Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 11 161
Apply for PA 11 161
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Tumoricidal Activity of Natural Killer (NK) Cells by Dietary Components for Cancer Prevention (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213 Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.396 Cancer Biology Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 17, 2011 and posted on Mar 17, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2014. (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: 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) Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Independent school districts Public and State controlled institutions of higher education City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Special district governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Foreign (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity announcement PA-11-161, titled "Enhancing Tumoricidal Activity of Natural Killer (NK) Cells by Dietary Components for Cancer Prevention (R21)," was a discretionary grant program intended to spark exploratory, early-stage research on how diet-derived substances can influence the cancer-killing functions of natural killer (NK) cells in ways that matter in real physiological settings. The central aim was not simply to show that a food compound can change an immune marker in a dish, but to build evidence that specific dietary components can meaningfully modulate NK cell tumoricidal activity in the body and that this modulation is relevant to cancer prevention. In practical terms, the FOA sought studies that connect nutrition, innate immunity, and carcinogenesis, focusing on mechanisms and outcomes that could plausibly translate into prevention strategies.
The activity category reflects its positioning at the intersection of health and biomedical research, aligning with cancer cause and prevention research as well as complementary and integrative health research and training (CFDA 93.393, 93.396, and 93.213). The R21 mechanism signals that the NIH intended this to support high-impact, hypothesis-generating projects that may be too novel or preliminary for larger, longer-term awards. These projects typically emphasize innovation and feasibility, such as identifying promising dietary agents, defining how they interact with NK cell pathways, and generating pilot data that could justify future, more definitive studies.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted and created on March 17, 2011, with an original and final closing date of May 7, 2014, and it was archived on June 7, 2014. The listed award ceiling was $200,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not expected to provide additional non-federal funds as a condition of the award. The funding instrument was a grant, and the sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health.
Eligibility was broad and included a wide range of organizational types across the public, private, nonprofit, and tribal sectors. Eligible applicants included nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in that specific label, though higher education institutions were separately eligible), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profit entities), public and private institutions of higher education, and multiple levels of government such as state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts. The announcement also recognized eligibility for entities such as Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those not federally recognized), tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, faith-based and community-based organizations, and regional organizations. It also allowed non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) to apply, and it permitted foreign components of U.S. organizations, which is important for projects involving international cohorts, global dietary patterns, or specialized overseas expertise.
For applicants needing the full details, NIH provided an official announcement link hosted on the NIH grants site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-161.html). For technical issues accessing the notice or linking to it, the contact listed was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is PA-11-161?
PA-11-161 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) titled "Enhancing Tumoricidal Activity of Natural Killer (NK) Cells by Dietary Components for Cancer Prevention (R21)." It supported exploratory, early-stage studies on how diet-derived substances may influence the cancer-killing activity of natural killer (NK) cells in ways that are meaningful in real physiological settings and relevant to cancer prevention.
What type of research was this FOA intended to support?
This FOA was intended to spark hypothesis-generating, early-stage research connecting nutrition, innate immunity, and carcinogenesis. It emphasized building evidence that specific dietary components can modulate NK cell tumoricidal activity in the body, not only in lab dishes, and that such modulation plausibly matters for cancer prevention.
What does "Enhancing tumoricidal activity of NK cells" mean in this context?
In this context, it refers to improving or strengthening the ability of natural killer (NK) cells to kill tumor cells. The FOA focused on whether dietary components can meaningfully alter that tumor-killing function in a way that is relevant to preventing cancer.
Why does the FOA emphasize real physiological settings?
The FOA highlighted that the central aim was not simply to show that a food compound changes an immune marker in a dish. Instead, it sought evidence that dietary components can meaningfully modulate NK cell tumoricidal activity in the body and that this modulation is relevant to cancer prevention.
What is the NIH activity mechanism for this opportunity?
The mechanism was R21, which is typically used to support exploratory and developmental research projects. It is generally associated with innovative, high-impact, early-stage work that may be too novel or preliminary for larger or longer-term awards.
What kinds of project goals fit the R21 focus described here?
Based on the FOA description, the R21 focus included innovation and feasibility-oriented work such as identifying promising dietary agents, defining how they interact with NK cell pathways, and generating pilot data that could justify future, more definitive studies.
Which agency sponsored this grant opportunity?
The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the funding instrument was a grant.
What fields or program areas did this opportunity align with?
It aligned with health and biomedical research areas including cancer cause and prevention research and complementary and integrative health research and training. The CFDA numbers listed were 93.393, 93.396, and 93.213.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling was $200,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity specified no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not expected to provide additional non-federal funds as a condition of the award.
When was PA-11-161 posted and created?
The opportunity was posted and created on March 17, 2011.
What were the closing dates for this funding opportunity?
The original closing date and final closing date were both listed as May 7, 2014.
Is this FOA still open?
No. The FOA was archived on June 7, 2014, and the final closing date was May 7, 2014.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many types of organizations across public, private, nonprofit, and tribal sectors. Eligible applicants included nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), public and private institutions of higher education, and various government entities such as state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts.
Were institutions of higher education eligible?
Yes. Public and private institutions of higher education were listed as eligible applicants.
Could for-profit organizations apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations were included as eligible applicants, including small businesses and other for-profit entities.
Could nonprofit organizations apply even without 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status were included among eligible applicants.
Which government entities were eligible?
Eligible government applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts.
Were tribal entities eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement recognized eligibility for Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations, including those not federally recognized. It also included tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Were minority-serving institutions and similar organizations included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The eligibility list included Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, and other similar categories mentioned in the announcement.
Were faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations were explicitly included as eligible applicants.
Could foreign organizations apply?
Yes. The announcement allowed non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) to apply.
Could a U.S. organization include a foreign component in its project?
Yes. The FOA permitted foreign components of U.S. organizations, which could be relevant for work involving international cohorts, global dietary patterns, or specialized overseas expertise.
Where can applicants find the official FOA text?
The official announcement was hosted on the NIH grants site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-161.html
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the notice or linking to it?
For technical issues accessing the notice or linking to it, the listed contact was the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health
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| The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R01) Apply for PA 11 162 Funding Number: PA 11 162 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R21) Apply for PA 11 163 Funding Number: PA 11 163 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R03) Apply for PA 11 164 Funding Number: PA 11 164 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Core Infrastructure and Methodological Research for Cancer Epidemiology Cohorts (UM1) Apply for PAR 11 167 Funding Number: PAR 11 167 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Limited Competition for Competitive Revision Applications to Accelerate and Enhance Collaborative Translational Science (UL1) Apply for RFA RR 11 004 Funding Number: RFA RR 11 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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| Systems Biology Approaches in HIV/AIDS and Substance Use (R01) Apply for RFA DA 12 009 Funding Number: RFA DA 12 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $650,000 |
| National Cooperative Drug Discovery and Development Groups (NCDDG) for the Treatment of Mental Disorders, Drug or Alcohol Addiction (UM1) Apply for PAR 11 206 Funding Number: PAR 11 206 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| National Cooperative Drug Discovery/Development Groups (NCDDG) for the Treatment of Mental Disorders, Drug or Alcohol Addiction (U19) Apply for PAR 11 207 Funding Number: PAR 11 207 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NLM Express Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics (R01) Apply for PAR 11 208 Funding Number: PAR 11 208 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| NLM Advanced Informatics for Health (R01) Apply for RFA LM 11 002 Funding Number: RFA LM 11 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| New Technology for Proteomics and Glycomics (STTR R41/R42) Apply for PA 11 214 Funding Number: PA 11 214 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Integration of Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment in Primary Care Settings (R01) Apply for RFA DA 12 008 Funding Number: RFA DA 12 008 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Remote Monitoring System for Detecting Cocaine Ingestion/Intoxication (R01) Apply for RFA DA 12 007 Funding Number: RFA DA 12 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Community Clinical Oncology Program Groups (U10) Apply for RFA CA 11 006 Funding Number: RFA CA 11 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Bases (U10) Apply for RFA CA 11 007 Funding Number: RFA CA 11 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Minority Based Community Clinical Oncology Program Groups (U10) Apply for RFA CA 11 008 Funding Number: RFA CA 11 008 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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