National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Education and Career Development Program (R25) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the NCI Cancer Education and Career Development Program (CECDP)?

The CECDP is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) program that uses the NIH R25 education grant mechanism to support institutions in building and running structured, curriculum-based cancer research education programs. It is designed for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and emphasizes a formal curriculum combined with mentored research experiences and career development activities.

2) What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?

The central goal is to create a strong pipeline of scientists who can work effectively in interdisciplinary, collaborative cancer research environments. The program aims to prepare trainees to operate in team-science settings and to address complex cancer problems using cross-disciplinary approaches.

3) Is this opportunity intended to fund individual trainees directly?

No. This opportunity is intended to help institutions create or significantly enhance organized educational programs. It is not described as a mechanism to simply support individual trainees within existing training pathways.

4) What makes this FOA different from routine coursework or existing training programs?

A defining feature is that the program is curriculum-dependent and requires a specialized educational experience anchored by a defined curriculum with core didactic and research requirements. A key eligibility and review consideration is that the curriculum should not already be available at the participating institution(s) and must be essential to the program's research education and career development objectives.

5) What kinds of training activities are expected under CECDP?

The announcement emphasizes programs that combine formal didactic coursework with mentored research experiences and other career development components. The expectation is an organized, curriculum-based experience rather than informal or ad hoc training.

6) What does "interdisciplinary training" mean in the context of this program?

Interdisciplinary training here means bringing together multiple fields relevant to modern cancer research so that trainees gain exposure to different perspectives, methods, and team-science approaches beyond a single department or discipline. The program is intended to produce scientists who can collaborate across specialties in cross-disciplinary research environments.

7) What example areas of research and training does the FOA highlight?

The FOA highlights example areas that fit the program's intent, including cancer prevention and control, behavioral and population sciences, nutrition, imaging, and molecular diagnosis.

8) What is meant by "curriculum-dependent" for CECDP?

It means applicants are expected to provide a specialized educational experience anchored by a defined curriculum, including core didactic and research requirements. The curriculum must be tied in an essential way to the program's education and career development objectives and must fill a gap in what the institution(s) already offer.

9) Does the FOA require that the curriculum be new to the institution?

Yes. The FOA states that the curriculum should not already be available at the participating institution(s). The proposal needs to justify why a tailored curriculum is necessary and how it fills a gap in current institutional offerings.

10) What is the expected organizational structure of a CECDP-funded program?

The program is expected to be institutional and organized, with a Program Leader (principal investigator), participating faculty, and a permanent multidisciplinary Advisory Committee representing all disciplines and institutions involved. This structure supports oversight, coordination, and evaluation.

11) Who leads the program?

Each funded program includes a Program Leader who serves as the principal investigator (PI) and is responsible for leadership, management, coordination, and evaluation responsibilities as described in the FOA.

12) What is the role of the Advisory Committee?

The FOA calls for a permanent multidisciplinary Advisory Committee that represents all disciplines and institutions involved. This committee is part of the program's team-based structure and supports ongoing oversight, coordination, and evaluation.

13) Can CECDP funds be used for PI salary support?

Yes. The FOA allows salary support for the PI tied to leadership, management, coordination, and evaluation responsibilities.

14) Can CECDP funds be used to support faculty time and effort?

Yes. The FOA allows research and salary support for faculty who are critical to designing, developing, implementing, and refining the specialized curriculum and training activities required by the program.

15) Are award size and project duration fixed?

No. The FOA notes that the size and duration of awards are not fixed because NCI anticipates substantial variation across proposed programs. Funding levels and the number of awards depend on factors such as the mechanisms used, application quality, proposed project periods, and requested costs.

16) Are there multiple application receipt dates?

Yes. The FOA notes there are multiple receipt dates, with the specific timing and administrative details provided in the full announcement.

17) What types of U.S.-based organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other entities as described in the full FOA text.

18) Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.

19) Can this program overlap with other federally supported training programs at the institution?

No. The FOA states that the CECDP cannot significantly overlap, in whole or in part, with other institutional training or research career development programs at the institution(s) that receive federal support, such as T32, R25, or K12 programs. Applicants are expected to clearly differentiate the CECDP from existing federally supported training efforts.

20) How does the FOA address duplication with traditional NIH training mechanisms like T32?

The FOA states that CECDP should not be used for objectives that could be achieved through more traditional NIH training mechanisms, particularly the Ruth L. Kirchstein NRSA Institutional Training Grant (T32). The CECDP is meant to support distinct, curriculum-based cancer research education programs rather than duplicating standard training objectives.

21) What does an applicant need to show to avoid overlap with existing programs?

Based on the FOA language, applicants must clearly differentiate the proposed CECDP from other federally supported institutional training and career development programs and demonstrate that the proposed program is distinct in goals, content, and supported activities.

22) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-06-511.

23) What is the activity category listed for this opportunity?

The activity category is Education/Health.

24) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 93.398 (Cancer Research Manpower).

25) What type of grant opportunity is this?

It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.

26) When was this opportunity posted, and when was it archived?

It was posted on August 4, 2006, and has an archive date of February 7, 2010.

27) Where can the full announcement be found?

The full announcement is available through the NIH Grants Guide at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-06-511.html.

28) Who should be contacted for help accessing the announcement link?

The source information states that assistance with access or link issues is handled through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact listed in the notice.