Neural Regulation of Cancer (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Neural Regulation of Cancer (R01) - PAR-16-245

What is the "Neural Regulation of Cancer (R01)" funding opportunity (PAR 16-245)?

PAR 16-245 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity for Research Project Grants (R01s) focused on understanding how the nervous system influences cancer. It is designed to support projects that bring neuroscience and oncology together to address cancer questions that can be difficult to solve using traditional cancer biology approaches alone.

Which agency administers this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is listed under HHS-NIH (HHS-NIH11).

What type of grant mechanism does this FOA use?

The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity mechanism is an NIH Research Project Grant (R01).

What is the main scientific goal of the program?

The main goal is to advance a clear, mechanistic understanding of how neural inputs and neural circuitry contribute to tumor biology, especially for cancers outside the central nervous system (non-CNS cancers). The FOA emphasizes mechanistic studies rather than purely observational or correlational work.

Why does this FOA emphasize collaboration between neuroscience and oncology?

The FOA is intended to foster truly collaborative, transdisciplinary research where investigators apply modern neuroscience concepts, tools, models, and reagents to cancer-focused questions. The idea is that neuroscience toolkits may enable new ways to test hypotheses about tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis that are not easily addressed with conventional cancer biology methods alone.

What kinds of research topics are relevant to this funding opportunity?

Relevant topics include (as described in the opportunity information): how nerves interact with tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment; how neurotransmitters or neuropeptides change tumor growth programs; how stress-related neural signaling affects immune function in ways that may benefit tumors; and how neural remodeling and tumor innervation patterns change during cancer development.

Does the FOA prioritize any particular type of evidence or study design?

Yes. The FOA is described as prioritizing rigorous, mechanistic research that explains how neural activity and neural-derived signals shape cancer outcomes, rather than studies that only report correlations between nerves and tumors.

Which cancer types are the primary focus: CNS or non-CNS cancers?

The program is particularly focused on tumor biology for cancers outside the central nervous system. The rationale is that neural regulation has historically been underappreciated in non-CNS tumors compared with genetic and immune drivers.

What neuroscience approaches are encouraged within cancer research projects?

Applicants are encouraged to leverage neuroscience knowledge and toolkits in tumor contexts. The information provided specifically points to approaches such as innovative neural recording/modulation methods, neural tracing, and optogenetic or chemogenetic strategies, among other neuroscience-driven models and reagents, when applied to cancer-focused questions.

How does this FOA connect basic mechanisms to potential clinical impact?

The longer-term rationale described is that understanding neural contributions to tumor behavior may open new angles for cancer prevention and treatment, especially in non-CNS cancers where neural influences may be overlooked.

What category does this opportunity fall under?

Administratively, it falls under discretionary grants and uses a grant funding instrument. The listed activity area is education and health.

What are the CFDA numbers associated with this program?

The information provided lists CFDA 93.396 and notes another CFDA entry that appears truncated in the source line.

When was this FOA created and posted?

The FOA was created and posted on May 9, 2016.

What is the closing date for the FOA, and is it currently open?

The closing date listed is June 27, 2019 (with the original and current closing dates matching). Based on that date, the specific posting referenced is no longer open, though similar NIH initiatives may be released under newer funding opportunity announcements.

Who is eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?

Eligibility is broad and includes many public and private organization types commonly eligible for NIH funding. The provided list includes: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions where specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations as described in NIH additional eligibility language.

Does the FOA encourage cross-sector and team-based proposals?

Yes. The wide eligibility list is presented as reflecting NIH's intent to encourage cross-sector collaboration and to enable teams that combine complementary neuroscience and cancer expertise to propose integrated projects.

What is the central concept behind the term "neural regulation of cancer" in this FOA?

In this context, it refers to how neural inputs, neural circuitry, and neural-derived signals (such as neurotransmitters and neuropeptides) may influence tumor biology, including initiation, progression, and metastasis, and how changes in innervation and neural remodeling may occur during cancer development.

What kinds of cancer biology questions is this FOA trying to help solve?

The FOA is positioned to help address cancer-focused questions that have been difficult to tackle using traditional cancer biology approaches alone, by importing modern neuroscience concepts and experimental strategies into tumor-focused research.

What is the intended research level or scope implied by an R01 in this context?

Within the information provided, the FOA is framed as supporting rigorous R01-level research that aims to deliver mechanistic insights into neural influences on tumor biology and that can serve as a foundation for future prevention or therapeutic ideas.