Joint Research Program · JRP 1.0

Turning Malaysian data into Malaysian discoveries.

The Joint Research Program (JRP) 1.0 is a Prima Nexus initiative to work alongside Malaysian researchers, building more locally relevant genomic knowledge and stronger research outcomes.

We help you turn a genomic research idea into a meaningful study, with technical guidance, collaborator pricing, and support from study design through genomic analysis and interpretation. Built around your research question, for studies on any species.

Apply for JRP 1.0 → Explore the program

WhoMalaysian researchers and research groups, any species

Applications12 October to 30 December 2026

JRP 1.0 supportCollaborator pricing, up to 50% off, plus scientific guidance

Human studiesMay get priority access to our Malaysian genomic data in JRP 2.0

Why JRP

More locally relevant research starts with more locally generated knowledge.

Malaysia has its own populations, disease patterns, biodiversity, farming systems and biological questions. Yet much of the reference data was generated elsewhere, and the cost and complexity of genomic studies can still hold local research back.

Important questions already exist

Researchers have cohorts, samples and biological questions with the potential to generate valuable new knowledge.

Reference data is often not local

In human genomics especially, findings and allele frequencies from other populations may not fully represent Malaysia’s diverse population.

Genomics can be hard to scale

Study design, sequencing cost, bioinformatics and interpretation can stand between a good research question and a meaningful result.

Collaboration can close the gap

Prima Nexus brings genomic technology, technical guidance and research support, so more local questions can move forward.

Technology should follow the research question, not the other way around.

JRP 1.0 · Generate

Start with your research question. Build the right genomic study around it.

Successful applicants receive collaborator access to selected genomic services, and scientific support from study design through analysis and interpretation. mRNA sequencing works for human, animal, plant or microbial samples; the genotyping microarray and exome sequencing are for human samples only.

Genomic services and collaborator support under JRP 1.0
Service	What it answers	Collaborator support
Human Genotyping Microarray	Common variants genome-wide, for cohort and population studies. Human samples only.	About 20% off
mRNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq)	Gene expression and the pathways behind a condition, a treatment or an environmental change, in any species.	About 30% off
Human Whole Exome Sequencing (WES)	Variants and disease-associated genes across the protein-coding genome. Human samples only.	50% off
Lead Genomic Scientist consultation	Refine your research question, study design and genomic strategy before data generation starts.	Included

Support is against our normal research price for each service. The final scope and figures for your project are confirmed in writing after consultation. Support is limited to this year’s in-kind grant budget.

For successful researchers

What you receive.

Successful JRP 1.0 researchers receive formal collaboration support around their approved project.

Letter of Intent

Formal confirmation of Prima Nexus’s intention to collaborate on your proposed research project.

Collaborator Agreement

Sets out the agreed project scope, genomic service support, collaborator pricing and each side’s responsibilities.

Letter of Support

Supporting documents for related research or grant applications, where they apply to the approved collaboration.

JRP 1.0 collaborators working on human samples may also get priority access to our Malaysian genomic data when it opens in JRP 2.0. Priority access is subject to Prima Nexus review, so not every human-sample project will receive it.

How JRP 1.0 works

Three simple steps to get started.

Start with your research idea. We review the fit, then work with successful applicants to move the approved study forward.

01 · Apply

Submit the project

Submit the research title, research question, sample details, and the genomic service or support required through the Prima Nexus portal.

Research idea → application

02 · Review

Application review

Each application is assessed based on project relevance, fit with JRP 1.0, research requirements, and ethics and governance considerations.

Application → review

03 · Collaborate

Move the study forward

For approved projects, the genomic approach is aligned with the Lead Genomic Scientist, followed by data generation, analysis and interpretation with collaborator support.

Approved project → genomic insight

The JRP journey

JRP 1.0 is where we begin.

The Joint Research Program is being introduced phase by phase. Each phase opens new opportunities for Malaysian researchers to take genomic research further: from generating data, to discovering new questions, to advancing selected research.

Now open · JRP 1.0

Generate

Turn your research question into genomic data and meaningful insight, with scientific guidance, collaborator pricing, and analysis and interpretation support.

Apply now →

Coming soon · JRP 2.0

Discover

A new phase opening research opportunities around our Malaysian genomic data, and the new questions that can be explored with it.

Releasing soon

Future phase · JRP 3.0

Advance

Taking selected discoveries further, through deeper research collaboration and scientific publication opportunities.

More to come

Generate → Discover → AdvanceOne vision: turning Malaysian data into Malaysian discoveries.

A glimpse of JRP 2.0 · Coming soon

What if your next study could start from the genetic data of about 9,700 Malaysians?

JRP 2.0 is being developed as the next phase of the program, opening research opportunities around our Malaysian Reference Cohort. It has no fixed date yet, because it depends on legal review, participant consent and ethics approval. Details on access and how to take part will be released when it opens.

~9,700

people and growing, genotyped on the Illumina Global Screening Array, with allele frequencies broken down by ancestry group (group names provisional).

Research uses of the Malaysian genomic data
Research area	What you could explore
Pharmacogenomics	Compare drug-response variant frequencies across ancestry groups, and check whether dosing assumptions made elsewhere hold locally.
Cardiometabolic research	Add an ancestry-resolved genetic layer to suitable population and risk-model questions.
Case-control studies	Use aggregate Malaysian reference data as a comparison for an appropriately designed patient study.
Variant interpretation	Check how common a variant is in the Malaysian cohort before judging its relevance.
Carrier screening	Explore population-level questions about variants linked to inherited conditions.
Population genetics	Study allele-frequency patterns across Malaysian ancestry groups.

What the data is not: it is array-based (common variants, not rare or structural ones), it has no health outcome data, and ancestry groups are inferred from the genetic data, so the group names are provisional. Results are shared as aggregate statistics only, never individual records. One ancestry group is smaller than the others. Access in JRP 2.0 will be subject to its own research, ethics, consent and governance requirements.

Future phaseJRP 3.0

What comes after discovery?

JRP 3.0
Advance.

Some discoveries deserve to go further.

JRP 3.0 is planned as the next step for selected research and discoveries from the Joint Research Program, opening opportunities for deeper scientific collaboration and support towards publication.

Generate→Discover→Advance

More details will be announced as JRP 3.0 develops.

Before you apply

Frequently asked questions.

Who can apply, and which projects are eligible?

Researchers at Malaysian universities, research institutes and hospitals, including postgraduate students applying with their supervisor. We welcome genomic research across human health, population studies and other areas of biology, on human, animal, plant or microbial samples, subject to project fit. For non-human samples, the service is mRNA sequencing.

What support will I receive?

Collaborator pricing on the human genotyping microarray, mRNA sequencing and human whole exome sequencing, with a Lead Genomic Scientist consultation included, and technical support from study design through analysis and interpretation. Successful projects may also receive a Letter of Intent, a Collaborator Agreement and a Letter of Support, where they apply.

What do I need before I apply?

A clear research question or study objective is enough to begin. You do not need a fully developed study, ready samples or ethics approval at this stage. If you can, tell us your expected sample type, the approximate number of samples and your timeline. Where ethics approval is needed, it must be in place before samples are processed.

Why do I need a portal account?

Your application is saved in your Prima Nexus portal account, so you can come back and see its status at any time. Your name, institution and contact details are filled in from your profile, so the form only asks about your project. Creating an account is free.

What happens after I submit?

Our team reviews your research question, project requirements and fit with JRP 1.0, and contacts you if we need more information. Successful applications move to the collaboration stage, where the project scope, genomic approach, collaborator support and next steps are confirmed. You can follow your application’s status in the portal.

Is there a limit on places?

There is no fixed number of places. Support is limited to this year’s in-kind grant budget, so we encourage you to apply early.

Can I use this alongside my existing grant?

Yes. Many researchers use the collaborator support to stretch an existing grant further, and the Letter of Support can help with a new grant application.

What are JRP 2.0 and JRP 3.0, and does JRP 1.0 give me access?

The program is being introduced phase by phase. JRP 2.0, coming soon, opens research opportunities around our Malaysian genomic data. It has no fixed date yet. JRP 1.0 collaborators working on human samples may get priority access, subject to Prima Nexus review, so not every project will. JRP 3.0 is a future phase to take selected research and discoveries further, through deeper scientific collaboration and publication opportunities. Each phase will have its own eligibility, selection and governance requirements.

Is my project information kept confidential?

Yes. What you submit is seen only by the Prima Nexus team reviewing applications, and is handled under our Privacy Policy.