Application and Use of Transformative Emerging Technologies in Cancer Research (R21) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled RFA-CA-09-006. It supports highly innovative, high-risk cancer research projects that apply emerging molecular and cellular analysis technologies in a cancer-relevant biological system.

2) What kinds of projects is NCI trying to fund under this FOA?

The FOA is designed for projects that are original and potentially unconventional, where an emerging technology is applied and evaluated in a cancer-relevant model to demonstrate real-world performance, feasibility, and potential value. The emphasis is on technology-driven research that could have outsized scientific impact when paired with an appropriate biological system.

3) What does NCI mean by "highly innovative" and "high-risk" in this announcement?

The FOA targets work that is not incremental. NCI is seeking technologies and approaches that could be genuinely transformative, such as those that might change how scientists think about a problem, replace or outperform existing methods, or break through long-standing technical limitations in cancer research. The R21 mechanism also reflects tolerance for uncertainty when the potential payoff is high.

4) Is this FOA meant to support incremental use of existing tools?

No. The central idea is specifically not to fund incremental tool use. Instead, it aims to push emerging technologies that could create a new scientific or technical paradigm, challenge established assumptions, or enable previously inaccessible measurements or experiments in cancer research.

5) Does the project need to include a biological system, or can it be purely technical?

The work must be grounded in an appropriate biological context. Applicants are expected to use a relevant cancer or cancer-related model to demonstrate how the technology performs and why it matters. The FOA is not framed as support for purely technical development without a cancer-relevant application and evaluation component.

6) What is the main scientific focus of the FOA?

The scientific focus is the application and evaluation of emerging molecular and cellular analysis technologies in cancer-relevant biological systems, with the goal of accelerating next-generation measurement and analysis capabilities for cancer research.

7) What types of outcomes or impacts are reviewers looking for?

Reviewers are looking for a strong case that the technology, when applied to the selected cancer-relevant system, could produce results that matter broadly to biomedical science or to multiple areas of cancer research. The FOA highlights potential relevance across detection, diagnosis, cancer biology, treatment, and prevention.

8) What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?

This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory and developmental research. The FOA aligns with early-stage testing and proof-of-concept style studies where the potential impact could be high, even if there is significant uncertainty.

9) What is the maximum award amount under this FOA?

The maximum award ceiling listed is $200,000.

10) How much total funding is estimated for this FOA?

The estimated total funding for the FOA is $1.5 million.

11) Is cost-sharing or matching required?

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

12) How does this FOA relate to the NCI IMAT Program?

This FOA sits within NCI's broader Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program. IMAT includes several closely related funding opportunities that use different grant mechanisms, and this R21 announcement is one option within that coordinated set.

13) Is there guidance for choosing among IMAT funding opportunities?

Yes. NCI provided a separate NIH Guide notice (NOT-CA-09-007) intended to help applicants compare IMAT FOAs and choose the best fit based on scope and mechanism.

14) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, state governments, small businesses, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, aside from higher education institutions), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.

15) Are federal entities, U.S. territories, or foreign organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA notes additional eligible applicants including eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

16) What were the posting and closing dates for this FOA?

The FOA was posted and created on December 15, 2008. The original and current closing date listed is September 30, 2009. The archive date is October 31, 2009.

17) What CFDA program areas are associated with this opportunity?

The FOA is associated with CFDA program areas spanning major cancer research domains: cancer cause and prevention (93.393), detection and diagnosis (93.394), treatment (93.395), and cancer biology (93.396).

18) What does the range of CFDA areas suggest about the intended scope?

The listed CFDA areas reflect an intent to support technologies that can influence multiple points along the cancer research and clinical translation pipeline, from prevention through diagnosis and treatment, as well as foundational cancer biology.

19) Where are applicants directed to find complete details and official instructions?

NCI directed applicants to the complete FOA text hosted on the NIH grants site for full details.

20) Who should be contacted if there are access or linking issues with the FOA text?

The FOA references NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or linking issues.