Program on the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancers (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 21 026

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 21 026

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, released this discretionary grant funding opportunity called the Program on the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancers (R01, Clinical Trial Optional), Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-21-026 (CFDA 93.396). The goal is to fund research that explains how gastroesophageal cancers begin, focusing especially on the very earliest cellular events that occur before a tumor can be seen under a microscope or before clear pre-cancerous tissue changes (neoplasia) are detectable. In practical terms, NCI is looking for projects that can move the field beyond studying established tumors and instead map the first steps of cellular transformation that eventually lead to cancer in the stomach and the gastroesophageal junction.

Scientifically, the program is designed to build on several areas that have advanced quickly in recent years: molecular classification systems for gastroesophageal cancers, deeper knowledge of cancer genomics, and major progress in stem cell biology and related experimental models. Applications are expected to use these kinds of modern tools and frameworks to define how these cancers initially evolve at the cellular level. A central emphasis is on understanding the mechanisms and key effectors that drive the emergence, proliferation, and expansion of tumor-initiating cells and their descendants, essentially tracing how a small population of cells gains the capacity to start and sustain cancer development. The FOA highlights gastric adenocarcinomas and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinomas as the main cancer types of interest.

Structurally, NCI envisioned this effort as a coordinated program rather than a set of disconnected projects. The plan was to support up to six large R01 research grants through this FOA, alongside a separate Coordinating Center award funded under a companion announcement (RFA-CA-21-027). The intent behind the Coordinating Center is typically to help align the research efforts across the funded projects, encourage sharing of approaches or data where appropriate, and keep the overall program moving toward integrated, program-level insights about cancer origins rather than isolated findings.

From an administrative standpoint, the funding instrument is an NIH research project grant (R01), and clinical trials are optional, meaning applicants can propose studies that involve clinical trial components if justified, but they are not required to do so. The original closing date listed for this opportunity was 2021-10-08, and the FOA record shows it was created on 2021-06-25. The opportunity category is listed under Education and Health, consistent with NIH biomedical research funding. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source fields, though the narrative description states the program would include up to six R01 awards plus the separate Coordinating Center award.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Standard 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 Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out a wide range of additional eligible applicant categories, including 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, U.S. territories or possessions, tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This broad eligibility aligns with NCI goals of encouraging diverse institutional participation and enabling specialized expertise, cohorts, or resources that may exist outside traditional U.S. academic settings.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted NCI initiative to push gastroesophageal cancer research upstream to the earliest origin biology, using genomics-informed and stem cell-enabled approaches to identify how tumor-initiating cells arise and expand, with the long-term implication that defining these first events could eventually improve early detection strategies, risk stratification, and prevention or interception approaches for gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinomas.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Program on the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancers (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-06-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-10-08. (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 21 026

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