Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI-Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (U54 Clinical Trials Optional) | RFA CA 23 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 23 008

This funding opportunity, RFA-CA-23-008, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiative that supports revision applications to existing NCI-funded U54 Resource-Related Research Projects. In practical terms, it is not a stand-alone award for a brand-new U54; it is designed for teams that already hold an active NCI U54 award and want to request additional support to expand or speed up the parent project by adding a new technology that was developed with NCI Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) program funding. The core idea is to take an IMAT-supported tool, method, or instrument that has emerged from technology development efforts and put it to work inside an ongoing U54 resource project in a way that meaningfully advances the original aims or accelerates progress toward them.

A major emphasis of the FOA is on independent validation and real-world readiness of emerging IMAT technologies. The revisions supported here are meant to help move promising, NCI-backed technologies from development into broader, credible use by the relevant cancer research communities. That typically means showing the technology performs reliably, generates high-quality data, and is suitable for the intended research settings, rather than simply continuing early-stage prototyping. The announcement frames this as a way to accelerate scientific discovery by making innovative measurement and analysis capabilities available sooner, and by pairing them with established U54 resource infrastructures that can test, refine, and disseminate them.

The award mechanism is a U54 cooperative agreement, with clinical trials listed as optional. A cooperative agreement generally signals that the NIH/NCI expects to have substantial involvement during the project, often through ongoing coordination, milestones, and programmatic oversight, which can be particularly important when integrating novel technologies into multi-component resource efforts. Because clinical trials are optional, the revision could support work that is entirely non-clinical (for example, technology validation using biospecimens, preclinical models, or analytical benchmarking), or it could include clinical research elements if they are appropriate for evaluating or deploying the technology within the scope of the parent U54 and consistent with NIH definitions and requirements.

Eligibility is broad in the general sense, spanning many organization types, but the key gating requirement is that applicants must be proposing a revision to an already-funded NCI U54 Resource-Related Research Project. Within that constraint, the FOA lists a wide range of eligible applicant organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also explicitly includes several categories of institutions and organizations that NIH often calls out to encourage broad participation, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Additional eligible entities include federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations, reflecting an intent to enable participation across a wide range of institutional settings as long as the revision fits the parent U54 context.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity falls under the discretionary category, uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument, and is aligned with health and education-related activity categories. The CFDA/assistance listing numbers provided are 93.394 and 93.395. The FOA was created on 2022-12-02, and the original closing date listed is 2023-09-01. The excerpted source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which usually means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text for budget guidance, allowable costs, duration, and any cap or set-aside details tied to the revision request.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted boost for existing NCI U54 resource projects to bring in a cutting-edge IMAT-supported technology, prove its value through credible validation in an independent setting, and accelerate its adoption and impact in cancer research. It aims to create a bridge between technology innovation and the practical, scalable use of that innovation by research communities that can benefit from new molecular analysis tools and approaches.

• 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 (U54 Clinical Trials Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-01. (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 23 008

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