Early Stage Development of Informatics Technology (U01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the "Early Stage Development of Informatics Technology (U01)" opportunity (PAR-12-288)?

PAR-12-288 was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement under the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Initiative. It supported early stage development of informatics technologies intended to make cancer research data easier to acquire, manage, analyze, and share.

Which NIH program or initiative was this funding opportunity part of?

This opportunity was part of NCI's Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Initiative.

What was the main goal of this FOA?

The goal was to support the creation of enabling informatics technologies that improve how cancer research data is handled, with an emphasis on broadly useful, community-facing technology that other researchers can adopt and benefit from.

What types of projects were the FOA trying to fund?

The FOA sought projects that build tools, platforms, software, or related informatics capabilities that help the cancer research community work with data more effectively, especially when those technologies are driven by real, practical research needs.

Does this FOA focus on doing cancer research studies or on building technology?

The emphasis was on technology development motivated by real research needs, rather than conducting a single data analysis project. The intended deliverable was enabling technology that supports many users, not just results from one study.

What does "early stage development" mean in the context of this announcement?

In this announcement, early stage development covered the path from prototype creation through "hardening" (making the technology more robust, reliable, and usable) and adaptation (refining it so it fits real-world research workflows and can be used beyond the original development setting).

What is meant by "hardening" and "adaptation"?

"Hardening" refers to making a prototype more robust, reliable, and usable. "Adaptation" refers to refining the technology so it fits real-world research workflows and can be used beyond the original development environment or team.

What would a strong application need to explain?

A strong application needed to clearly explain why the technology is needed, what gap it fills, and how it will improve cancer research outcomes or efficiency for a broader user base.

Was user engagement expected as part of the project?

Yes. A core expectation was active engagement with intended users and collaborators throughout development, including concrete plans to gather feedback and incorporate it as the tool matures.

What kinds of projects were considered out of scope?

The FOA was not meant for projects that only perform data processing, data analysis, or mathematical/statistical modeling if those efforts do not include genuine new informatics technology development. The focus was on producing enabling technology, not just producing research results using existing tools.

If a project mainly performs analysis or modeling, can it still fit this FOA?

Based on the scope described, analysis or modeling efforts would need to be part of genuine new informatics technology development. Projects that only do analysis/modeling without developing new informatics technology were not the intended target.

What funding mechanism was used for this opportunity?

The funding instrument was a Cooperative Agreement (U01).

What does a Cooperative Agreement (U01) imply for how the project is run?

A U01 typically implies substantial involvement and coordination with NIH program staff during the project, reflecting NIH's interest in guiding development toward broadly useful, community-facing deliverables.

Was cost-sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity was described as having no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

What was the CFDA number associated with this program?

The opportunity fell under CFDA 93.396 (Cancer Biology Research).

Who was the sponsoring agency?

The sponsoring agency was NIH, via the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

What was the award ceiling for this announcement?

The listed award ceiling was $250,000, indicating the maximum amount expected per award under the announcement.

When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?

The posted date was September 19, 2012, and the final closing date was listed as June 18, 2015.

Is this funding opportunity still active?

No. It was archived on July 19, 2015.

What types of organizations were eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad and included for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status), public and private institutions of higher education, and a range of government entities (including state, county, city/township, special districts, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities).

Were minority-serving and community-based institutions explicitly included?

Yes. The eligibility section explicitly referenced a range of mission-driven and community-based institutions and groups, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations.

Could organizations in U.S. territories or possessions apply?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions were explicitly referenced in the eligibility description provided.

Were non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility description explicitly included non-U.S. (foreign) organizations and regional organizations.

Where could applicants find the full announcement?

The full announcement was provided through the NIH Grants Guide at the link listed in the source for PAR-12-288.

What kind of deliverables was NIH/NCI looking for?

The emphasis was on deliverables that are broadly useful to the cancer research community, such as tools, platforms, software, or other informatics capabilities that can be adopted by researchers beyond the original development setting.

How should applicants demonstrate community benefit?

Based on the described expectations, applicants needed to articulate the unmet need and gap the technology addresses, explain how it improves cancer research outcomes or efficiency for a broader user base, and show active engagement with intended users to ensure the technology fits real workflows.