Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI-Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (U54 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 21 009

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 21 009

This funding opportunity, RFA-CA-21-009, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) announcement that supports revision applications to existing NCI-funded U54 Resource-Related Research Projects. In practical terms, it is not aimed at brand-new standalone projects. Instead, it is meant for teams that already hold an active NCI U54 award and want to request additional support to expand the parent project or speed up its progress by adding a specific new technology.

The central requirement is that the revision proposes to incorporate a novel technical approach or instrument that was developed with support from the NCI Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) program. The intent is to move promising IMAT-enabled tools from early development into broader, real-world research use by embedding them within ongoing U54 resource projects. NCI is using this mechanism to encourage independent validation of these emerging technologies, demonstrate their value in a setting beyond the original developers laboratory, and accelerate their readiness and suitability for the cancer research community that would benefit from them.

Programmatically, this FOA sits within the IMAT effort and emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, meaning it encourages cross-cutting teams that can bring together technology developers, cancer biologists, clinical or translational researchers, data and computational experts, and others needed to deploy and evaluate the tool effectively. While the parent award is a U54 resource-related project, the FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which means applicants may propose work that does or does not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial, as appropriate for the technology integration and the goals of the parent study.

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement (U54), which generally implies substantial NIH involvement compared with a standard grant. Under a cooperative agreement, recipients still lead the project scientifically, but NIH program staff typically have an active partnership role, such as participating in steering or oversight activities, helping coordinate across related efforts, or ensuring the project aligns with program goals around technology validation and dissemination.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other categories. The announcement also explicitly calls out several institution types as eligible, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are important restrictions related to foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply under this FOA. However, foreign components, as defined in NIH policy, are allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant organization can include certain foreign collaborations or activities as part of the project when they meet NIH criteria and are appropriately justified.

The FOA was created on November 24, 2020, and the original closing date listed is September 29, 2021. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under education and health, with CFDA number 93.394. The award ceiling and the expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source information, which typically means applicants need to consult the full FOA text for budgeting guidance, limits, and program expectations.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted accelerator for technology adoption: it leverages ongoing U54 research resources and infrastructure to test, validate, and integrate IMAT-supported tools in ways that directly enhance or extend the parent project, while also generating credible evidence and practical experience that helps the broader cancer research field adopt these innovations more quickly.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI-Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (U54 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-11-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-09-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA CA 21 009

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