Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 17 012
The Innovative Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21) opportunity (RFA-CA-17-012) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding announcement under the Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH that focuses on exploratory, early-stage projects aimed at improving the quality and reliability of biospecimens used in cancer research and clinical care. The central idea is that many downstream cancer analyses, whether for basic biology, biomarker discovery, early detection, diagnosis, treatment decisions, or population studies, can be undermined by what happens to a sample before it is analyzed. This FOA targets that vulnerable window by supporting innovative technologies that reduce or characterize pre-analytical variation and degradation that can occur during collection, processing, handling, transport, and storage of cancer-relevant biological samples.
A key emphasis is on developing new capabilities that either preserve or protect sample integrity, or that make it possible to measure and verify specimen quality in a consistent, evidence-based way. In practice, the FOA is looking for tools, devices, instrumentation, and associated methods that can prevent loss or alteration of important analytes (for example, nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, post-translational modifications, or other molecular features) or that can directly interrogate whether those analytes remain fit for purpose under real-world conditions. Projects can be oriented toward stabilization approaches, improved collection and processing workflows, smart containers or preservatives, new storage strategies, or quality assessment and quality control systems that establish criteria for determining whether a specimen meets the requirements for a given downstream assay.
The intended impact is broad: by minimizing pre-analytical artifacts and making biospecimens more comparable across sites and over time, these technologies are expected to speed up and strengthen cancer research and clinical translation. This includes supporting more reliable molecular profiling, improving reproducibility across studies, enabling better early detection and screening research, and enhancing clinical diagnostics and treatment monitoring. The FOA also explicitly connects this work to cancer health disparities, recognizing that differences in collection environments, infrastructure, and handling conditions can disproportionately affect specimen quality in underserved settings; technologies that are robust across diverse conditions can help reduce inequities in data quality and clinical utility.
Mechanistically, this is an R21 exploratory/developmental grant, which signals that the program is seeking high-risk, high-reward innovation at a relatively early stage rather than mature, fully validated platforms. The award ceiling listed is $200,000, and the opportunity anticipated making about 5 awards. The program sits within NCI's broader Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, which generally supports novel technology development intended to unlock new measurement capabilities or improve the performance and practicality of cancer-relevant molecular analyses.
Eligibility is expansive and includes a wide range of applicant organizations: various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), tribal governments and tribal organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), and small businesses, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. The original posting dates indicate the FOA was created on November 7, 2016, with an original closing date of September 26, 2017, and it is associated with CFDA number 93.394.Apply for RFA CA 17 012
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21)" 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 Nov 07, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 2017. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Innovative Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21) - RFA-CA-17-012
What is the Innovative Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21) opportunity?
It is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) under the Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH that supports exploratory, early-stage projects aimed at improving the quality and reliability of biospecimens used in cancer research and clinical care.
What is the FOA number and title for this grant opportunity?
The FOA is titled Innovative Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21) and the FOA number is RFA-CA-17-012.
What problem is this FOA trying to address?
The FOA targets pre-analytical variation and degradation that can happen to cancer-relevant biospecimens before they are analyzed. The idea is that downstream cancer analyses can be undermined by what happens during specimen collection, processing, handling, transport, and storage.
What types of projects does this FOA support?
This FOA supports innovative technology development for exploratory, early-stage projects that reduce, prevent, characterize, measure, or verify pre-analytical variation and degradation in biospecimens used for cancer research and clinical care.
What does "pre-analytical" mean in the context of this FOA?
In this context, "pre-analytical" refers to the period and processes before the specimen is analyzed, including collection, processing, handling, transport, and storage. The FOA focuses on technologies that address vulnerabilities in this window.
What are examples of the kinds of technologies this FOA is looking for?
The FOA highlights tools, devices, instrumentation, and associated methods that can preserve or protect sample integrity or that can measure and verify specimen quality. Examples mentioned include stabilization approaches, improved collection and processing workflows, smart containers or preservatives, new storage strategies, and quality assessment/quality control systems.
What kinds of specimen components or molecular features are relevant to this FOA?
The FOA references preventing loss or alteration of important analytes and molecular features, such as nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, post-translational modifications, and other molecular features that can be affected by pre-analytical conditions.
Does the FOA support approaches that measure specimen quality as well as approaches that preserve it?
Yes. A key emphasis is on new capabilities that either preserve/protect specimen integrity or make it possible to measure and verify specimen quality in a consistent, evidence-based way.
What does "fit for purpose" mean as used in this FOA?
The FOA describes technologies that can directly interrogate whether analytes remain suitable for their intended downstream use under real-world conditions, and quality control systems that help determine whether a specimen meets the requirements for a given downstream assay.
What is the intended impact of these technologies on cancer research and clinical translation?
The intended impact is to minimize pre-analytical artifacts and make biospecimens more comparable across sites and over time, which is expected to speed up and strengthen cancer research and clinical translation.
How could this FOA improve reproducibility across studies?
By reducing pre-analytical variability and artifacts, and by enabling consistent, evidence-based quality verification, the supported technologies are expected to help make biospecimens more comparable and improve reproducibility across studies.
What downstream cancer applications are mentioned as being affected by biospecimen quality?
The FOA notes that many downstream analyses can be undermined by pre-analytical factors, including basic biology research, biomarker discovery, early detection, diagnosis, treatment decisions, and population studies. It also connects improved biospecimen quality to more reliable molecular profiling, early detection and screening research, and enhanced clinical diagnostics and treatment monitoring.
Does the FOA mention cancer health disparities?
Yes. The FOA explicitly connects this work to cancer health disparities, noting that differences in collection environments, infrastructure, and handling conditions can disproportionately affect specimen quality in underserved settings, and that robust technologies across diverse conditions can help reduce inequities in data quality and clinical utility.
What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This is an R21 exploratory/developmental grant mechanism.
What does the R21 mechanism imply about the maturity of proposed technologies?
The R21 mechanism signals that the program is seeking high-risk, high-reward innovation at a relatively early stage, rather than mature, fully validated platforms.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed is $200,000.
How many awards are anticipated?
Approximately 5 awards were anticipated.
Which NIH institute is sponsoring this FOA?
The sponsoring institute is the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
How does this FOA relate to the IMAT Program?
This FOA sits within NCI's broader Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, which generally supports novel technology development intended to unlock new measurement capabilities or improve the performance and practicality of cancer-relevant molecular analyses.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as expansive and includes many types of organizations, including various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), tribal governments and tribal organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), and small businesses. The announcement notes that additional eligibility details are referenced in the full announcement.
Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses) are included in the listed eligible applicant types.
Are small businesses eligible to apply?
Yes. Small businesses are included in the listed eligible applicant types.
Are tribal governments or tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Tribal governments and tribal organizations are included in the listed eligible applicant types.
Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to be eligible?
No. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status.
Are institutions of higher education eligible?
Yes. Both public and private institutions of higher education are included in the eligibility list.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 93.394.
When was this FOA created and what was the original closing date?
The FOA was created on November 7, 2016, and the original closing date listed is September 26, 2017.
What kinds of biospecimen handling stages are specifically called out as targets for innovation?
The FOA specifically calls out collection, processing, handling, transport, and storage as stages where variation and degradation can occur, and where innovative technologies could reduce or characterize those issues.
Is this opportunity focused on research, clinical care, or both?
Both. The FOA describes improving biospecimens used in cancer research and clinical care, and links better specimen quality to clinical diagnostics and treatment monitoring as well as research applications.
What does the FOA say about multi-site comparability of biospecimens?
The FOA emphasizes making biospecimens more comparable across sites and over time by minimizing pre-analytical artifacts and improving consistent quality assessment.
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| Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33) Apply for RFA CA 17 011 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 011 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| PDX Data Commons and Coordinating Center (PDCCC) for the PDX Development and Trial Centers Research Network (PDXNet) (U24) Apply for RFA CA 17 004 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 004 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $650,000 |
| PDX Development and Trial Centers (PDTCs) (U54) Apply for RFA CA 17 003 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 003 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Mechanisms of Cancer Drug Resistance and Sensitivity (U54) Apply for RFA CA 17 009 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 009 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Consortium for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Translational Studies on the Tumor Microenvironment (U01) Apply for RFA CA 17 015 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 015 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Resource Center for the Consortium for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Translational Studies (U24) Apply for RFA CA 17 016 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 016 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Coordinating Center for Canine Immunotherapy Trials and Correlative Studies (U24) Apply for RFA CA 17 002 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 002 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Canine Immunotherapy Trials and Correlative Studies (U01) Apply for RFA CA 17 001 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 001 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Administrative Supplements to Promote Research Collaborations on Fusion Oncoproteins as Drivers of Childhood Cancer (Admin Supp) Apply for PA 17 138 Funding Number: PA 17 138 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $135,000 |
| Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaborative Research Centers (CRC) (U24) Apply for RFA NS 17 022 Funding Number: RFA NS 17 022 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| NIDA Translational Avant-Garde Award for Development of Medication to Treat Substance Use Disorders (UG3/UH3) Apply for RFA DA 18 003 Funding Number: RFA DA 18 003 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Intensive Longitudinal Analysis of Health Behaviors: Leveraging New Technologies to Understand Health Behaviors (U01) Apply for RFA OD 17 004 Funding Number: RFA OD 17 004 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Intensive Longitudinal Analysis of Health Behaviors: Leveraging New Technologies to Understand Health Behaviors (U24) Apply for RFA OD 17 005 Funding Number: RFA OD 17 005 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Integration and Validation of Emerging Technologies to Accelerate Cancer Research (R33) Apply for RFA CA 17 023 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 023 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $325,000 |
| Limited Competition: Palliative Care Research Cooperative (PCRC) (U2C) Apply for RFA NR 17 001 Funding Number: RFA NR 17 001 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| SBIR Phase II Bridge Awards to Accelerate the Development of Cancer Therapeutics, Imaging Technologies, Interventional Devices, Diagnostics, and Prognostics toward Commercialization (R44) Apply for RFA CA 17 024 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 024 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network (UM1) Apply for RFA CA 17 027 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 027 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $3,600,000 |
| Limited Competition: A Data Resource for Analyzing Blood and Marrow Transplants (U24) Apply for RFA CA 17 031 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 031 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $2,875,000 |
| Consortium on Translational Research in Early Detection of Liver Cancer (Clinical and Research Centers (U01) Apply for RFA CA 17 025 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 025 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $550,000 |
| Coordinating Center for the Consortium of Translational Research in Early Detection of Liver Cancer (U24) Apply for RFA CA 17 028 Funding Number: RFA CA 17 028 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $400,000 |
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