Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 09 235
Apply for PA 09 235
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Diet, Epigenetic Events, and Cancer Prevention (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273 Alcohol Research Programs 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.396 Cancer Biology Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 15, 2009 and posted on Jul 15, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 7, 2012. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts State governments County governments Small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education City or township governments Special district governments For profit organizations other than small businesses 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 Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
Diet, Epigenetic Events, and Cancer Prevention (R21) (Funding Opportunity Number PA-09-235) is a National Institutes of Health grant opportunity led by the National Cancer Institute, with participation from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Office of Dietary Supplements. The central goal is to support exploratory clinical and preclinical studies that clarify how diet-related exposures shape epigenetic mechanisms that matter for cancer risk, prevention, and disease development. The FOA is built around the idea that nutrition can influence gene regulation without changing DNA sequence, and that these changes may help explain why certain dietary patterns, nutrients, and bioactive food components appear to protect against cancer or, in some contexts, contribute to cancer-related processes.
The scientific focus is on diet and dietary factors, explicitly including dietary supplements, and how they affect key epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, noncoding RNAs, and other epigenetic events involved in carcinogenesis and cancer prevention. Applicants are expected to investigate measurable links between dietary exposures and epigenetic signatures, and to connect those signatures to cancer-relevant biological outcomes. The announcement also highlights the importance of examining epigenetic events that sit at the heart of cancer biology, including mechanisms related to carcinogen metabolism, regulation of cell division, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis. In practical terms, the FOA is aiming for research that can begin to map a chain of evidence from specific dietary components to specific epigenetic changes and, ultimately, to tumor incidence, tumor behavior, or cancer-related intermediate endpoints.
A major programmatic aim is to stimulate collaborations that bring together expertise from nutrition science and epigenetics. The FOA encourages team-based approaches where investigators who understand dietary assessment, nutrient bioavailability, and bioactive food components work alongside researchers skilled in epigenomic methods and mechanistic cancer biology. This emphasis reflects the complexity of the topic: dietary exposures are diverse and difficult to measure well, while epigenetic readouts can be tissue-specific, time-dependent, and influenced by multiple environmental and physiological factors. The initiative is therefore positioned to support early-stage, hypothesis-generating, or proof-of-concept work that can clarify feasibility, refine biomarkers, or establish preliminary mechanistic connections robust enough to justify larger follow-on studies.
The funding mechanism is the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21), which is typically used for projects that are innovative and potentially high-impact but still at an early stage where substantial preliminary data may be limited. The FOA runs in parallel with a companion announcement of identical scientific scope for the R01 mechanism (PA-09-234), giving applicants a pathway to pursue either shorter, exploratory projects (R21) or more mature, full-scale research programs (R01) depending on readiness. Under this R21 FOA, the award ceiling is listed as $200,000, and the size and duration of awards can vary depending on the nature of the proposed work. The NIH notes that the total number of awards and total dollars committed are not fixed in advance and will depend on the number, quality, scope, and cost of applications received.
In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), independent school districts, and various units of government at the state, county, city/township, and special district levels. The FOA also indicates additional eligible applicants such as certain federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted on July 15, 2009, with an original and final closing date of September 7, 2012, and an archive date of October 8, 2012, meaning it is not currently open for new submissions. The subject areas align with NIH program classifications including Alcohol Research Programs and Cancer Cause, Prevention, and Biology Research (CFDA numbers 93.273, 93.393, and 93.396). Overall, the FOA is best understood as a targeted push to develop early, credible evidence linking specific dietary factors to specific epigenetic mechanisms that can influence cancer-related pathways, with a strong preference for interdisciplinary work capable of translating nutrition exposures into mechanistic, biomarker-rich cancer prevention science.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Diet, Epigenetic Events, and Cancer Prevention (R21).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-09-235.
Which agency leads this opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) opportunity led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Are other NIH offices or institutes involved?
Yes. The FOA lists participation from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).
What is the main goal of this FOA?
The central goal is to support exploratory clinical and preclinical studies that clarify how diet-related exposures shape epigenetic mechanisms that matter for cancer risk, cancer prevention, and disease development.
What kind of research does this FOA prioritize?
The FOA prioritizes early-stage research that can start building a clear chain of evidence connecting: (1) specific dietary exposures, to (2) measurable epigenetic signatures, and then to (3) cancer-relevant biological outcomes such as tumor incidence, tumor behavior, or cancer-related intermediate endpoints.
What does the FOA mean by “epigenetic events” in this context?
Within the scope described, epigenetic events include key mechanisms of gene regulation that do not change DNA sequence, such as DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, noncoding RNAs, and other epigenetic processes involved in carcinogenesis and cancer prevention.
Are dietary supplements included as an allowable focus?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes dietary factors, including dietary supplements, as part of the diet-related exposures of interest.
What types of diet-related exposures are relevant?
Based on the description, relevant exposures include dietary patterns, nutrients, and bioactive food components, including those delivered through dietary supplements, where the project can link exposure to epigenetic signatures and cancer-relevant outcomes.
What kinds of cancer-related biology does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA highlights epigenetic events central to cancer biology, including mechanisms related to carcinogen metabolism, regulation of cell division, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis.
Does the FOA require measurable links between diet and epigenetic markers?
Yes. Applicants are expected to investigate measurable links between dietary exposures and epigenetic signatures, and to connect those signatures to cancer-relevant biological outcomes.
Is this opportunity intended for large, definitive studies?
Not primarily. This FOA is positioned to support early-stage, hypothesis-generating, proof-of-concept work, including studies that clarify feasibility, refine biomarkers, or establish preliminary mechanistic connections that could justify larger follow-on studies.
What grant mechanism is used for this FOA?
The mechanism is the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21).
Why an R21 mechanism for this topic?
As described, the R21 mechanism is typically used for projects that are innovative and potentially high-impact but still at an early stage, where substantial preliminary data may be limited.
Is there a related FOA for an R01 application?
Yes. The FOA notes a companion announcement with identical scientific scope for the R01 mechanism: PA-09-234.
How does the FOA distinguish between R21 and the companion R01?
Based on the description, the R21 is framed as a pathway for shorter, exploratory projects, while the companion R01 is intended for more mature, full-scale research programs, depending on a project’s readiness.
What is the award ceiling for this R21 FOA?
The award ceiling is listed as $200,000.
Are award size and duration fixed?
No. The FOA states that the size and duration of awards can vary depending on the nature of the proposed work.
Is the total number of awards predetermined?
No. NIH indicates the total number of awards and total dollars committed are not fixed in advance and depend on the number, quality, scope, and cost of applications received.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broad. It includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), independent school districts, and multiple units of government (state, county, city/township, and special district).
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA lists faith-based or community-based organizations among eligible applicants.
Are Hispanic-serving institutions eligible?
Yes. Hispanic-serving institutions are included among the eligible applicants listed.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA includes U.S. territories or possessions among eligible applicant types.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. The eligibility list includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).
Does the FOA mention collaboration or team science?
Yes. A major programmatic aim is to stimulate collaborations that bring together expertise from nutrition science and epigenetics, encouraging team-based approaches that combine dietary exposure expertise with epigenomic and mechanistic cancer biology methods.
Why does the FOA emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration?
The FOA describes the topic as complex: dietary exposures are diverse and can be difficult to measure well, while epigenetic readouts can be tissue-specific, time-dependent, and influenced by multiple environmental and physiological factors. The interdisciplinary emphasis is meant to address these challenges.
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was this opportunity posted?
The FOA was posted on July 15, 2009.
What were the closing dates for submissions?
The FOA lists an original and final closing date of September 7, 2012.
Is this FOA currently open for new submissions?
No. The FOA is archived with an archive date of October 8, 2012, and it is described as not currently open for new submissions.
What subject areas or program classifications are associated with this FOA?
The subject areas align with NIH program classifications including Alcohol Research Programs and Cancer Cause, Prevention, and Biology Research.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The FOA lists CFDA numbers 93.273, 93.393, and 93.396.
What is the overall “big picture” purpose of the FOA?
Overall, the FOA is a targeted push to develop early, credible evidence linking specific dietary factors to specific epigenetic mechanisms that influence cancer-related pathways, with a strong preference for interdisciplinary work that can translate nutrition exposures into mechanistic, biomarker-rich cancer prevention science.
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