Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 228
Apply for PAR 16 228
- The HHS-NIH11 in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Metabolic Reprogramming to Improve Immunotherapy (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.396,.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 06, 2016 and posted on May 06, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 07, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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 Metabolic Reprogramming to Improve Immunotherapy (R01) funding opportunity (PAR 16-228) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant announcement focused on strengthening cancer immunotherapy by understanding and intentionally altering metabolism. The central idea is that immune cells and tumor cells compete for nutrients and operate under harsh conditions inside tumors, and those metabolic constraints can strongly shape whether an immune response is potent and durable or weak and exhausted. Through the R01 mechanism, the FOA seeks full-scale, hypothesis-driven research projects that explain how metabolism influences anti-tumor immunity in living systems and then translate those insights into strategies that improve immunotherapy performance.
A major emphasis is on building a mechanistic, in vivo understanding of the metabolic programs that enable strong anti-tumor immune responses. Projects are expected to move beyond descriptive observations and identify causal pathways, checkpoints, and metabolic dependencies that govern immune cell activation, proliferation, persistence, and effector function in tumors. This can include studying how specific metabolic routes (such as glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, amino acid metabolism, and nucleotide biosynthesis) support different immune cell states, and how shifts in those pathways influence outcomes like tumor killing, memory formation, and resistance to exhaustion.
A second core objective is to determine how the tumor microenvironment (TME) shapes immune function through its metabolic landscape. Tumors often create nutrient-poor, hypoxic, acidic environments enriched with immunosuppressive metabolites, and those conditions can directly impair T cells, natural killer cells, and antigen-presenting cells. Applications aligned with the FOA would examine how factors such as oxygen limitation, lactate accumulation, altered pH, competition for glucose or amino acids, and tumor-driven metabolic byproducts affect immune effector functions and immune regulation. The expectation is that investigators will clarify which TME metabolic features are most responsible for blunting immune responses and identify leverage points that could be targeted therapeutically.
A third and highly translational goal is to use this metabolic knowledge to manipulate, or "reprogram," relevant pathways in tumor cells, immune cells, or both to improve immunotherapy. This includes developing and testing interventions that enhance immune cell fitness in tumors, reduce tumor-mediated metabolic suppression, or alter metabolic competition in favor of immune effectors. The FOA is aimed at research that can inform combination strategies, for example pairing checkpoint blockade, adoptive cell therapy, vaccines, or other immune-based treatments with metabolic interventions that make the tumor environment less hostile or make immune cells more resilient and effective.
From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, this is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the activity category listed under education and health and CFDA numbers 93.396. It is open to a broad range of applicant organizations, including state, county, and local governments; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses, with an additional catch-all category for other eligible entities as clarified in the full announcement. The funding instrument is the R01 research project grant, which typically supports substantial multi-year research programs with clearly defined aims, rigorous experimental plans, and strong justification for significance and innovation.
Key dates provided in the source indicate the opportunity was created and posted on May 6, 2016, with an original and current closing date of September 7, 2019. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the excerpt, which usually means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text for budget guidance, award ranges, institute participation, and any specific funding expectations.
Overall, this FOA is designed for teams working at the intersection of tumor immunology, metabolism, and translational cancer research who can connect metabolic mechanisms to immune performance in tumors and propose actionable approaches to rewire those metabolic constraints to make immunotherapies work better, more consistently, and potentially across more tumor types.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Metabolic Reprogramming to Improve Immunotherapy (R01) and is identified as PAR 16-228.
Which agency is offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
What is the main purpose of PAR 16-228?
The goal is to strengthen cancer immunotherapy by understanding how metabolism shapes anti-tumor immune responses and by intentionally altering (reprogramming) metabolic pathways to improve immunotherapy performance in tumors.
What is the central scientific idea behind the FOA?
The FOA is built around the idea that immune cells and tumor cells compete for nutrients and function under harsh tumor conditions. These metabolic constraints can determine whether immune responses are strong and durable or become weak and exhausted.
What funding mechanism does this FOA use?
The funding instrument is the R01 research project grant, which generally supports substantial, multi-year, hypothesis-driven research with clearly defined aims and rigorous experimental plans.
What kind of research projects is this FOA looking for?
The FOA seeks full-scale, hypothesis-driven projects that (1) explain how metabolism influences anti-tumor immunity in living systems and (2) translate those insights into strategies that improve immunotherapy.
Does the FOA emphasize in vivo studies?
Yes. A major emphasis is on building a mechanistic, in vivo understanding of metabolic programs that enable strong anti-tumor immune responses.
Is descriptive work enough for this opportunity?
No. The FOA expects projects to move beyond descriptive observations and identify causal pathways, checkpoints, and metabolic dependencies that govern immune cell behavior in tumors.
Which immune cell behaviors are of interest?
The FOA highlights immune cell activation, proliferation, persistence, and effector function in tumors, including how metabolism influences outcomes like tumor killing, memory formation, and resistance to exhaustion.
What metabolic pathways or routes are mentioned as examples?
Examples include glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, amino acid metabolism, and nucleotide biosynthesis.
How does the tumor microenvironment (TME) fit into this FOA?
A core objective is to determine how the metabolic landscape of the tumor microenvironment shapes immune function, including how tumor conditions suppress or impair anti-tumor immunity.
What tumor microenvironment conditions are specifically called out?
The FOA notes that tumors can be nutrient-poor, hypoxic, and acidic, and can be enriched with immunosuppressive metabolites. It also points to factors like oxygen limitation, lactate accumulation, altered pH, and competition for glucose or amino acids.
Which immune cell types are mentioned as being affected by the TME?
The FOA references impacts on T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and antigen-presenting cells.
What does "metabolic reprogramming" mean in the context of this FOA?
In this FOA, metabolic reprogramming refers to manipulating relevant metabolic pathways in tumor cells, immune cells, or both to improve immunotherapy outcomes, such as enhancing immune fitness in tumors or reducing tumor-driven metabolic suppression.
Is this FOA intended to support translational research?
Yes. A key goal is to use metabolic insights to develop and test strategies that can improve immunotherapy performance, including approaches that inform combination strategies.
What kinds of immunotherapy combinations are mentioned?
The FOA gives examples of pairing metabolic interventions with checkpoint blockade, adoptive cell therapy, vaccines, or other immune-based treatments.
What types of applicant organizations are eligible to apply?
The excerpt indicates broad eligibility, including: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and a catch-all category for other eligible entities as clarified in the full announcement.
What is the activity category listed for this opportunity?
The activity category is listed under education and health.
What CFDA number(s) are associated with this opportunity?
The excerpt lists CFDA 93.396.
When was this opportunity posted?
The listing indicates it was created and posted on May 6, 2016.
What is the closing date for this opportunity?
The excerpt lists an original and current closing date of September 7, 2019.
Does the excerpt include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The excerpt states that an award ceiling and expected number of awards are not provided there, and applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA text for budget guidance and funding expectations.
What additional details might require checking the full FOA?
Based on the excerpt, items like budget guidance, award ranges, institute participation, and any specific funding expectations would usually be found in the full FOA text rather than in the listing excerpt.
Who is this FOA best suited for?
It is designed for teams working at the intersection of tumor immunology, metabolism, and translational cancer research, particularly those who can connect metabolic mechanisms to immune performance in tumors and propose actionable approaches to improve immunotherapies.
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| Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research (CSER2) - Clinical Sites with Enhanced Diversity (U01) Apply for RFA HG 16 011 Funding Number: RFA HG 16 011 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research (CSER2) - Clinical Sites (U01) Apply for RFA HG 16 010 Funding Number: RFA HG 16 010 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
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| Neural Regulation of Cancer (R21) Apply for PAR 16 246 Funding Number: PAR 16 246 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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| Gene Fusions in Pediatric Sarcomas (R01) Apply for PA 16 251 Funding Number: PA 16 251 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Gene Fusions in Pediatric Sarcomas (R21) Apply for PA 16 252 Funding Number: PA 16 252 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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| Predicting Behavioral Responses to Population-Level Cancer Control Strategies (R21) Apply for PAR 16 257 Funding Number: PAR 16 257 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
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| Cancer-related Behavioral Research through Integrating Existing Data (R01) Apply for PAR 16 256 Funding Number: PAR 16 256 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Mechanisms of Cancer and Treatment-related Symptoms and Toxicities (R21) Apply for PA 16 258 Funding Number: PA 16 258 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R21) Apply for PAR 16 261 Funding Number: PAR 16 261 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Development and Application of PET and SPECT Imaging Ligands as Biomarkers for Drug Discovery and for Pathophysiological Studies of CNS Disorders (R01) Apply for PAR 16 266 Funding Number: PAR 16 266 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Serious Adverse Drug Reaction Research (R21) Apply for PAR 16 274 Funding Number: PAR 16 274 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Serious Adverse Drug Reaction Research (R01) Apply for PAR 16 275 Funding Number: PAR 16 275 Agency: HHS-NIH11 Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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