Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 306

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 306

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is offering an NIH R01 grant opportunity, PAR-24-306, titled "Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)." The focus is on making mammalian cancer and tumor models more useful, trustworthy, and informative for translational research, meaning research that is meant to bridge the gap between laboratory studies and real-world patient benefit. Rather than primarily funding traditional mechanistic studies that use animal models to test biological hypotheses in a basic science context, this program is aimed at practical projects that strengthen the evidence that specific mammalian models (and model-derived systems) actually reflect human cancer biology in ways that matter for clinical decision-making and therapeutic development.

At the center of this NOFO is the idea that many commonly used mammalian oncology models can fall short when researchers try to translate findings into the clinic. NCI is encouraging proposals that directly tackle those translational shortcomings and show, with data, how model performance can be improved or better understood. Competitive projects under this announcement would typically do things like: demonstrate ways to overcome known translational deficiencies in mammalian cancer models; identify and develop new applications for existing models or their genetic variants to address translational questions that have not been well explored; improve and spread standard practices for how models are selected, implemented, and interpreted in translational studies; create or test rigorous approaches to validate, benchmark, "credential," or otherwise qualify models for specific translational uses; and critically evaluate current norms in the field by testing whether widely used approaches to model-based translation are actually reliable.

The scope explicitly includes mammalian cancer models and tumor models broadly, including transplantation tumor models and models derived from mammalian or human tissues or cells, as long as the goal is to enhance their translational applicability. In practical terms, this could include projects that assess how well a given model reproduces key features of human tumors (such as genetics, histology, immune context, tumor microenvironment, treatment response patterns, or resistance mechanisms), projects that define the contexts where a model is predictive versus misleading, or projects that develop robust validation frameworks so that downstream translational studies can rely on better-characterized systems. The overall emphasis is not on running clinical trials or generating purely exploratory basic biology, but on producing reliable, reproducible evidence that helps the research community use mammalian models in ways that are more clinically meaningful.

This is an R01 mechanism, and clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity. The listing identifies NIH as the agency, with NCI as the sponsoring institute, and includes CFDA numbers 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, and 93.396. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses the grant funding instrument type. The award ceiling is listed as $499,000. The opportunity was created on 2024-11-06, and the original closing date is 2026-09-07.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; 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 tribal organizations (and, as called out separately, tribal governments other than federally recognized); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The NOFO also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), 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, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals an intent to attract a wide range of teams capable of improving translational model systems, including academic groups, government labs, nonprofits, and industry partners where appropriate.

Overall, PAR-24-306 is best understood as an invitation to do the unglamorous but high-impact work of proving when and how mammalian cancer models can be trusted for translational decisions, and of upgrading the field's playbook for model selection, validation, and use. The expected outputs are not only better models, but also stronger evidence standards and more reliable translational pipelines that ultimately improve the likelihood that preclinical findings will hold up when they matter most: in human patients.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (R01 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, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-07. (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 $499,000.00 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 24 306

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