Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 09 004
Apply for RFA CA 09 004
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative and Applied Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.394 Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research 93.395 Cancer Treatment Research 93.396 Cancer Biology Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 15, 2008 and posted on Dec 15, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $275,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Innovative and Applied Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R21) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-09-004) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) call for exploratory, early stage research projects that push beyond standard approaches in biospecimen science. It is aimed squarely at exceptionally innovative, high risk, and unconventional ideas that could materially change how biospecimens are collected, assessed, preserved, and used for cancer related molecular analyses. The central theme is improving the quality and usefulness of biospecimens while minimizing invasiveness and avoiding harm or added burden to patients and donors, recognizing that the way specimens are obtained and handled can strongly influence downstream molecular results.
The scientific focus is on creating and evaluating emerging technologies that either (1) interrogate biospecimens in new ways, or (2) maximize biospecimen quality and utility for molecular testing and discovery. In practice, this includes work on tools, devices, instrumentation, and enabling methods that help determine whether a sample is fit for purpose, protect or preserve molecular integrity (such as DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, or other analytes), and establish defensible verification criteria for quality assessment and quality control. The FOA emphasizes performance under diverse real world conditions, which signals interest in technologies that can handle variability in collection settings, transport, storage environments, and processing workflows. A key requirement is that the project must show clear potential for major impact in biospecimen science, meaning reviewers are looking for ideas that could broadly improve reliability, reproducibility, and interpretability of molecular analyses in cancer research and related clinical contexts.
This FOA sits within NCI's broader Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, which supports development of breakthrough technologies for molecular analysis. The announcement notes that multiple IMAT funding opportunities exist with similar or closely related scope but different mechanisms, and points applicants to an NIH Guide notice (NOT-CA-09-007) that compares and links the various IMAT FOAs to help investigators choose the best fit. This specific opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is designed for exploratory and developmental research, often supporting early proof of concept work where high innovation is prioritized and preliminary data expectations may be more flexible than in larger, later stage mechanisms. It also runs in parallel with a companion announcement of the same scientific scope using the R33 mechanism (RFA-CA-09-005), which is typically intended for more advanced development than an R21.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program with no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted and created on December 15, 2008, with an original and final closing date of September 30, 2009, and an archive date of October 31, 2009. The estimated total funding amount listed is $1,000,000, and the award ceiling is $275,000. The CFDA program areas tied to this opportunity span major domains of cancer research, including Cancer Cause and Prevention Research (93.393), Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research (93.394), Cancer Treatment Research (93.395), and Cancer Biology Research (93.396), reflecting the cross cutting importance of high quality biospecimens across the full cancer research pipeline.
Eligibility is broad and includes a mix of academic, nonprofit, government, and commercial organizations. Eligible applicants include public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories), state governments, small businesses, and for profit organizations other than small businesses. The announcement also extends eligibility to certain additional categories, including eligible federal agencies, non U.S. entities (foreign organizations), and U.S. territories or possessions. The sponsoring agency is NIH (specifically NCI), and the full announcement was made available through an NIH grants link (grants.nih.gov). The provided contacts in the source text are directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Innovative and Applied Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R21) opportunity?
This opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-09-004) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) call for exploratory, early stage research projects focused on emerging technologies in biospecimen science, particularly where the work could significantly improve how biospecimens are collected, assessed, preserved, and used for cancer-related molecular analyses.
Which agency is sponsoring this funding opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
What type of grant mechanism does this opportunity use?
This funding opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory and developmental research and often supports early proof-of-concept work emphasizing innovation.
What is the main goal or central theme of the FOA?
The central theme is improving the quality and usefulness of biospecimens for cancer-related molecular analyses while minimizing invasiveness and avoiding harm or added burden to patients and donors, recognizing that collection and handling can strongly influence downstream molecular results.
What kinds of ideas are encouraged under this FOA?
The FOA is aimed at exceptionally innovative, high-risk, and unconventional ideas that push beyond standard approaches in biospecimen science and could materially change current practices.
What scientific areas does the FOA emphasize?
The scientific focus is on creating and evaluating emerging technologies that either (1) interrogate biospecimens in new ways, or (2) maximize biospecimen quality and utility for molecular testing and discovery.
What types of technologies or outputs are included in scope?
The FOA includes work on tools, devices, instrumentation, and enabling methods that help determine whether a biospecimen is fit for purpose, protect or preserve molecular integrity, and establish verification criteria for quality assessment and quality control.
What does "fit for purpose" mean in the context of this opportunity?
Within this FOA, "fit for purpose" refers to whether a biospecimen is suitable for a specific intended molecular analysis, and includes the ability to assess specimen quality in a defensible way for downstream use.
What kinds of molecular components (analytes) are relevant to this FOA?
The FOA highlights molecular integrity for analytes such as DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and other analytes relevant to cancer-related molecular analyses.
Does the FOA care about how technologies perform outside ideal lab conditions?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes performance under diverse real-world conditions, including variability in collection settings, transport, storage environments, and processing workflows.
What does the FOA mean by "major impact" in biospecimen science?
The FOA indicates that reviewers are looking for clear potential for broad improvements in the reliability, reproducibility, and interpretability of molecular analyses in cancer research and related clinical contexts, driven by better biospecimen quality and handling.
How does this FOA relate to the IMAT Program?
This FOA sits within NCI's broader Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, which supports development of breakthrough technologies for molecular analysis.
Are there other IMAT funding opportunities similar to this one?
Yes. The announcement notes that multiple IMAT funding opportunities exist with similar or closely related scope but different mechanisms, and it points applicants to an NIH Guide notice (NOT-CA-09-007) that compares and links the various IMAT FOAs to help investigators select the best fit.
Is there a companion funding opportunity with the same scientific scope?
Yes. A companion announcement with the same scientific scope uses the R33 mechanism (RFA-CA-09-005), which is typically intended for more advanced development than an R21.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. This is a discretionary grant program with no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the estimated total funding amount for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding amount listed for this opportunity is $1,000,000.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $275,000.
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted and created on December 15, 2008.
What were the closing dates for this funding opportunity?
The original and final closing date listed is September 30, 2009.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed is October 31, 2009.
Which CFDA program areas are associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA program areas tied to this opportunity include Cancer Cause and Prevention Research (93.393), Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research (93.394), Cancer Treatment Research (93.395), and Cancer Biology Research (93.396).
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligibility is broad and includes: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); state governments; small businesses; and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement extends eligibility to eligible federal agencies.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) among eligible applicants.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. The announcement extends eligibility to U.S. territories or possessions.
Where was the full announcement made available?
The full announcement was made available through an NIH grants link at grants.nih.gov.
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement?
The provided contacts in the source text direct technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA CA 09 004) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Innovative and Applied Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R33) Apply for RFA CA 09 005 Funding Number: RFA CA 09 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Application and Use of Transformative Emerging Technologies in Cancer Research (R21) Apply for RFA CA 09 006 Funding Number: RFA CA 09 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Application and Use of Transformative Emerging Technologies in Cancer Research (R33) Apply for RFA CA 09 007 Funding Number: RFA CA 09 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Innovative Technology Development for Cancer Research (R21) Apply for RFA CA 09 008 Funding Number: RFA CA 09 008 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| NCI Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K08) Apply for PAR 09 050 Funding Number: PAR 09 050 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NCI Mentored Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K23) Apply for PAR 09 051 Funding Number: PAR 09 051 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NCI Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity (K01) Apply for PAR 09 052 Funding Number: PAR 09 052 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Mechanism for Time Sensitive Research Opportunities (R03) Apply for PAR 06 249 Funding Number: PAR 06 249 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Support Opportunity for Addiction Research (SOAR) for New Investigators (R03) Apply for RFA DA 09 021 Funding Number: RFA DA 09 021 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Midcareer Investigator Award in Mouse Pathobiology Research (K26) Apply for PAR 09 053 Funding Number: PAR 09 053 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Tools for Germplasm Cryopreservation (STTR) R41/R42 Apply for PA 09 054 Funding Number: PA 09 054 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Tools for Germplasm Cryopreservation (SBIR) R43/R44 Apply for PA 09 055 Funding Number: PA 09 055 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Pre application for a Biomedical Technology Research Resource (X02) Apply for PAR 08 260 Funding Number: PAR 08 260 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIH Supported Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities (CPHHD) (P50) Apply for RFA CA 09 001 Funding Number: RFA CA 09 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Informatics Training for Global Health (ITGH) (D43) Apply for RFA TW 09 001 Funding Number: RFA TW 09 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $230,000 |
| Comprehensive Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership (Limited Competition U54) Apply for RFA CA 09 501 Funding Number: RFA CA 09 501 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cancer Prevention Research Small Grant Program (R03) Apply for PAR 08 055 Funding Number: PAR 08 055 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Genome Characterization Centers and Genome Data Analysis Centers for The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network (TCGA)U24 Apply for RFA CA 09 010 Funding Number: RFA CA 09 010 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Imaging Science Track Award for Research Transition (I/START) R03 Apply for PAR 09 073 Funding Number: PAR 09 073 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| NINR Mentored Research Scientist Development Award for Underrepresented or Disadvantaged Investigators (K01) Apply for PAR 09 074 Funding Number: PAR 09 074 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $20,000 |
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