Research Opportunities in Established Cancer Epidemiology Cohort Studies (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 22 162

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 162

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is offering a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Research Opportunities in Established Cancer Epidemiology Cohort Studies (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" under Funding Opportunity Number PAR 22 162. This program uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U01), which typically means the award is not just a standard grant with minimal federal involvement; instead, it usually includes an active scientific partnership or substantial programmatic involvement from NCI staff during the project period. The focus is explicitly non-clinical-trial research, so projects should be epidemiologic and observational in nature rather than testing interventions in a way that meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial.

At the center of this opportunity is support for cancer epidemiology research conducted within established cohort studies. In this context, "established" means the cohort has already met its initial planned recruitment goals, so the FOA is not primarily about launching brand-new cohorts or still trying to finish enrollment. NCI is looking for hypothesis-driven research that makes strong scientific use of existing cohort infrastructure and data, while also supporting the practical work that keeps a cohort valuable over time. That includes cohort maintenance, ongoing participant follow-up, and making the cohort's resources available for broader scientific use through appropriate sharing practices. The intention is to keep mature cohorts scientifically productive and to ensure the investments already made in these cohorts continue to pay off through new discoveries.

The research scope is broad across the cancer control continuum, meaning applicants can target questions ranging from cancer etiology and risk factors to prevention, early detection, survivorship, outcomes, and other population-level cancer control topics. The key expectation is that the application proposes clear, hypothesis-based analyses or research aims that can be carried out using the cohort's data and/or biospecimens, and that the plan aligns with continued follow-up and stewardship of the cohort resource. In other words, the FOA is not just funding stand-alone analyses; it is also supporting the ongoing operations that keep an established cohort current, linkable, and scientifically accessible, including resource sharing that allows the cohort to contribute beyond a single investigative team.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. 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 Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement 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-domestic (non-U.S.) entities or foreign organizations. This wide eligibility is consistent with the fact that major cohort studies and their scientific collaborators often span different sectors and, in some cases, countries.

Key administrative details provided include the CFDA number 93.393 (an NIH/NCI assistance listing tied to cancer-related programs), an original closing date of February 28, 2025, and a creation date for the opportunity record of April 13, 2022. The source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the fields shown, so applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA text or NIH documentation for any budget caps, typical award sizes, project period expectations, and review considerations.

In practical terms, a strong application under this FOA would present a well-justified scientific question (or set of questions) that the established cohort is uniquely positioned to answer, along with a solid plan for maintaining and leveraging the cohort over time. That usually means demonstrating the cohort's readiness (recruitment complete), the quality and relevance of its data collection and follow-up, and a clear approach to data and resource sharing so the cohort functions as a durable platform for cancer epidemiology research rather than a closed dataset used once and set aside.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Opportunities in Established Cancer Epidemiology Cohort Studies (U01 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): 93.393.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-04-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-28. (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 PAR 22 162

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