sharing of devices between industry partners, academics and clinicians to rapidly develop therapeutic advances.

HuBMAP relies on use of OT awards to adapt as new knowledge and technologies emerge. The HuBMAP Program Manager (PM), in collaboration with the HuBMAP Agreement Officer (AO), adds or aggregates the necessary expertise and combines projects as needed. Components of HuBMAP may be expanded, modified or discontinued based on project feasibility and emerging methods, technologies, or approaches that are more useful. In addition, HuBMAP awardees collaborate and cooperate with the HuBMAP PM, NIH program staff and one another to incorporate relevant breakthroughs and discoveries, and engage pioneers. This strategy is designed to mitigate the inherent risk of such a program. The HuBMAP PM uses a rapid review process and a highly responsive post-award management process to take advantage of advances emerging from diverse scientific fields and parallel programs.

The various guidelines, polices, laws, and regulations to which HuBMAP and HuBMAP OT awardees must adhere as a member of the HuBMAP consortium are provided in the HuBMAP Other Transactions Policy Guide. Please see HuBMAP Other Transactions Frequently Asked Questions (coming soon) for additional information, including key features of the HuBMAP that differ from traditional methods and procedures associated with grants, cooperative agreements and contracts.