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Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · Opportunity PA-25-253

Deadline September 7, 2028 729 days left
Award range Not stated
Total program funding
PostedNovember 12, 2024

Who can apply

Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.

About this opportunity

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages the submission of exploratory/developmental research grant (R21) applications that focus on different aspects of cancer control by modifying behavior, screening, and understanding etiologic factors contributing to the development of cancer, and developing ways to control cancer. The overarching goal is to provide support to promote the early and conceptual stages of research efforts on novel scientific ideas that have the potential to substantially advance population-based cancer research, such as the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of cancer research (epidemiologic, biomedical, behavioral, health care delivery or clinical).

Award history — this exact opportunity

NIH RePORTER lists 8 funded awards under PA-25-253 across 8 organizations.

Awards by fiscal year 2026: 8
Award size (min / median / max) $400k / $421k / $492k

Total award obligations, not per-year amounts.

Recent awardees include: UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA, SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH, UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL, RESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER, ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL.

Source: NIH RePORTER, matched on the exact opportunity number. NIH publishes success rates by institute and activity code — source.

Portfolio context — this listing covers more than this opportunity

This opportunity is funded under Assistance Listing 93.393 (“Cancer Cause and Prevention Research”), a broad federal program that made about 318 new awards per year over the last five fiscal years (median award $1.1M). Those figures describe that whole portfolio — not this specific solicitation, so we don't show them as if they were this opportunity's track record.

Applicant counts per solicitation are not published by any federal agency — no one can honestly sell you that number. NIH publishes success rates by institute and activity code — source.

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