Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI- Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 20 022

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 20 022

This funding opportunity, RFA-CA-20-022, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) announcement for revision applications to existing, currently funded NCI U01 cooperative agreement projects. In practical terms, it is not meant for brand-new standalone projects. Instead, it supports add-on work (a formal grant revision, previously called a competing revision) that meaningfully expands the parent U01 study or speeds up progress toward its goals.

The central requirement is that the proposed revision must incorporate a novel technical approach, platform, or instrument that was developed with support from NCI's Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) program. The idea is to take promising IMAT-enabled technologies and put them into real-world use within active cancer research projects so they can be independently validated, refined for broader adoption, and shown to be genuinely useful for the wider research community. By embedding these emerging tools into ongoing U01 studies, NCI is trying to accelerate cancer research outcomes while also helping new technologies cross the gap between development and practical, reliable application.

This opportunity uses the U01 mechanism, which is a cooperative agreement. That matters because it typically implies substantial scientific or programmatic involvement by NIH/NCI staff compared with a standard research project grant. The FOA also indicates that clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants may propose clinical trial-related activities if they fit the scope and requirements of the parent award and the revision, but a clinical trial is not mandatory.

The program goals emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration and technology-driven acceleration of discovery. The revision should clearly show how the IMAT-supported technology will expand the original research questions, enable new analyses that were not previously feasible, or materially increase the pace or quality of the parent project. Another major emphasis is independent validation: these funds are intended to motivate groups outside the original technology developers to test and confirm performance and suitability, which strengthens confidence that the technology can be used by appropriate research communities.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic U.S. organizations and governments, such as state, county, city/township, and special district governments; public housing authorities; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits that are not small businesses); and federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as other tribal organizations. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal 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, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies.

International participation is also allowed. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components as defined by NIH policy are permitted. This broad eligibility aligns with the aim of rapidly testing and disseminating novel technologies across the global cancer research ecosystem, while still anchoring the work in a currently funded NCI U01 parent project.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument, and falls under an education/health activity category with CFDA number 93.394. The opportunity was created on 2019-12-20, with an original closing date of 2020-09-29. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided listing, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text and related NIH guidance for budget expectations and any additional constraints tied to the parent U01 award.

Overall, the FOA is best understood as a targeted push to speed up impactful cancer research by leveraging IMAT-developed tools inside active NCI U01 projects, with a strong emphasis on expanding the science, validating emerging technologies in independent settings, and improving readiness for adoption by the broader research community.

• 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 (U01 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 2019-12-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-29. (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 20 022

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