Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 27 002
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is offering this funding opportunity, titled "Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (RFA-CA-27-002), to support projects that push promising new cancer research technologies from an early workable stage into a more mature, validated form that other researchers can realistically adopt. The emphasis is on technology development and rigorous technical validation, not on using a tool mainly to answer a biological or clinical hypothesis. In other words, applicants need to be building and proving out a method or platform itself, showing that the remaining work is about strengthening performance, reliability, and usability rather than demonstrating basic feasibility for the first time.
This NOFO sits within NCI's Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program and targets emerging technologies that can provide genuinely new capabilities for molecular or cellular characterization of cancer. It also welcomes technologies that improve how biospecimens are collected, handled, preserved, processed, or quality-controlled, as long as those improvements meaningfully benefit basic, clinical, or epidemiological cancer research. The goal is to speed up and improve research across a wide span of cancer needs, including cancer biology, early detection and screening, clinical diagnosis, treatment, cancer control, and epidemiology. While technologies may be broadly useful across biomedical research, the proposed development and validation work in the application must be anchored in cancer-relevant use cases.
A key point is the stage of maturity expected for an R33 application under this solicitation. The program is looking for projects where major feasibility gaps have already been addressed and where the applicant can provide supportive preliminary data demonstrating that the concept works. However, the technology is not yet ready for widespread use, and it still needs additional development, optimization, standardization, and careful technical validation. That validation is meant to build confidence in performance characteristics such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, robustness across samples or settings, and overall reliability, so the broader community can adopt the approach without needing the original developer in the loop for every implementation.
Applications that are not responsive include projects where the main activity is applying an existing technology to a new biological question or clinical problem, and where the novelty is mostly in the target, disease context, or hypothesis rather than in the technology itself. Under this NOFO, the "product" is the improved and validated technology or methodology, not a set of biological discoveries generated by using a tool that is already established. Also, as the title states, clinical trials are not allowed under this mechanism.
From an administrative standpoint, this is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity using the R33 funding mechanism within the health funding activity area (CFDA 93.394). The posted award ceiling is $300,000, and NCI anticipates making about 13 awards. The original closing date listed is 2026-11-10, with the opportunity having been created on 2026-06-03.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common U.S. organizational types, such as state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities as defined in the NOFO. Importantly, international participation is explicitly allowed: non-U.S. (foreign) organizations may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) are permitted.Apply for RFA CA 27 002
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33 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): 93.394.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-06-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-10. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 13 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is identified as RFA-CA-27-002.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
This funding opportunity is offered by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
What program is this opportunity associated with?
This NOFO sits within NCI's Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program.
What is the main purpose of this NOFO?
The main purpose is to support projects that advance promising cancer research technologies from an early workable stage to a more mature, validated form that other researchers can realistically adopt.
What kind of work is NCI looking to fund under this NOFO?
The emphasis is on technology development and rigorous technical validation. The goal is to strengthen performance, reliability, standardization, and usability so the broader research community can adopt the technology without needing the original developer for each implementation.
What does "advanced development and validation" mean in this context?
It means the core feasibility of the technology should already be demonstrated with supportive preliminary data, but the technology still requires additional development, optimization, standardization, and careful technical validation to be ready for broader use.
What stage of technology maturity is expected for an R33 application here?
The program is looking for projects where major feasibility gaps have already been addressed and the applicant can show preliminary evidence that the concept works, but the technology is not yet ready for widespread adoption.
What are the expected outcomes or "deliverables" of an R33 project under this NOFO?
The expected "product" is an improved and validated technology or methodology, supported by rigorous technical validation that builds confidence in performance and reliability for adoption by other researchers.
What types of performance characteristics should validation address?
Validation is intended to establish confidence in characteristics such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, robustness across samples or settings, and overall reliability.
Is this NOFO intended to fund biological discovery projects?
No. Projects are expected to focus on developing and validating a technology or platform rather than primarily using an existing tool to answer a biological or clinical hypothesis.
What kinds of applications are considered non-responsive?
Non-responsive applications include projects where the main activity is applying an existing technology to a new biological question or clinical problem, and where the novelty is mainly in the target, disease context, or hypothesis rather than in the technology itself.
Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?
No. As stated in the title, clinical trials are not allowed under this R33 funding opportunity.
Do proposed projects need to be cancer-relevant?
Yes. While a technology may be broadly useful across biomedical research, the development and validation work proposed in the application must be anchored in cancer-relevant use cases.
What kinds of technologies are targeted by this NOFO?
This NOFO targets emerging technologies that can provide genuinely new capabilities for molecular or cellular characterization of cancer.
Does this NOFO support improvements in biospecimen handling and processing?
Yes. It welcomes technologies that improve how biospecimens are collected, handled, preserved, processed, or quality-controlled, as long as the improvements meaningfully benefit basic, clinical, or epidemiological cancer research.
What areas of cancer research does NCI hope to accelerate with these technologies?
The goal is to speed up and improve research across a wide span of cancer needs, including cancer biology, early detection and screening, clinical diagnosis, treatment, cancer control, and epidemiology.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
This is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity using the R33 funding mechanism.
What is the CFDA number (or assistance listing) associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.394.
What is the posted award ceiling?
The posted award ceiling is $300,000.
How many awards does NCI anticipate making?
NCI anticipates making about 13 awards.
What is the original closing date for this opportunity?
The original closing date listed is 2026-11-10.
When was this opportunity created (posted)?
The opportunity was created on 2026-06-03.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes, among others: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities as defined in the NOFO.
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses) are eligible, as are small businesses.
Are nonprofit organizations eligible?
Yes. Nonprofits are eligible, including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities.
Are government entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments, as well as special district governments.
Are tribal entities eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are included in the eligible organization types.
Is international participation allowed?
Yes. International participation is explicitly allowed: non-U.S. (foreign) organizations may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) are permitted.
Can a non-U.S. (foreign) organization apply directly?
Yes. The NOFO explicitly states that non-U.S. (foreign) organizations may apply.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
Yes. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible under this opportunity.
Are foreign components allowed on an application?
Yes. Foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) are permitted.
Is the focus limited only to basic research technologies?
No. The NOFO supports technologies that benefit basic and clinical cancer research (and also mentions epidemiological cancer research), as long as the work is centered on technology development and validation rather than on conducting clinical trials.
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