Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 13 019
Apply for RFA CA 13 019
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions Group B (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 93.394 Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research 93.395 Cancer Treatment Research 93.396 Cancer Biology Research 93.399 Cancer Control.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 30, 2013 and posted on Sep 30, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 2014. (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: City or township governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments Special district governments Small businesses County governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Independent school districts Private institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal 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 Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offered this grant opportunity to fund highly innovative, early-stage cancer research projects that directly respond to a defined set of "Provocative Questions" (Group B). The core idea behind the Provocative Questions initiative is to spotlight stubborn problems, surprising contradictions, and underexplored areas in cancer research and then invite researchers to tackle them head-on with creative approaches. Rather than trying to cover every priority area in cancer research, this program intentionally narrows the focus to specific questions that NCI judged to be important but not receiving enough attention, with the goal of nudging the field toward bolder ideas, unconventional hypotheses, and fresh experimental strategies.
This opportunity used the NIH R21 mechanism, which is designed for exploratory and developmental research. In practical terms, that means the program is meant to support projects that are high-impact and conceptually novel, including work that may be earlier in development than a typical large, hypothesis-saturated project. The emphasis is on generating new insights, testing innovative concepts, and producing proof-of-principle data that can open up new lines of inquiry around the designated questions. The award ceiling listed for this announcement was $200,000, signaling a smaller, targeted funding level consistent with the R21 goal of enabling feasibility testing and early discovery rather than full-scale multi-year programs.
The funding announcement was identified as RFA-CA-13-019 and titled "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions - Group B (R21)." It fell under discretionary grant funding and aligned with multiple cancer-related CFDA program areas, including cancer cause and prevention (93.393), detection and diagnosis (93.394), treatment (93.395), biology (93.396), and control (93.399). That spread reflects the intentionally broad scientific reach of the Provocative Questions concept: while each funded application needed to answer one of the specified questions, those questions can cut across the full cancer research continuum, from basic mechanisms and etiology to clinical detection, therapeutic response, and population-level outcomes.
Eligibility was expansive and included a wide range of applicant types: public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and multiple levels of government such as state, county, city/township, special district governments, and certain housing authorities. The announcement also explicitly included eligibility for many mission-relevant institutional categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and other minority-serving institutions (including AANAPISIs), along with faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. Notably, foreign participation was allowed: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) could apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were permitted. That design supports the reality that important cancer research questions are global and that key expertise, cohorts, models, or technologies may exist outside the United States.
From an administrative perspective, there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which is typical for NIH research grants and lowers barriers for participation. The announcement was posted and created on September 30, 2013, with an original and final application closing date of June 20, 2014, and it was archived on July 21, 2014. Applicants were directed to the full FOA text hosted on the NIH Grants Guide website, and NIH provided technical contact support through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access and linking issues.
Overall, this FOA can be understood as a targeted challenge program: NCI identified specific under-addressed, high-value questions in cancer research and used the R21 exploratory grant mechanism to encourage investigators to pursue imaginative, potentially field-shifting answers. The intent was not incremental progress on well-worn topics, but focused experimentation and conceptual advances aimed at resolving paradoxes and gaps that could meaningfully change how the cancer research community understands, detects, prevents, and treats cancer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity?
This is a National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions - Group B (R21)" (Funding Announcement: RFA-CA-13-019). It supports highly innovative, early-stage cancer research projects that directly address a defined set of NCI "Provocative Questions" (Group B).
Who is offering the funding?
The funding is offered by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the goal of the Provocative Questions initiative?
The initiative is designed to spotlight stubborn problems, surprising contradictions, and underexplored areas in cancer research and invite researchers to tackle them with creative approaches. The program intentionally narrows the focus to specific questions NCI judged to be important but not receiving enough attention.
What type of projects is NCI trying to fund through this FOA?
The FOA aims to fund projects that are high-impact and conceptually novel, with an emphasis on generating new insights, testing innovative concepts, and producing proof-of-principle (feasibility) data. The intent is to encourage bolder ideas, unconventional hypotheses, and fresh experimental strategies rather than incremental work on well-established topics.
What funding mechanism does this opportunity use?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory and developmental research.
What does the R21 mechanism imply about project stage and expectations?
Because it is an R21, the program is geared toward early-stage, exploratory work that may be earlier in development than larger, more mature research projects. The emphasis is on feasibility testing, early discovery, and generating initial data that can open new lines of inquiry related to the designated Provocative Questions.
How much funding is available per award under this announcement?
The award ceiling listed for this announcement is $200,000, reflecting a smaller, targeted funding level consistent with R21 exploratory goals.
What kinds of cancer research areas does this FOA cover?
While each funded application needed to answer one of the specified Provocative Questions, those questions may span the full cancer research continuum. The FOA aligns with multiple cancer-related CFDA program areas, including:
- 93.393: Cancer cause and prevention
- 93.394: Cancer detection and diagnosis
- 93.395: Cancer treatment
- 93.396: Cancer biology
- 93.399: Cancer control
Is this considered discretionary grant funding?
Yes. The announcement is described as falling under discretionary grant funding.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types, including:
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3))
- For-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits)
- Government entities such as state, county, city/township, and special district governments, and certain housing authorities
- Eligible federal agencies
- Faith-based and community-based organizations
- Minority-serving institutions, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and other minority-serving institutions (including AANAPISIs)
Are foreign organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. Foreign participation is allowed. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) may apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are permitted.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component in its application?
Yes. The FOA states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are permitted.
Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No. The FOA states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was this funding announcement posted and when did it close?
The announcement was posted/created on September 30, 2013. The original and final application closing date was June 20, 2014.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The FOA was archived on July 21, 2014, and the final application closing date was June 20, 2014.
Where can applicants find the full funding opportunity details?
Applicants were directed to the full FOA text hosted on the NIH Grants Guide website.
What if someone has trouble accessing the FOA or has linking issues?
NIH provided technical contact support through the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster for access and linking issues.
What is the central requirement for the proposed research?
The central requirement is that the proposed research directly responds to one of the defined "Provocative Questions" (Group B) specified by NCI for this announcement.
Why does this FOA focus on a narrow set of questions instead of broad cancer priorities?
The program intentionally narrows the focus to specific questions that NCI believed were high-value but under-addressed. The goal is to nudge the field toward bolder ideas, unconventional hypotheses, and fresh approaches aimed at resolving gaps, contradictions, and stubborn problems in cancer research.
How should this FOA be understood at a high level?
It is best understood as a targeted challenge program: NCI identified specific underexplored, important questions in cancer research and used the R21 exploratory mechanism to encourage imaginative, potentially field-shifting answers.
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| NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Research Bases (UM1) Apply for RFA CA 13 012 Funding Number: RFA CA 13 012 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Minority/Underserved Community Sites (UM1) Apply for RFA CA 13 014 Funding Number: RFA CA 13 014 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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