Innovative Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA CA 25 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 25 001

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity under RFA-CA-25-001 titled "Innovative Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is aimed at supporting exploratory, early-stage projects that develop highly innovative technologies capable of delivering brand-new molecular or cellular analysis capabilities for cancer research. The core idea is to fund technology development at a stage where the concept is promising but still needs substantial technical advancement and proof of capability before it can become broadly usable by the cancer research community.

The program places a strong emphasis on technical innovation that enables new ways to target, probe, measure, or otherwise assess molecular and cellular features central to cancer biology. In practical terms, the proposed work should not be a routine incremental improvement or simply an application of existing tools; it should introduce a novel capability or a meaningful leap forward in what researchers can measure or understand. While the technologies can be designed for broad use across biomedical research, they must be clearly focused on improving how cancer biology is characterized at the molecular and/or cellular level, whether in basic research settings or in clinically relevant contexts.

NCI is looking for technologies that could accelerate or improve research and downstream impact in several cancer-related areas, including fundamental cancer biology, early detection and screening, clinical diagnosis, treatment and therapeutic decision-making, cancer control, and epidemiology. The NOFO also explicitly highlights interest in work that can address issues tied to cancer health disparities, meaning applicants can strengthen their fit by explaining how the proposed technology may improve research or outcomes in populations that experience unequal cancer burden, unequal access to care, or unequal representation in research datasets.

This opportunity sits within NCI's broader Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, which is designed to stimulate the invention and early development of cutting-edge measurement and analysis technologies that can reshape cancer research capabilities. As an R61 mechanism and labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," the award is intended for technology development and evaluation rather than conducting clinical trials. Applicants should therefore frame the work around creating and demonstrating a new analytical capability, rather than testing interventions in a clinical trial setting.

The NIH is the issuing agency, with NCI as the sponsoring institute. The funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling of $150,000, and the opportunity anticipates making about 17 awards. The original closing date listed for applications is 2025-10-03. The CFDA number associated with this program is 93.394, and the activity categories include education and health, reflecting the program's role in advancing research tools and knowledge that ultimately support public health goals.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations across the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The NOFO also calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects NCI's intent to draw innovative technology ideas from many sectors and institutional types, including organizations that may be closely connected to communities affected by cancer disparities.

Overall, the grant is best suited for teams proposing bold, technically inventive molecular or cellular analysis technologies that can change what is measurable in cancer research, improve the quality and depth of cancer characterization, and enable faster or more informative studies across prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment-related research areas, without running a clinical trial as part of the proposed work.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 2024-12-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 17 candidate(s).
• 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 25 001

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