Academic Industrial Partnerships for Translation of in vivo Imaging Systems for Cancer Investigations (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is PAR-13-169 (R01) trying to accomplish?

PAR-13-169, "Academic Industrial Partnerships for Translation of in vivo Imaging Systems for Cancer Investigations (R01)," is an NIH funding opportunity focused on translating promising in vivo imaging technologies into practical use for real-world preclinical or clinical cancer research. The goal is to move an imaging system, device, agent, or analytic method that is not yet routinely used into dependable, validated workflows that address a specific, well-defined cancer problem.

What does "translation" mean in this FOA?

Translation here means focused development work that pushes an emerging imaging capability out of the lab and toward routine deployment in preclinical and/or clinical cancer investigation settings. A competitive project is expected to look like a practical development and translation roadmap, including optimization, validation, benchmarking, and adoption planning tied to a targeted cancer need.

What types of projects fit the scope of this opportunity?

The scope is broad as long as the work stays anchored to a targeted cancer need. Supported projects may include single-modality or multi-modality in vivo imaging and spectroscopy systems, image-guided approaches (including image-guided drug delivery), image analysis pipelines, and enabling resources that make these technologies usable and reliable in real settings.

Are both preclinical and clinical cancer research uses supported?

Yes. The opportunity is designed to move technologies into real-world preclinical or clinical cancer research use, with an emphasis on performance optimization, reproducibility, accuracy, and utility in the intended setting.

Does the FOA require an academic-industry partnership?

Yes. The FOA is built around the premise that academic and industry partners bring complementary strengths. Applicants are expected to form interdisciplinary, multi-institutional teams that operate as a coordinated, strategic alliance with a clear plan for development, optimization, validation, and adoption.

What kinds of technologies are eligible (systems, devices, agents, methods)?

Eligible project targets include imaging systems, devices, imaging agents, analytic methods, and related approaches used for in vivo cancer investigations, provided they are not yet widely used in routine preclinical or clinical settings and the project is designed to translate them into reliable use for a specific cancer problem.

Is multi-modality imaging allowed, or only single-modality?

Both are allowed. The FOA supports single-modality or multi-modality imaging and spectroscopy systems, as long as the work is anchored to a targeted cancer need and focuses on translational development and validation.

Are image analysis pipelines and quantitative imaging methods within scope?

Yes. Image analysis pipelines and quantitative imaging methods are explicitly within scope, especially when the work advances reliability and comparability and supports deployment in preclinical or clinical workflows.

Can a project include image-guided approaches like image-guided drug delivery?

Yes. The scope includes image-guided approaches, including image-guided drug delivery, when positioned as part of translating an imaging capability for a defined cancer investigation problem.

What role do benchmarking, reference standards, and supporting lab methods play?

The FOA recognizes that translation may require rigorous benchmarking. As a secondary component, it allows the use or development of supporting laboratory imaging methods or reference standards needed to validate performance. Examples described include correlating imaging readouts with pathology, validating quantitative biomarkers, and building calibration approaches that make measurements comparable across systems and sites.

What kinds of activities can NIH funds be used for under this FOA?

NIH indicates funding can support activities such as enhancing or adapting commercially supported systems, developing next-generation imaging capabilities, improving or establishing quality assurance and quality control methods, running validation and correlation studies, advancing quantitative imaging methods, and creating related research resources that enable broader use.

How is "innovation" defined in this opportunity?

Innovation is defined less as proposing a brand-new concept and more as presenting a coherent translational plan that delivers emerging capabilities into preclinical or clinical workflows. The emphasis is on practical milestones and evidence that the team can execute the development, optimization, and validation needed for dependable use in the stated cancer application.

Are clinical trials allowed under PAR-13-169?

Yes. Clinical trials are allowed when they are aimed at optimizing and validating the performance of imaging systems, including devices, imaging agents, and/or methods. The emphasis is on demonstrating performance, reproducibility, accuracy, and utility in the intended setting.

Are therapeutic efficacy trials the main focus of allowed clinical studies?

No. The FOA emphasizes trials that optimize and validate imaging performance rather than trials focused primarily on therapeutic efficacy.

What is explicitly not supported by this FOA?

NIH will not support commercial production activities. NIH also will not support basic research projects that lack a strong translational development and optimization focus tied to a targeted cancer problem.

Does the FOA support commercial manufacturing or product production?

No. The FOA draws a clear boundary that it will not fund commercial production activities.

Is this a basic research funding opportunity?

No. While research is involved, the FOA is centered on translation, development, optimization, and validation. Basic research projects without a strong translational development and optimization plan linked to a targeted cancer problem are not supported.

What grant mechanism is used?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 funding instrument and is described as a discretionary grant mechanism.

What NIH/Cancer-related program areas does it align with?

The FOA is aligned with cancer detection and diagnosis research (CFDA 93.394), cancer treatment research (93.395), and cancer biology research (93.396).

Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?

No. The FOA states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and various levels of government (state, local, special district, tribal). It also includes specific institution types such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, TCCUs, and others.

Are non-U.S. entities eligible?

Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign components are permitted consistent with NIH policy, and the eligibility description includes both U.S. and non-U.S. entities.

What kinds of teams does NIH expect to see?

NIH expects interdisciplinary, multi-institutional teams that combine academic and industry strengths and function as a coordinated, strategic alliance. The application is expected to show the expertise and infrastructure needed to move the technology toward reliable use for the stated cancer application.

What makes an application competitive based on the description provided?

A strong application is expected to present a clear development and translation roadmap with practical milestones, a targeted cancer problem, and a plan for optimization, validation, and adoption. It should also demonstrate that the partnership has the expertise and infrastructure to deliver dependable, quantitatively reliable performance in preclinical or clinical workflows.

When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on April 5, 2013. The original and current closing date was May 7, 2016. The archive date was June 7, 2016.

Is PAR-13-169 currently open for applications?

No. Based on the provided dates (closing date May 7, 2016 and archive date June 7, 2016), the opportunity is no longer open, but it may remain useful as a reference for similar NIH translational imaging partnership initiatives.

What is the overall theme of the opportunity in plain terms?

NIH support for academic-industry teams to do the practical, hands-on work needed to make an in vivo cancer imaging technology dependable and validated for meaningful preclinical or clinical use, with a strong emphasis on performance optimization, quantitative reliability, and solving a concrete cancer investigation problem (not manufacturing a product or doing open-ended basic research).