Academic-Industrial Partnerships (AIP) to Translate and Validate In Vivo Imaging Systems (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 259

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 259

The Academic-Industrial Partnerships (AIP) to Translate and Validate In Vivo Imaging Systems funding opportunity (PAR-23-259) is a National Institutes of Health grant led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that is meant to push promising imaging and related technologies out of the lab and into practical, validated tools that can be used in real biomedical and clinical research settings. The emphasis is on translation and validation of in vivo imaging systems, meaning technologies intended to image living systems (from small animal models to humans, depending on the project) and to demonstrate that these systems are reliable, useful, and fit for purpose. While the program is anchored in cancer research priorities, it is also framed broadly enough to support work that addresses other diseases, as long as the project is aimed at solving meaningful problems in biology and medicine through imaging, data science, and/or spectroscopy.

The core goal of the NOFO is to stimulate partnerships between academia and industry so that scientific discoveries and engineering advances can be developed into methods or tools that tackle contemporary challenges in understanding fundamental biology, assessing risk of disease development, improving diagnosis, guiding treatment, and tracking disease status over time. In practical terms, that can include imaging hardware, imaging agents, acquisition strategies, analysis software, AI or data-science pipelines tied to imaging, spectroscopic approaches that complement imaging, and end-to-end systems that integrate multiple components. The intent is not just to invent something new, but to move it forward toward real-world use by demonstrating performance, reproducibility, and utility in the contexts that matter (for example, showing that an imaging system can consistently measure a biomarker or phenotype that is relevant to cancer detection, therapy response, or disease monitoring).

This is an R01 mechanism, which generally supports substantial, multi-year research projects, and the listing notes that clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants may propose a project that includes a clinical trial if it is appropriate for validating the imaging system, but they are not required to do so. The award ceiling is listed as $500,000 (as provided in the source data), which signals a defined upper bound for support under this opportunity. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, uses the grant instrument type, and falls under education and health activity categories, with CFDA numbers 93.394 and 93.395 associated with NCI programs.

Eligibility is intentionally broad to encourage the kinds of cross-sector teams needed for translational imaging work. Eligible applicants include many types of government entities (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 Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (when not higher-education institutions), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. The NOFO also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories, including 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 even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). That wide net reflects the program’s emphasis on building strong academic-industrial collaborations and ensuring that many institutional types can participate in technology translation and validation efforts.

From a timing standpoint, the source information lists an original closing date of 2027-01-07, and a creation date of 2023-08-08, indicating a multi-year window during which applications may be accepted according to the NOFO’s submission schedule. The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data, which typically means the actual number will depend on application volume, quality, and available funds in each cycle.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as support for teams that can show a credible path from an imaging-related innovation to a validated system that researchers or clinicians can trust, adopt, and use to answer pressing questions in cancer and disease biology. The academic-industrial partnership aspect matters because it aligns discovery-driven research with practical development expertise, such as engineering for robustness, manufacturability, workflow integration, usability, regulatory or quality considerations where relevant, and real-world validation studies that demonstrate the system’s value beyond a proof of concept.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Academic-Industrial Partnerships (AIP) to Translate and Validate In Vivo Imaging Systems (R01 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, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-08-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-01-07.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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 PAR 23 259

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