Current Funding Opportunities

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support extramural research to investigate and mitigate challenges facing clinical assay development and subsequent analytical validation due to preanalytical variability in tumor tissue biopsies, blood biospecimens utilized as "liquid biopsies", or other biospecimens as described in this FOA. Extramural research funded under this FOA may include investigations of preanalytical variability associated with the procurement and study of small biopsies (core biopsies, small excision samples), blood utilized for "liquid biopsies", tissue swabs, tissue secretions, pleural and esophageal aspirates, feces, or bodily fluids like sweat, urine, CSF, breast milk and saliva. Investigator-designed experiments will explore how different biospecimen preanalytical conditions affect emerging and clinically relevant biomarkers quantified by a variety of testing platforms. The results from this research program will improve the understanding of how analytical quantification of clinically relevant biomarkers is affected by variation in biospecimen collection, processing, and storage procedures. The overall goal is to expedite biomarker clinical assay development through evidence-based standardization of biopsy handling practices.

See full announcement here.

Contact: Dr. Lokesh Agrawal, lokesh.agrawal@nih.gov or Dr. Abhi Rao abhi.rao@nih.gov

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to support research projects that include and implement early phase (Phase 0, I, and II) investigator-initiated clinical trials on cancer-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic interventions of direct relevance to the research mission of the NCI's DCTD and OHAM. All applications submitted to this NOFO should address the mission and priorities of one or more of the following programs: (1) the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP, DCTD); (2) the Cancer Imaging Program (CIP, DCTD); (3) the Cancer Diagnosis Program (CDP, DCTD); (4) the Radiation Research Program (RRP, DCTD); (5) the Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM, DCTD); and, (6) the Office of HIV and AIDS Malignancies (OHAM, Office of the Director). Applicants can learn more about the various program goals, research priorities, and strategies developed to diagnose and treat cancer by visiting the DCTD website and the OHAM website. Applications submitted to this NOFO must meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial (see NOT-OD-15-015) and provide specific clinical trial information as described in this NOFO and the NIH application FORMS-G guidelines. Note that phase III clinical trials will not be accepted through this NOFO.

See full announcement here.

CDP Contact: Dr. Magdalena Thurin, 240-276-5973, thurinm@mail.nih.gov

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports preclinical and early phase clinical research, as well as correlative studies, directly related to advancements in cancer treatment, diagnosis, prevention, comparative oncology, symptom management, or reduction of cancer disparities. This includes (but is not limited to) development and testing of the following: new molecular agents or biologics for cancer treatment; management strategies for cancer-related symptoms or treatment-related toxicity; cancer screening or diagnostic tools, such as imaging techniques; cancer preventive agents or approaches; predictive and prognostic biomarkers for patient selection or stratification; clinically relevant in vivo or in vitro tumor models (including genetically engineered mouse models, patient-derived xenograft models, organoids, and cell lines); and strategies to address therapeutic outcome disparities among underserved populations. In addition to novel agents, new treatment strategies may involve repurposed agents or novel combinations of interventions (including radiation), based on established mechanisms of action. Comparative correlative studies in cancer patients with age, gender, racial/ethnic, or health disparities are encouraged to explore mechanisms underlying their differential responses (efficacy and toxicity) and resistance to therapeutic interventions. Comparative oncology studies in dogs investigating strategies for treatment and diagnosis of human disease are supported as well.

This FOA does not support research that focuses on basic cancer biology (such as studies of cancer-related pathways, molecular mechanisms, or mechanisms of metastasis), late-stage clinical trials, risk assessment studies, epidemiological studies, or studies of behavioral interventions. These applications will be deemed not responsive to this FOA and will not be reviewed (see below for a more detailed description of studies that are not responsive for this FOA).

See full announcement here.

CDP Contact: Dr. Tracy Lively, 240-276-5944, livelyt@mail.nih.gov

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications to support the validation of molecular/cellular/imaging markers (referred to as "markers" or "biomarkers") and assays for cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and prediction of response or resistance to treatment, as well as markers for cancer prevention and control. This NOFO will support investigator-initiated research for both analytical, and clinical validation of assays to be used in cancer treatment, control, or prevention trials supported by the NCI. This NOFO will also support the validation of pharmacodynamic markers and markers of toxicity. Applicants should have assays that work on human samples and whose importance is well justified for development into clinical assays. As chemotherapies and/or radiation therapies are increasingly combined with immunotherapies to enhance durability of anti-cancer responses, assays for measuring multiple markers, including immune markers, can be developed and validated simultaneously.

See full announcement here.

CDP Contact: Dr. Magdalena Thurin, 240-276-5973, thurinm@mail.nih.gov

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to accelerate the adoption and validation of molecular/cellular/imaging markers and assays for cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and prediction of response or resistance to treatment, as well as markers for cancer prevention and control. This FOA also includes the validation of pharmacodynamic markers and markers of toxicity. Applicants to this FOA must have an assay(s) whose performance has been analytically validated in specimens similar to those for the intended clinical use of the assay(s) and marker(s). As chemotherapies and/or radiation therapies are increasingly combined with immunotherapies to enhance durability of anti-cancer responses, multiple assays for measuring multiple markers, including immune markers, can be developed and validated simultaneously.

See full announcement here.

CDP Contact: Dr. Magdalena Thurin, 240-276-5973, thurinm@mail.nih.gov

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) encourages revision applications (formerly called "competing revisions") from currently funded NCI R01 research projects. The applicants should propose projects that are expected to accelerate the pace of translation of NCI-supported methods/assays/technologies (referred to as "assays") to the clinic. Specifically, the focus of applications submitted in response to this NOFO should be on the adaption and clinical validation of molecular/cellular/imaging markers (referred to as "markers" or "biomarkers") for cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and prediction of response in treatment, as well as markers for cancer prevention and control. Applications may support acquisition of well-annotated specimens from NCI-supported or other clinical trials or observational cohorts/consortia for the purpose of clinical validation of the assay. Research projects proposed in response to this NOFO encourage multidisciplinary interaction among scientific investigators, assay developers, clinicians, statisticians, and clinical laboratory staff. Clinical laboratory scientist(s) and statistical experts are highly encouraged to comprise integral parts of the application. This NOFO is not intended to support early-stage development of technology or the conduct of clinical trials, but rather the adaption and validation of assays to the point where they could be integrated into clinical trials as investigational assays/tools/devices.

See full announcement here.

CDP Contact: Dr. Sumana Dey, 240-276-5748, sumana.dey@nih.gov

The EBRGs support early bioengineering research. EBRG applications may contain minimal or no preliminary data, and may propose hypothesis-driven, discovery-driven or design-directed research.

See full announcements here and here.

CDP contact: Dr. Miguel Ossandon, 240-276-5714, ossandom@mail.nih.gov

The goal of the bioengineering research grant (BRG) program is to foster development of innovative technologies, methods, tools, models or designs that have the potential for significant impact on biomedical research by infusing principles and concepts from quantitative sciences. The purpose of this FOA is to encourage BRG applications that: 1) apply a multidisciplinary approach to solve biomedical problems; and 2) develop, integrate, optimize, validate, translate or accelerate adoption of promising tools, methods, and techniques for a specific research or clinical problem in basic, translational, and/or clinical science and practice. A BRG application may propose design-directed, developmental, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven research and the FOA is appropriate for small teams applying an integrative approach to increase our understanding of and solve problems in biological, clinical, or translational science.

See full announcements here and here.

CDP contact: Dr. Miguel Ossandon, 240-276-5714, ossandom@mail.nih.gov

The purpose of the BPI FOA will be to encourage applications to: 1) establish a robust engineering solution to a problem in biomedical research or the practice of medicine; 2) develop a strategic alliance of multi-disciplinary partners based on a well-defined leadership plan; and 3) realize a specific endpoint within 5-10 years based on a detailed plan with a timeline and quantitative milestones.

See announcement here.

CDP contact: Dr. Miguel Ossandon, 240-276-5714, ossandom@mail.nih.gov

These FOAs specify a partnership structure that is expected to help bridge gaps in knowledge and experience by engaging the strengths of academic, industrial, and other investigators. The partners on each application should establish an inter-disciplinary, multi-institutional research team to work in strategic alliance to implement a coherent strategy to develop and translate a solution to their chosen problem. They are expected to plan, design, and validate that the solution will be suitable for end users. Each partnership should include at least one academic and one industrial organization. Each partnership should plan to transition a technology, method, assay, device, and/or system from a demonstration of possibility to a status useful in the chosen setting. Funding may be requested to enhance, adapt, optimize, validate, and otherwise translate technologies that address problems in biology, pathology, risk assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or monitoring of disease status.

See full announcements here and here.

CDP contact: Dr. Miguel Ossandon, 240-276-5714, ossandom@mail.nih.gov

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support the development and characterization of state-of-the-art biomimetic tissue-engineered technologies for cancer research. Collaborative, multidisciplinary projects that engage the fields of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, biomaterials, and bioengineering with cancer biology will be essential for generating novel experimental models that mimic cancer pathophysiology in the context of a testable cancer research hypothesis. The projects supported by this FOA will collectively participate in the Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative (TEC) Research Program.

See full announcement here.

CDP contact: Dr. Miguel Ossandon, 240-276-5714, ossandom@mail.nih.gov

Funding opportunities for the IMAT program have been issued with the following due dates: March 1, 2023 and September 1, 2023. Expiration date for the listed IMAT FOAs is September 02, 2023.