Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 15 310
Apply for PA 15 310
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Physical Activity and Weight Control Interventions Among Cancer Survivors Effects on Biomarkers of Prognosis and Survival (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research 93.399 Cancer Control.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 24, 2015 and posted on Jul 24, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 7, 2018. (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.
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Independent school districts County governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) City or township governments Small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Private institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities For profit organizations other than small businesses State governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH grant opportunity PA 15-310, titled "Physical Activity and Weight Control Interventions Among Cancer Survivors: Effects on Biomarkers of Prognosis and Survival (R21)," supports early-stage, exploratory research aimed at clarifying how lifestyle interventions might influence cancer outcomes after treatment. The central goal is not simply to test whether exercise or weight change is helpful in a general sense, but to pinpoint the specific biological and biobehavioral mechanisms that could explain changes in prognosis and survival among cancer survivors. The FOA is built around the idea that understanding these pathways will make future interventions more targeted, more effective, and easier to translate into survivorship care.
This announcement encourages studies that experimentally test the effects of physical activity by itself or physical activity combined with weight control strategies. "Weight control" here includes both intentional weight loss and preventing weight gain, which matters because many survivors face treatment-related metabolic shifts, reduced physical function, and long-term changes in body composition. A key emphasis is on measuring biomarkers tied to cancer prognosis, ideally biomarkers that have already shown promise in animal studies or observational human research, and then using interventions to see whether those biomarkers actually move in a favorable direction under controlled conditions.
A notable feature of this FOA is its push beyond the commonly studied insulin and glucose metabolism pathways. While metabolism is a major area in lifestyle-oncology research, this opportunity specifically calls for established biomarkers other than insulin/glucose as primary mechanistic targets. Examples could include inflammatory and immune-related markers, angiogenesis-related pathways, sex steroid signaling, stress and neuroendocrine measures, tumor microenvironment indicators, or other tumor biology signals linked to recurrence risk or survival. The FOA gives special attention to biomarkers obtained from tumor tissue, particularly when repeat biopsies are feasible, because tumor-based measures can provide more direct evidence about whether an intervention is influencing the biology most relevant to recurrence and progression.
The NIH also signals interest in the broader health realities of survivorship. Many cancer survivors ultimately do not experience recurrence, but instead face elevated risks from comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular disease, as well as earlier or accelerated aging-related changes. For that reason, the FOA invites inclusion of biomarkers related to comorbid disease processes and aging biology alongside cancer-focused markers. In practice, this could mean designing interventions that are mechanistically informative not only for recurrence and cancer-specific mortality, but also for overall survival, functional aging, and long-term health after cancer.
From a design standpoint, the FOA prioritizes experimental approaches that can support causal inference about mechanisms. Randomized controlled trials are explicitly encouraged, and the announcement also notes fractional factorial designs and other experimental frameworks that can efficiently test components, doses, or combinations of physical activity and weight control strategies. Because this is an R21 mechanism, the expectation is generally aligned with mechanistic, proof-of-concept, or developmental work that produces strong signals and methodological footing for larger confirmatory trials later.
The program is explicitly transdisciplinary and translational. Competitive applications are expected to integrate expertise across behavioral intervention science (for designing and delivering physical activity and/or weight interventions with real-world feasibility), cancer biology (to select meaningful tumor or systemic biomarkers and interpret them), and additional basic or clinical disciplines relevant to the pathway under study. In other words, the NIH is looking for teams that can connect what participants do (exercise, diet, weight management) to what changes in the body (biomarkers, tissue signals) and why those changes matter for cancer outcomes and overall survivorship.
Administratively, this is a discretionary NIH grant program using the R21 funding instrument. The posted and created date was July 24, 2015, and the opportunity closed on September 7, 2018, with an archive date of October 8, 2018. The award ceiling listed is $200,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The activity category is listed under education and health, and the CFDA numbers provided are 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) and 93.399 (Cancer Control), reflecting its prevention, survivorship, and cancer control focus.
Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S. governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, small businesses, and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) where permitted. The FOA also notes additional eligible applicant types such as faith-based and community-based organizations, federally eligible agencies, minority-serving institutions (including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian-serving institutions), tribally controlled colleges and universities, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the official announcement link is provided through the NIH grants guide.
Overall, PA 15-310 is best understood as an NIH effort to move lifestyle-oncology beyond broad associations and toward mechanism-driven survivorship science. It seeks carefully designed intervention studies that can demonstrate how physical activity and weight management influence specific, credible biomarkers tied to prognosis, while also acknowledging that survivorship outcomes often hinge on comorbidity and aging processes as much as on cancer recurrence itself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is NIH PA 15-310?
PA 15-310 is an NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "Physical Activity and Weight Control Interventions Among Cancer Survivors: Effects on Biomarkers of Prognosis and Survival (R21)." It supports early-stage, exploratory research focused on how lifestyle interventions may influence cancer-related outcomes after treatment by changing specific biological and biobehavioral mechanisms.
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
The main purpose is to identify and test specific mechanisms that could explain changes in cancer prognosis and survival among cancer survivors following physical activity and/or weight control interventions. The emphasis is on pinpointing credible pathways and biomarkers, not simply showing that exercise or weight change is "good" in general.
What types of interventions are encouraged?
The FOA encourages experimental studies that test: (1) physical activity interventions alone, or (2) physical activity combined with weight control strategies.
What does "weight control" mean in this FOA?
In this FOA, "weight control" includes both intentional weight loss and prevention of weight gain. This reflects survivorship realities such as treatment-related metabolic changes, reduced physical function, and long-term shifts in body composition.
What outcomes should the research measure?
The research is expected to measure biomarkers linked to cancer prognosis and survival, ideally biomarkers that already have supportive evidence from animal studies or observational human research, and then determine whether the intervention produces favorable changes in those biomarkers under controlled conditions.
Are insulin and glucose metabolism biomarkers allowed?
The FOA highlights that it is pushing beyond commonly studied insulin and glucose metabolism pathways. While metabolism is a major area in lifestyle-oncology, this opportunity specifically calls for established biomarkers other than insulin/glucose as primary mechanistic targets.
What kinds of biomarkers are of interest besides insulin/glucose?
Examples mentioned include inflammatory and immune-related markers, angiogenesis-related pathways, sex steroid signaling, stress and neuroendocrine measures, tumor microenvironment indicators, and other tumor biology signals linked to recurrence risk or survival.
Does the FOA encourage tumor tissue biomarkers?
Yes. The FOA gives special attention to biomarkers obtained from tumor tissue, particularly when repeat biopsies are feasible, because tumor-based measures can offer more direct evidence that an intervention is influencing biology relevant to recurrence and progression.
Can studies include biomarkers related to comorbidities and aging?
Yes. The FOA notes that many survivors do not experience recurrence but face elevated risks from comorbid conditions (such as cardiovascular disease) and accelerated or earlier aging-related changes. It invites inclusion of biomarkers related to comorbid disease processes and aging biology alongside cancer-focused markers.
What research designs are prioritized?
The FOA prioritizes experimental approaches that support causal inference about mechanisms. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are explicitly encouraged. It also notes fractional factorial designs and other experimental frameworks that can efficiently test components, doses, or combinations of physical activity and weight control strategies.
What is the funding mechanism for PA 15-310?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 funding instrument, which is generally aligned with mechanistic, proof-of-concept, or developmental work intended to generate strong signals and a foundation for larger confirmatory trials later.
What is the maximum award amount?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who is the sponsoring agency?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA numbers provided are 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) and 93.399 (Cancer Control), reflecting the opportunity's focus on prevention, survivorship, and cancer control.
What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of entities, including U.S. governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, and other for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) where permitted.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The FOA lists minority-serving institutions among eligible applicants, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, as well as tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA notes additional eligible applicant types such as faith-based and community-based organizations.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility section includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The FOA closed on September 7, 2018, and the archive date is October 8, 2018.
When was the FOA posted/created?
The posted and created date was July 24, 2015.
What is meant by "transdisciplinary and translational" in this FOA?
The FOA expects applications to integrate expertise across behavioral intervention science (to design and deliver feasible physical activity and/or weight interventions), cancer biology (to select and interpret meaningful tumor or systemic biomarkers), and other basic or clinical disciplines needed to study the pathway of interest. The intent is to connect what participants do (intervention behaviors) to what changes in the body (biomarkers) and why those changes matter for survivorship outcomes.
What is the overall scientific emphasis of PA 15-310?
PA 15-310 is positioned as a mechanism-driven survivorship research effort. It aims to move lifestyle-oncology beyond broad associations by supporting carefully designed intervention studies that can show how physical activity and weight management influence specific, credible biomarkers tied to prognosis, while also recognizing comorbidity and aging processes that affect long-term health and survival after cancer.
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