Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 15 004
Apply for RFA CA 15 004
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Technologies for Cancer Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394 Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 8, 2015 and posted on Jan 8, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 22, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,200,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts City or township governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
Innovative Technologies for Cancer Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21) (RFA-CA-15-004) is a National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute funding opportunity that supports early, exploratory research aimed at improving the quality and reliability of cancer-related biospecimens. The core problem the FOA targets is pre-analytical degradation and variability: the damage or alteration that can happen to key biological molecules (targeted analytes such as DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, or other molecular signals) during routine steps like specimen collection, processing, handling, transport, and storage. Because so many downstream measurements depend on the condition of the sample, pre-analytical variation can distort results, reduce reproducibility, and make it harder to compare findings across studies, sites, or populations. The purpose of this R21 is to seed highly innovative ideas at the inception or early-stage development phase that could directly measure, prevent, or standardize those sources of degradation.
The FOA emphasizes technology development rather than incremental procedural tweaks. It encourages proposals that create or adapt tools, devices, instrumentation, and associated methods that can interrogate biospecimen quality in real time or near real time, preserve and protect sample integrity under practical conditions, and establish clear verification criteria for quality assessment and quality control. In practice, that can include technologies that assess whether a sample is still fit for purpose, methods that stabilize fragile analytes immediately at the point of collection, and approaches that define objective QC metrics so different labs and collection environments can handle biospecimens consistently. The announcement also highlights the need for solutions that work under diverse and sometimes challenging conditions, which matters for multi-site research, resource-limited settings, and studies that aim to include underserved communities where logistics and infrastructure constraints may otherwise introduce bias.
By improving biospecimen integrity and reducing pre-analytical noise, the funded work is expected to accelerate and strengthen many areas of cancer research and care. Better specimens translate into more trustworthy molecular analyses, which can support progress in cancer biology, early detection and screening, clinical diagnosis, treatment decision-making, epidemiology, and research focused on cancer health disparities. The opportunity is positioned as part of the broader NCI Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, signaling an emphasis on novel, enabling technologies that can unlock better measurements and more robust interpretation of cancer-related molecular data.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity using the NIH R21 mechanism (commonly used for exploratory/developmental projects). The FOA anticipated about five awards, with an estimated total funding level of $1.2 million and an award ceiling of $200,000. It does not require cost sharing or matching. The announcement was posted January 8, 2015, with an original and current closing date of September 22, 2015, and an archive date of October 23, 2015. The associated CFDA number listed is 93.394 (Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research).
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types across the nonprofit, academic, government, and private sectors. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses are also listed as eligible), federal agencies, state and local governments (including county, city/township, and independent school districts), special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and tribal governments and organizations (federally recognized and other than federally recognized). The FOA also specifies eligibility for a range of mission- and population-focused institutions and organizations, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American/Native American/Pacific Islander-serving institutions, as well as faith-based and community-based organizations. Foreign (non-U.S.) entities and regional organizations are also listed as eligible, along with U.S. territories or possessions.
The full announcement was provided through the NIH grants guide (link included in the source), and assistance for access or linking issues was directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Innovative Technologies for Cancer Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21) and is identified as RFA-CA-15-004.
Which agency is offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
What is the main problem this FOA is trying to solve?
The FOA targets pre-analytical degradation and variability, meaning damage or alteration to important biological molecules in biospecimens that can occur during routine steps such as collection, processing, handling, transport, and storage. This variation can distort results, reduce reproducibility, and make comparisons across studies, sites, or populations more difficult.
What types of molecules or signals are affected by pre-analytical issues?
The FOA specifically references targeted analytes such as DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and other molecular signals that downstream measurements depend on.
What is the purpose of this R21?
The purpose is to seed highly innovative ideas at an inception or early-stage development phase that could directly measure, prevent, or standardize sources of biospecimen degradation and variability.
What kind of work does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes technology development rather than incremental procedural adjustments. It encourages developing or adapting tools, devices, instrumentation, and associated methods to improve biospecimen quality and reliability.
What kinds of technologies or approaches are encouraged?
Examples described in the FOA include technologies and methods that:
- Interrogate biospecimen quality in real time or near real time
- Help preserve and protect sample integrity under practical conditions
- Establish clear verification criteria for quality assessment and quality control (QC)
- Assess whether a sample is still fit for purpose
- Stabilize fragile analytes immediately at the point of collection
- Define objective QC metrics so different labs and collection environments can handle biospecimens consistently
Why does the FOA care about diverse or challenging collection conditions?
The FOA highlights solutions that can work under diverse and sometimes challenging conditions, which is important for multi-site research, resource-limited settings, and studies aiming to include underserved communities where logistics and infrastructure constraints can introduce bias.
How is improving biospecimen integrity expected to help cancer research and care?
By reducing pre-analytical noise and improving specimen integrity, the funded work is expected to strengthen molecular analyses that support progress in areas such as:
- Cancer biology
- Early detection and screening
- Clinical diagnosis
- Treatment decision-making
- Epidemiology
- Cancer health disparities research
Is this opportunity connected to a broader NCI program?
Yes. The FOA is positioned as part of the NCI Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, reflecting an emphasis on novel enabling technologies that improve measurements and interpretation of cancer-related molecular data.
What grant mechanism is used?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is commonly used for exploratory/developmental projects.
How many awards were anticipated?
The FOA anticipated about five awards.
What was the estimated total funding level for the opportunity?
The FOA listed an estimated total funding level of $1.2 million.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The FOA lists an award ceiling of $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states that it does not require cost sharing or matching.
When was the announcement posted?
The announcement was posted on January 8, 2015.
What were the closing date and archive date?
The FOA lists an original and current closing date of September 22, 2015, and an archive date of October 23, 2015.
What is the CFDA number associated with this grant opportunity?
The associated CFDA number listed is 93.394, titled Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types across nonprofit, academic, government, and private sectors. Eligible applicants include:
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status)
- Small businesses
- Other for-profit organizations (also listed as eligible)
- Federal agencies
- State and local governments (including county, city/township, and independent school districts)
- Special district governments
- Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
- Tribal governments and organizations (federally recognized and other than federally recognized)
- U.S. territories or possessions
- Foreign (non-U.S.) entities and regional organizations
Are specific institution types called out as eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes eligibility for mission- and population-focused institutions and organizations, including:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Hispanic-serving institutions
- Tribally controlled colleges and universities
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions
- Asian American / Native American / Pacific Islander-serving institutions
- Faith-based organizations
- Community-based organizations
Where was the full announcement published?
The full announcement was provided through the NIH grants guide (a link was included in the source information).
Who is listed as a contact for access or linking issues?
Assistance for access or linking issues was directed to the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health
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Previous opportunity: Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies for Cancer Research (R21)
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