Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 28 057
Apply for PAR 28 057
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium: Management and Data Coordination Unit (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-09-25.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-05-25.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is inviting applications under NOFO PAR-28-057 to create the Management and Data Coordination Unit (MDCU) for the Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium (PCDC). This is a cooperative agreement (U24) focused on building and running the consortiums central coordination and data infrastructure rather than funding a standalone research project. The broader PCDC mission is to advance early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and to better understand and characterize PDAC precursor lesions, with the practical goal of identifying which patients are most likely to progress to cancer. This aligns with a key research priority laid out in NCIs 2014 Scientific Framework for PDAC, emphasizing earlier detection and risk stratification as major levers for improving outcomes in a disease that is often diagnosed too late for effective treatment.
The MDCU is intended to function as the operational backbone of the consortium. Its responsibilities center on enabling and harmonizing collaborative research across the PCDC, including support for study design, protocol development, statistical planning and analysis, and day-to-day coordination. A major component of the role is data coordination and management, which typically involves building common data elements, setting up standardized data capture and quality-control processes, managing secure data transfer and storage, and ensuring that data from multiple sites can be combined and compared in a consistent way. Because the opportunity is explicitly marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," the funded unit is not expected to run an interventional clinical trial; instead, it supports the consortiums research operations and analytics, which may include observational studies, biospecimen-linked studies, and methods development that do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial.
Beyond data and analytics, the MDCU is also expected to coordinate and support biorepository-building efforts across the consortium. In practical terms, that can include developing shared procedures for biospecimen collection, processing, annotation, tracking, shipping, and storage, along with the informatics systems needed to link specimens to clinical and molecular data. The MDCU also provides organizational and logistical support for consortium activities, which commonly includes planning meetings and working groups, managing communications, tracking milestones and deliverables, supporting governance processes, and maintaining documentation so that multi-institutional work proceeds smoothly and transparently.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and government entities, including state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other eligible tribal organizations; various nonprofit categories; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other eligible applicants listed in the NOFO. However, international participation is restricted in a straightforward way: non-U.S. (foreign) organizations cannot apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed under this funding opportunity. Applicants are directed to consult Section III of the NOFO for the full eligibility details and any special conditions.
From the funding and administrative perspective, the program sits within NIH (agency) and NCI (institute) and is categorized under health (CFDA 93.393). The opportunity is discretionary and uses the cooperative agreement model, which generally means NCI expects to have substantial programmatic involvement with the awardee compared to a standard grant. The application window runs through an original closing date of 2027-05-25. The award ceiling is listed as $500,000, and NCI anticipates making a single award, indicating that one organization will be selected to serve as the centralized MDCU for the consortium.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is an NCI (National Cancer Institute) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under PAR-28-057 to establish the Management and Data Coordination Unit (MDCU) for the Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium (PCDC). It uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U24) focused on building and operating the consortium's central coordination and data infrastructure.
2) What is the purpose of the MDCU?
The MDCU is intended to serve as the operational backbone of the PCDC. Its purpose is to enable and harmonize collaborative work across the consortium by providing centralized coordination, data infrastructure, and analytics support rather than conducting a standalone research project.
3) Is this a research grant to fund a single scientific project?
No. The MDCU award is described as supporting the consortium's central coordination and data infrastructure. The emphasis is on operational support functions such as study design support, protocol development, statistical planning and analysis, and cross-site coordination.
4) What is the broader mission of the Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium (PCDC)?
The PCDC mission is to advance early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and to better understand and characterize PDAC precursor lesions. A practical goal is to identify which patients are most likely to progress to cancer, supporting improved outcomes through earlier detection and risk stratification.
5) How does this opportunity align with NCI priorities?
The opportunity aligns with a key research priority in NCI's 2014 Scientific Framework for PDAC, which highlights earlier detection and risk stratification as major levers for improving outcomes in a disease often diagnosed too late for effective treatment.
6) What are the core responsibilities of the MDCU?
Responsibilities include enabling and harmonizing collaborative research across PCDC sites, supporting study design and protocol development, providing statistical planning and analysis, and handling day-to-day consortium coordination and operations.
7) What does "data coordination and management" mean in this NOFO?
Data coordination and management typically includes building common data elements, establishing standardized data capture and quality-control processes, managing secure data transfer and storage, and ensuring data from multiple sites can be combined and compared consistently.
8) Does this award support clinical trials?
No. The opportunity is explicitly marked "Clinical Trial Not Allowed." The funded unit is not expected to run an interventional clinical trial. The MDCU supports consortium operations and analytics, including areas such as observational studies, biospecimen-linked studies, and methods development that do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial.
9) What kinds of studies might the MDCU support if clinical trials are not allowed?
Based on the description, MDCU support may include observational studies, biospecimen-linked studies, and methods development, as long as the activities do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial.
10) What role does the MDCU play in biorepository efforts?
The MDCU is expected to coordinate and support biorepository-building efforts across the consortium. This can include developing shared procedures for biospecimen collection, processing, annotation, tracking, shipping, and storage, along with informatics systems that link specimens to clinical and molecular data.
11) Does the MDCU handle consortium communications and logistics?
Yes. The MDCU is expected to provide organizational and logistical support for consortium activities, commonly including planning meetings and working groups, managing communications, tracking milestones and deliverables, supporting governance processes, and maintaining documentation for transparent multi-institutional collaboration.
12) What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This is a cooperative agreement (U24). The cooperative agreement model generally indicates that NCI expects substantial programmatic involvement with the awardee compared to a standard grant.
13) Which agencies are involved?
The program sits within NIH (the agency) and NCI (the institute).
14) What is the program category and CFDA number?
The opportunity is categorized under health, with CFDA 93.393.
15) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and government entities, including state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other eligible tribal organizations; various nonprofit categories; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other eligible applicants listed in the NOFO.
16) Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. (foreign) organizations cannot apply under this opportunity.
17) Can a U.S. organization apply if it has a non-U.S. component?
Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible under this funding opportunity.
18) Are foreign components allowed in any form?
No. Foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed under this funding opportunity.
19) Where should applicants look for complete eligibility rules and any special conditions?
Applicants are directed to consult Section III of the NOFO for full eligibility details and any special conditions.
20) What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is listed as $500,000.
21) How many awards does NCI expect to make?
NCI anticipates making a single award, meaning one organization is expected to be selected to serve as the centralized MDCU for the consortium.
22) What is the application deadline or closing date?
The application window runs through an original closing date of 2027-05-25.
23) What does it mean that this opportunity is "discretionary"?
The opportunity is described as discretionary. (No further explanation is provided in the opportunity summary beyond that label.)
24) What is the main deliverable expected from the awardee?
The main deliverable is a functioning, centralized Management and Data Coordination Unit that supports PCDC operations by providing coordination, data infrastructure, standardization, analytics support, and biorepository coordination across consortium sites.
25) What types of infrastructure activities are implied for multi-site data harmonization?
The description implies development of common data elements, standardized data capture, quality-control workflows, secure data transfer and storage procedures, and practices that allow consistent cross-site data integration and comparison.
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