Cancer Research Funding
Current External Funding Opportunities
Exploratory Grant Award to Promote Workforce Diversity in Basic Cancer Research (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is a continuation of an NCI program to enhance the diversity of the pool of the cancer research workforce by recruiting and supporting eligible New Investigators and Early Stage Investigators from diverse backgrounds, including from groups that have been shown to be nationally underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences. This FOA will fund investigators to develop a larger research project grant application.
LOI: 30 days prior to applicate due date
Deadline: June 15, 2021; November 17, 2021; June 14, 2022; November 17, 2022; June 14, 2023; November 17, 2023
The NCI Transition Career Development Award (K22 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) represents the continuation of an NCI program to facilitate the transition of investigators in mentored, non-independent cancer research positions to independent faculty cancer research positions. This goal is achieved by providing protected time through salary and research support for the initial 3 years of the first independent tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, beginning at the time when the candidate starts a tenure-track faculty position.
This FOA is designed specifically for candidates proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary clinical trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary clinical trial must apply to the "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed companion FOA (PAR-21-128).
Deadline: Standard dates (June 12, 2021; October 12, 2021; February 12, 2022)
The NCI Transition Career Development Award (K22 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) represents the continuation of an NCI program to facilitate the transition of investigators in mentored, non-independent cancer research positions to independent faculty cancer research positions. This goal is achieved by providing protected time through salary and research support for the initial 3 years of the first independent tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, beginning at the time when the candidate starts a tenure-track faculty position.
This FOA is designed specifically for candidates proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. Applicants proposing a clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to an ongoing clinical trial as lead investigator, should apply to the companion FOAs (PAR-21-111 or PAR-21-318).
Deadline: Standard dates (June 12, 2021; October 12, 2021; February 12, 2022)
Support for Research Excellence – First Independent Research (SuRE-First) Award (R16 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
SuRE is a research capacity building program designed to develop and sustain research excellence in U.S. higher education institutions that receive limited NIH research support and serve students from groups underrepresented in biomedical research (see NOT-OD-20-031) with an emphasis on providing students with research opportunities and enriching the research environment at the applicant institutions.
The purpose of SuRE-First awards is to support research grants for faculty investigators who have not had prior independent external research grants.
Deadline: September 28, 2021; September 28, 2022; September 28, 2023
The NCI Transition Career Development Award (K22 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) represents the continuation of an NCI program to facilitate the transition of investigators in mentored, non-independent cancer research positions to independent faculty cancer research positions. This goal is achieved by providing protected time through salary and research support for the initial 3 years of the first independent tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, beginning at the time when the candidate starts a tenure-track faculty position.
This FOA is designed specifically for basic science experimental studies involving humans, referred to in NOT-OD-18-212 as “prospective basic science studies involving human participants.” These studies fall within the NIH definition of a clinical trial and also meet the definition of basic research. Types of studies that should submit under this FOA include studies that prospectively assign human participants to conditions (i.e., experimentally manipulate independent variables) and that assess biomedical or behavioral outcomes in humans for the purpose of understanding the fundamental aspects of phenomena without specific application towards processes or products in mind. Applicants planning studies with specific application toward processes or products in mind should submit under the "Independent Clinical Trial Required" companion FOA (PAR-21-111). Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary clinical trial or independent basic experimental study with humans, must apply to the "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed" companion FOA (PAR-21-128).
Deadline: Standard dates (June 12, 2021; October 12, 2021; February 12, 2022)
DOD FY21 Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Idea Development Award (PDF)
The FY21 LCRP Idea Development Award mechanism promotes new ideas that are still in the early stages of development and have the potential to yield impactful data and new avenues of investigation. This award supports conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate progress toward eradicating deaths and suffering from lung cancer. Research applications in the area of mesothelioma will not be accepted. Applications should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong scientific rationale.
New Investigators: The FY21 LCRP Idea Development Award mechanism encourages applications from independent investigators in the early stages of their careers (i.e., within 10 years of their first faculty appointment or equivalent). The New Investigator category is designed to allow applicants early in their faculty appointments to compete for funding separately from established investigators. Applications from New Investigators and Established Investigators will be peer and programmatically reviewed separately. Principal Investigators (PIs) using the New Investigator category are strongly encouraged to strengthen their applications by collaborating with investigators experienced in lung cancer research and/or possessing other relevant expertise. It is the responsibility of the applicant to describe how the included collaboration will augment the PI’s expertise to best address the research question. Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research hypotheses and research approaches are required; however, these data do not necessarily need to be derived from studies of lung cancer.
Key elements of this award are as follows:
- Innovation: Research deemed innovative may introduce a new paradigm, challenge current paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other uniquely creative qualities.
- Impact: Research that has high potential impact may lead to major advancements and significantly accelerate progress toward eradicating deaths and suffering from lung cancer
LOI: May 5, 2021
Deadline: July 28, 2021
DOD FY21 Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award (PDF)
The FY21 LCRP Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award mechanism supports translational research that will develop promising ideas in lung cancer into clinical applications. Translational research may be defined as an integration of basic science and clinical observations. Observations that drive a research idea may originate from a laboratory discovery, population-based studies, or a clinician’s firsthand knowledge of patient care. The ultimate goal of translational research is to move a concept or observation forward into clinical application. However, Principal Investigators (PIs) should not view translational research as a one-way continuum from bench to bedside. The research plan must involve a reciprocal flow of ideas and information between basic and clinical science.
This mechanism is intended to fund a broad range of translational studies, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Studies advancing/translating in vitro and/or animal studies to applications with human samples/cohorts
- Late-stage preclinical work leading to/preparing for a clinical trial, e.g., Investigational New Drug (IND) application submission
- Correlative studies that are associated with an open/ongoing or completed clinical trial and projects that develop endpoints for clinical trials
Preliminary lung cancer relevant data to support the feasibility of the research hypotheses and research approaches are required.
LOI: May 5, 2021
Deadline: July 28, 2021
DOD FY21 Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Clinical Translational Research Partnership Award (PDF)
The FY21 LCRP Clinical Translational Research Partnership Award supports partnerships between clinicians and research scientists that will accelerate the movement of promising ideas in lung cancer into clinical applications. This award supports the development of translational research collaborations between two independent, faculty-level (or equivalent) investigators to address a critical problem or question in lung cancer in a manner that would be less readily achievable through separate efforts. One partner in the collaboration must be a research scientist and the other must be a clinician. In addition, one partner in the collaboration is strongly encouraged to be an active duty Service member or Federal employee from a Department of Defense (DoD) military treatment facility or laboratory, or a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center or research laboratory. It should be clear that both have had equal intellectual input into the design of the research project. Multi-institutional partnerships are encouraged but not required. At least one member of the partnership must have experience either in lung cancer research or lung cancer patient care. A proposed project in which the clinical partner merely supplies tissue samples or access to patients will not meet the intent of this award mechanism.
This mechanism is intended to support a pilot, proof-of-principle, or early-phase clinical trial and associated correlative science. A clinical trial is defined as a research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include placebo or other control) to evaluate the effects of interventions on biomedical or behavioral health-related outcomes. It is expected that the proposed trial will have a well developed rationale, strong preliminary data, trial methodology, and execution plan. Any proposed preclinical studies in addition to the trial should be appropriately justified as to its necessity to inform and interpret trial results and the correlative science. If the proposed research would ultimately require U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) and/or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) submission, applications must demonstrate availability of, and access to, clinical reagents (e.g., therapeutic molecules) and patient population(s).
Consumer advocate involvement in the application is strongly encouraged. As part of the research team, the consumer advocate would assist in the development of the research question, project design, oversight, recruitment, and evaluation, as well as other significant aspects of the proposed project. As a lay representative, the consumer advocate should be an individual who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and is active in a lung cancer advocacy organization. The consumer advocate role should be focused on providing objective input on the research and its potential impact for individuals with, or at risk for, lung cancer. The success of the project must be supported by the unique skills and contributions of each partner. The proposed study must include clearly stated plans for interactions between the Principal Investigators (PIs) and institutions involved. The plans must include communication, coordination of research progress and results, and data transfer. Additionally, multi-institutional applications must provide an intellectual property plan to resolve potential intellectual and material property issues and to remove institutional barriers that might interfere with achieving high levels of cooperation to ensure the successful completion of this award.
LOI: July 14, 2021
Deadline: July 28, 2021
Development of Animal Models and Related Biological Materials for Research (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages innovative research to develop, characterize, and improve animal models, biological materials, and novel technologies to better understand human health and disease. This FOA also seeks projects aimed at improving the diagnosis and control of diseases that interfere with animal use for biomedical research. The proposed project must have broad application to multiple NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs) to align with the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs’ (ORIP) trans-NIH mission. The proposed studies must explore multiple body systems or evaluate diseases that impact multiple body systems. Applications that develop models focused on a specific disease or area of research, or only propose studies primarily relevant to a single NIH IC, will be considered not acceptable to this FOA and will be withdrawn.
Deadline: June 16, 2021; October 16, 2021; February 16, 2022; June 16, 2022; October 16, 2022
Medical Scientist Training Program (T32)
The goal of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is to develop a diverse pool of highly trained clinician-scientist leaders available to meet the Nation’s biomedical research needs. Specifically, this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) provides support to eligible domestic institutions to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to integrated dual-degree training leading to the award of both clinical degrees, e.g., MD, DO, DVM, DDS, PharmD, and research doctorate degrees (PhD). With the dual qualification of rigorous scientific research and clinical practice, graduates will be equipped with the skills to develop research programs that accelerate the translation of research advances to the understanding, detection, treatment and prevention of human disease, and to lead the advancement of biomedical research. Areas of particular importance to NIGMS are the iterative optimization of MSTP training efficacy and efficiency, fostering the persistence of MSTP alumni in research careers, and enhancing the diversity of the clinician-scientist workforce. NIGMS expects that the proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, mentoring and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the Nation.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.
Deadline: Standard dates (May 25, 2021; September 25, 2021; January 25, 2022)
High-Priority Behavioral and Social Research Networks (R24 Clinical Trial Optional)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications to develop new research and research infrastructure for life course research on aging; attract new researchers in aging; infuse a focus on health disparities into aging research; and address ongoing needs for harmonization and biomarker collection in large population panel studies, as recommended by the 2019 BSR NACA Review. Network/infrastructure-building activities include, but are not limited to: meetings to develop novel research areas and interact on the development of infrastructure; small-scale pilots; dissemination and outreach activities; and educational activities. NIA seeks to renew critical ongoing network efforts as well as initiate new networks limited to the following priority areas: midlife reversibility of biobehavioral risk associated with early life adversity; harmonization of Health and Retirement Study (HRS) international aging studies; biomarker collection in population studies; and innovation in longitudinal aging studies.
LOI: May 23, 2021
Deadline: June 23, 2021
Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) Award (R16 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
SuRE is a research capacity building program designed to develop and sustain research excellence in U.S. higher education institutions that receive limited NIH research support and serve students from groups underrepresented in biomedical research NOT-OD-20-031 with an emphasis on providing students with research opportunities and enriching the research environment at the applicant institutions.
The purpose of SuRE awards is to provide research grant support for faculty investigators who have prior experience in leading externally-funded, independent research but are not currently funded by any NIH Research Project Grants with the exception of SuRE or SuRE-First awards.
Deadline: May 26, 2021; May 26, 2022; May 26, 2023
Transition to Independent Environmental Health Research (TIEHR) Career Award (K01 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
The Transition to Independent Environmental Health (TIEHR) Career Award is a 3-year bridge scholar development program for newly independent faculty who intend to pursue research careers in environmental health sciences. At the conclusion of the career development period the candidates are expected to demonstrate they can successfully compete for research funding in the environmental health sciences.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement is for basic science experimental studies involving humans, referred to in NOT-OD-18-212 as “prospective basic science studies involving human participants.” These studies fall within the NIH definition of a clinical trial and also meet the definition of basic research. Types of studies that should be submitted under this FOA include studies that prospectively assign human participants to conditions (i.e., experimentally manipulate independent variables) and that assess biomedical or behavioral outcomes in humans for the purpose of understanding the fundamental aspects of phenomena without specific application towards processes or products in mind. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial or basic experimental study with humans, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial or basic experimental study with humans led by another investigator, must apply to the 'Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed' companion FOA.
The proposed project must be related to the programmatic interests of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) based on their scientific missions.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary study to an existing trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants planning independent clinical trials with specific application towards processes or with products in mind, must apply to the companion FOA, PAR-21-171. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, must apply to companion FOA, PAR-21-172.
Deadline: Standard dates (June 12, 2021; October 12, 2021; February 12, 2022)
Transition to Independent Environmental Health Research (TIEHR) Career Award (K01 Clinical Trial Required)
The Transition to Independent Environmental Health (TIEHR) Career Award is a 3-year bridge scholar development program for newly independent faculty who intend to pursue research careers in environmental health sciences. At the conclusion of the career development period the candidates are expected to demonstrate they can successfully compete for research funding in the environmental health sciences.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary clinical trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants proposing basic science experimental studies involving humans, referred to in NOT-OD-18-212 as “prospective basic science studies involving human participants", must apply to companion FOA, PAR-21-170 . Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, must apply to companion FOA, PAR-21-172.
Deadline: Standard dates (June 12, 2021; October 12, 2021; February 12, 2022)
Transition to Independent Environmental Health Research (TIEHR) Career Award (K01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
The Transition to Independent Environmental Health (TIEHR) Career Award is a 3-year bridge scholar development program for newly independent faculty who intend to pursue research careers in environmental health sciences. At the conclusion of the career development period the candidates are expected to demonstrate they can successfully compete for research funding in the environmental health sciences.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. Applicants to this FOA are permitted to propose a research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. Applicants proposing a clinical trial or an ancillary study to an ongoing clinical trial as lead investigator, should apply to the companion FOA PAR-21-171. Applicants proposing basic science experimental studies involving humans, referred to in NOT-OD-18-212 as “prospective basic science studies involving human participants”, should apply to the companion FOA PAR-21-170)
Deadline: Standard dates (June 12, 2021; October 12, 2021; February 12, 2022)
Early-Stage Development of Data Science Technologies for Infectious and Immune-mediated Diseases (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to solicit applications for the development of enabling data science technologies to improve the acquisition, management, analysis, visualization, and dissemination of data and knowledge for immune-mediated and infectious diseases including disease mechanism, risk prediction, epidemiology, detection and diagnosis, treatment and vaccines across the allergy, immune-mediated, and infectious-disease research continuum, aligned with the research mission of NIAID. This includes infectious diseases, emerging infections, or immune-mediated diseases that include allergy, autoimmunity, or immune reactions associated with transplantation.
As a part of the trans-NIAID data science program, this FOA focuses on early-stage development from prototyping to hardening and adaptation. Early-stage development is defined for the purpose of this FOA as initial tool development or the significant modification of existing tools for new applications. This contrasts with exploratory (R21) and enhancement/sustainment (U24) efforts to generate these tools and resources that are supported by the companion FOAs.
LOI: 30 days prior to application
Deadline: July 2, 2021; February 17, 2022; July 1, 2022
The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applicants of the NIH’s interest in supporting research on interventions designed to change the culture to mitigate or eliminate sexual harassment in the biomedical research enterprise. This notice aligns with the Anti-Sexual Harassment policy statements released by NIH as well as recommendations made in the December 2019 Report from the Working Group to the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD)on Changing the Culture to End Sexual Harassment, which were endorsed by the ACD.
Research Objectives
The NIH is encouraging applications to investigate and understand the culture and climate of sexual harassment. The objective of this Notice is to invite applications associated with PAR-19-295 “Research to Understand and Inform Interventions that Promote the Research Careers of Individual in the Biomedical Sciences (R01 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed)”. The FOA encourages the use of evidence-based practices and recognizes the need for more hypothesis-driven research to test biomedical training, mentoring and networking interventions for efficacy and replicability across career stages and at a range of institution types and to provide insights into the factors contributing to success. Through this funding announcement, NIH intends to enhance the evidence base for effective, high-impact, scalable interventions, and to improve an understanding of the factors contributing to success, including the social and behavioral factors involved in the advancement of individuals pursuing independent academic biomedical research careers.
This NOTICE emphasizes an interest in a broad range of research that provides generalizable and reproducible results that could inform interventions to mitigate and eliminate sexual harassment in the biomedical research workforce. NIH defines sexual harassment as “a form of harassment that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.” Examples of harassing and threatening conditions or behaviors include, but are not limited to:
- Repeated attempts to establish an unwanted relationship
- Sharing sexually inappropriate images or videos, such as pornography, with others in the workplace
- Sending suggestive letters, notes, texts, or e-mails
- Displaying inappropriate sexual images in the workplace
- Telling lewd jokes or sharing sexual anecdotes
- Making inappropriate sexual gestures
- Staring in a sexually suggestive or offensive manner or inappropriate whistling
- Making sexual comments about appearance, clothing, or body parts
- Inappropriate touching, including pinching, patting, rubbing, or purposefully brushing up against another person
- Making offensive comments about or asking questions about someone's sexual behavior or history, sexual orientation, or gender identity
The NIH is encouraging the community to build a greater understanding of the culture and the environment that may lead to increased risk of sexual harassment, in order to develop interventions or inform existing policies and procedures to help mitigate this risk.
First Available Due Date: October 15, 2021