Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 16 003
Apply for RFA CA 16 003
- The HHS-NIH11 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,.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 09, 2015 and posted on Dec 09, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 2016. (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.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), 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, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Innovative Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21) funding opportunity (RFA-CA-16-003) was a National Institutes of Health initiative under HHS-NIH (CFDA 93.394) aimed at supporting exploratory, early-stage research to improve the quality and reliability of biospecimens used in cancer research and clinical care. The central idea is that many cancer studies and diagnostic efforts depend on biological samples such as blood, tissue, saliva, urine, or other patient-derived materials, and the usefulness of those samples can be compromised long before any lab assay is performed. This FOA focused specifically on the "pre-analytical" phase, meaning everything that happens to a specimen during collection, processing, handling, and storage, where targeted analytes (for example DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, extracellular vesicles, or other biomarkers) can degrade or change in ways that distort downstream measurements.
The program sought projects that develop innovative technologies to either preserve specimen integrity or to measure and verify specimen quality so researchers and clinicians can understand what they are working with. In practical terms, it encouraged the creation of new tools, devices, instrumentation, and supporting methods that can minimize pre-analytical variation and standardize how biospecimens are managed under real-world conditions. The expectation was not necessarily to deliver a fully mature commercial product, but to demonstrate strong technical feasibility and novelty for approaches that could later be expanded, validated, or translated into broader use.
A major emphasis of the FOA was on tackling degradation and variability that can occur when samples are exposed to suboptimal temperatures, delays before stabilization, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, mechanical stress, inconsistent processing workflows, or differences in collection environments across clinics and study sites. Applications could propose technologies that directly protect the sample (for instance by rapid stabilization, improved preservation chemistries, protective collection systems, or storage solutions) or technologies that interrogate sample quality (for instance by providing objective metrics, real-time sensors, or quality-control assays that reveal whether a specimen is still fit for a specific downstream analysis). The FOA also highlighted the importance of establishing verification criteria for quality assessment and quality control, meaning applicants were expected to think beyond a single device or method and propose how quality would be measured, benchmarked, and confirmed across varying conditions.
The intended impact was broad across cancer research and care. By reducing pre-analytical variation and improving confidence in biospecimen integrity, the supported technologies were expected to strengthen studies in cancer biology and mechanisms, improve biomarker discovery and validation, support early detection and screening efforts, and enhance clinical diagnosis and treatment decisions that rely on molecular measurements. The FOA also explicitly connected biospecimen quality improvements to better epidemiology research and progress on cancer health disparities, since variability in collection settings and resources can disproportionately affect sample quality across different populations and healthcare environments.
From an administrative standpoint, this was an R21 mechanism, which typically supports exploratory and developmental work rather than large-scale, multi-year validation. The opportunity listed an award ceiling of $200,000 and anticipated around five awards. It was posted and created on December 9, 2015, with a closing date of September 26, 2016. Eligibility was broad and included many types of organizations, such as state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and additional eligible entities as described in the full announcement.
Overall, the FOA can be read as a targeted push to solve a persistent bottleneck in cancer science: even the most advanced genomic, proteomic, and molecular diagnostic tools can produce misleading results if the input samples are compromised. By funding early-stage innovation in biospecimen collection, stabilization, monitoring, and quality verification, this program aimed to improve the foundation on which cancer research findings and clinical decisions are built.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is called Innovative Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R21), with the identifier RFA-CA-16-003.
Which agency offered this grant?
This was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative under HHS-NIH.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The program was listed under CFDA 93.394.
What is the main purpose of the FOA?
The FOA aimed to support exploratory, early-stage research that improves the quality and reliability of biospecimens used in cancer research and clinical care, especially by addressing problems that occur before laboratory assays are performed.
What types of biospecimens are relevant to this FOA?
The FOA referenced patient-derived biological samples such as blood, tissue, saliva, urine, and other biospecimens used for cancer research or clinical testing.
What does "pre-analytical" mean in this context?
"Pre-analytical" refers to everything that happens to a specimen during collection, processing, handling, and storage. The FOA focused on this phase because analytes can degrade or change before any formal lab assay begins.
Why does the pre-analytical phase matter for cancer research and care?
Because many cancer studies and diagnostic decisions rely on molecular measurements, compromised specimens can lead to distorted downstream results. The FOA framed biospecimen integrity as a foundational requirement for trustworthy research findings and clinical decisions.
What kinds of analytes or biomarkers were mentioned as potentially affected?
The FOA gave examples including DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, extracellular vesicles, and other biomarkers.
What types of projects did the FOA encourage?
It encouraged innovative technologies that either (1) preserve specimen integrity or (2) measure and verify specimen quality, so researchers and clinicians can better understand whether a specimen is fit for its intended downstream analysis.
What kinds of technology solutions were in scope?
The FOA highlighted the development of new tools, devices, instrumentation, and supporting methods designed to minimize pre-analytical variation and help standardize biospecimen management under real-world conditions.
Did the FOA require a fully developed commercial product?
No. The expectation was not necessarily a fully mature commercial product, but rather strong technical feasibility and novelty that could later be expanded, validated, or translated for broader use.
What common sources of biospecimen degradation or variability did the FOA emphasize?
It emphasized issues such as suboptimal temperatures, delays before stabilization, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, mechanical stress, inconsistent processing workflows, and differences in collection environments across clinics and study sites.
What are examples of approaches that "protect" the sample?
The FOA provided examples such as rapid stabilization methods, improved preservation chemistries, protective collection systems, and storage solutions designed to reduce degradation and variability.
What are examples of approaches that "interrogate" or assess sample quality?
Examples mentioned included objective metrics, real-time sensors, or quality-control assays that indicate whether a specimen remains fit for a specific downstream analysis.
What did the FOA mean by "verification criteria" for quality assessment and quality control?
The FOA highlighted that applicants were expected to think beyond a single device or method and address how specimen quality would be measured, benchmarked, and confirmed across varying conditions.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated around five awards.
What was the award ceiling for this FOA?
The award ceiling listed was $200,000.
What grant mechanism was used?
This was an R21 mechanism, which typically supports exploratory and developmental work rather than large-scale, multi-year validation.
When was the opportunity posted/created?
It was posted and created on December 9, 2015.
What was the closing date for applications?
The closing date listed was September 26, 2016.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and additional eligible entities as described in the full announcement.
How did the FOA connect biospecimen quality to cancer health disparities?
It explicitly linked biospecimen quality improvements to progress on cancer health disparities, noting that variability in collection settings and resources can disproportionately affect sample quality across different populations and healthcare environments.
What kinds of cancer research or clinical areas were expected to benefit?
The FOA described broad potential impact, including strengthening studies of cancer biology and mechanisms, improving biomarker discovery and validation, supporting early detection and screening efforts, and enhancing clinical diagnosis and treatment decisions that rely on molecular measurements.
What problem was this FOA trying to solve?
It targeted a key bottleneck: even advanced genomic, proteomic, and molecular diagnostic tools can produce misleading results if the biospecimens going into them are compromised during pre-analytical handling.
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA CA 16 003) also looked into and applied for these:
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| Mechanism for Time-Sensitive Drug Abuse Research (R21) Apply for PAR 16 055 Funding Number: PAR 16 055 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Consortium: Coordinating Center (U24 ) Apply for PAR 16 050 Funding Number: PAR 16 050 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33) Apply for RFA CA 16 002 Funding Number: RFA CA 16 002 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Technologies for Cancer-Relevant Biospecimen Science (R33) Apply for RFA CA 16 004 Funding Number: RFA CA 16 004 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Consortium: Therapeutic Development and Mechanisms of Resistance (U01) Apply for PAR 16 049 Funding Number: PAR 16 049 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
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| Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Consortium: Innovative Approaches to the Prevention and Early Detection of Small Cell Lung Cancer (U01) Apply for PAR 16 051 Funding Number: PAR 16 051 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
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| Proteome Characterization Centers for Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (U24) Apply for RFA CA 15 021 Funding Number: RFA CA 15 021 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Innovative Questions in Symptom Science and Genomics (R15) Apply for PA 16 022 Funding Number: PA 16 022 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Improving Outcomes in Cancer Treatment-Related Cardiotoxicity (R01) Apply for PA 16 035 Funding Number: PA 16 035 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Drug Discovery For Nervous System Disorders (R21) Apply for PAR 16 042 Funding Number: PAR 16 042 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Revision Applications for Assay Validation For High Quality Markers For NCI-Supported Clinical Trials (U10) Apply for PAR 16 056 Funding Number: PAR 16 056 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Innovative Questions in Symptom Science and Genomics (R01) Apply for PA 16 024 Funding Number: PA 16 024 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Global Noncommunicable Diseases and Injury Across the Lifespan: Exploratory Research (R21) Apply for PAR 16 052 Funding Number: PAR 16 052 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $125,000 |
| Integration of Infectious Diseases and Substance Abuse Intervention Services for Individuals Living with HIV (R01) Apply for RFA DA 16 011 Funding Number: RFA DA 16 011 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Innovative Questions in Symptom Science and Genomics (R21) Apply for PA 16 023 Funding Number: PA 16 023 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (R01) Apply for PAR 16 059 Funding Number: PAR 16 059 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Applying Metabolomics to Drive Biomarker Discovery in Symptom Science (R01) Apply for PA 16 030 Funding Number: PA 16 030 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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