Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions Group B (R01) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions - Group B (R01) (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-12-017) is a National Cancer Institute grant opportunity designed to push cancer research in directions that are important but often overlooked. The core idea is simple: NCI identified a set of specific "provocative questions" that reflect stubborn problems, contradictions, or paradoxes in cancer research, and this R01 funding mechanism is meant to support investigators who propose strong, creative, and well-justified projects aimed directly at answering those questions. Rather than serving as a broad, comprehensive list of NCI priorities, the questions are intentionally selective and meant to spark unconventional thinking, encourage fresh approaches, and produce clear research answers to targeted scientific gaps.

The projects supported under this FOA are expected to use sound and innovative research strategies. In practice, that means applicants should propose rigorous study designs, compelling hypotheses, and methods that can realistically generate decisive insights, while also showing a willingness to challenge assumptions or use novel tools when appropriate. The emphasis is on resolving the kinds of issues that slow progress because they are conceptually difficult, underexplored, or do not fit neatly into more traditional funding lanes. The overall focus remains firmly within cancer research, but the announcement spans multiple parts of the cancer research continuum, including prevention, detection and diagnosis, treatment, and cancer biology. This broad scientific scope is reflected in the CFDA listings tied to the opportunity: 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research), 93.394 (Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research), 93.395 (Cancer Treatment Research), and 93.396 (Cancer Biology Research.

The funding instrument is a discretionary grant using the NIH R01 activity style, which typically supports investigator-initiated, hypothesis-driven research projects of substantial scope. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching, which reduces barriers for applicants and allows proposals to be driven primarily by scientific merit and feasibility rather than the ability to provide supplemental funds.

Eligibility for this FOA is broad and includes a wide range of organizations. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and multiple levels of government such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts. The eligibility list also includes public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. In addition, the FOA explicitly extends eligibility to a number of institution types and communities that NIH often highlights for inclusion, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). It also allows participation from Native American tribal governments, including federally recognized tribes, and recognizes regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions. Notably, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are included as eligible applicants, which signals openness to strong, relevant science regardless of geography, as long as the work aligns with the goals and requirements of the FOA.

Key administrative details situate the opportunity in a specific time window. The FOA was posted and created on September 21, 2012, with an original and current closing date of June 20, 2013. The archive date is July 21, 2013, meaning the announcement is no longer active for new submissions under that specific solicitation. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Cancer Institute, and the official full announcement was made available through the NIH grants portal at the provided link (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-12-017.html). For technical issues accessing the announcement or problems with links, the contact listed is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a targeted R01 mechanism built around a curated list of challenging cancer research questions. Its intent is to generate focused, high-impact advances by motivating researchers to tackle problems that are scientifically important but historically under-addressed, using approaches that are both rigorous and imaginative.

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