Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 12 018
Apply for RFA CA 12 018
- 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.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 21, 2012 and posted on Sep 21, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 2013. (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.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities State governments County governments Independent school districts Small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses.
- 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 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:
Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions Group B (R21) (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-12-018) was a National Cancer Institute grant opportunity designed to push cancer research toward overlooked but high-impact problems. Instead of broadly funding any topic within oncology, this program focused on a specific set of "provocative questions" curated by NCI. These questions were framed around persistent paradoxes and stubborn gaps in understanding across cancer biology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. The central idea was to encourage researchers to take on topics that the field recognizes as important, but that historically have not attracted enough attention or conventional funding, often because they are risky, unconventional, or technically challenging.
The award mechanism was the NIH R21, which is meant for exploratory and developmental research. In practical terms, that means the program was geared toward early-stage, innovative projects that could open up new directions rather than deliver a fully mature, large-scale research program. The announcement emphasized using "sound and innovative research strategies," signaling that novelty alone was not enough; proposals still needed credible scientific rationale and methods, even if the work was exploratory. The award ceiling listed for this opportunity was $200,000, and the program anticipated making about 6 awards. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which typically lowers barriers for applicants who might not have additional funds to contribute.
The opportunity sat within NIH's broader cancer research funding landscape and mapped to several cancer-related CFDA program areas: 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). That mix reflects the cross-cutting nature of the Provocative Questions initiative: the intent was not to limit projects to one slice of the pipeline, but to invite creative approaches wherever a particular "question" pointed, from mechanistic lab work to translational and clinical implications, as long as the research directly addressed one of the designated provocative questions.
Eligibility was intentionally broad and included a wide range of organization types. Eligible applicants covered public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and many levels of government entities such as state, county, city/township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly included a number of institution types and special categories, 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 AANAPISI institutions. Beyond that, it allowed eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), indicating NCI's interest in attracting strong ideas regardless of geography, as long as the application met NIH requirements.
Timing-wise, the announcement was posted and created on September 21, 2012, with an original and current closing date of June 20, 2013. It was archived on July 21, 2013, meaning it was a time-limited solicitation rather than an open-ended funding mechanism. The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health, through the National Cancer Institute. For applicants who needed the full details, NIH provided an official FOA page (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-12-018.html) and directed technical access issues to the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV), reflecting the standard NIH support pathway for announcement access and linking problems.
Overall, this grant opportunity can be understood as a targeted, innovation-forward R21 call: small, exploratory awards aimed at catalyzing fresh thinking and early evidence around specific NCI-identified cancer research puzzles. The program's structure, limited number of expected awards, and emphasis on provocative, underexplored questions all signaled that NCI was looking for projects that could change how people think about a hard problem, even if the work was still at a formative stage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the purpose of the "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions Group B (R21)" funding opportunity?
This National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding opportunity was designed to push cancer research toward overlooked but potentially high-impact problems. Rather than funding broadly across any oncology topic, it targeted a specific set of NCI-curated "provocative questions" aimed at persistent paradoxes and stubborn gaps in understanding across cancer biology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
What does "Provocative Questions Group B" mean in this context?
It refers to a designated set of NCI-selected "provocative questions" included under this particular solicitation. Projects were expected to directly address one of those specific questions, which were framed to encourage work on important topics that have historically received less attention or conventional funding because they can be risky, unconventional, or technically challenging.
What funding mechanism does this opportunity use?
The opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is intended for exploratory and developmental research. This generally aligns with early-stage, innovative projects that can open new directions rather than support a fully mature, large-scale research program.
What kind of research projects were intended to be a good fit for this R21?
The announcement emphasized "sound and innovative research strategies." In practical terms, it sought projects that were exploratory and innovative, but still grounded in credible scientific rationale and methods. The overall goal was to catalyze fresh thinking and early evidence around underexplored cancer research puzzles identified by NCI.
How is this opportunity different from a broad cancer research funding announcement?
Instead of accepting any topic within oncology, this program was structured around a specific list of NCI-identified provocative questions. The intention was to focus applicant effort on gaps and paradoxes the field recognizes as important but that may be underfunded due to perceived risk or difficulty.
What is the maximum award amount for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling for this opportunity was $200,000.
How many awards did NCI expect to make?
The program anticipated making about 6 awards.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Which agency sponsored this funding opportunity?
The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-CA-12-018.
What is the grant opportunity title associated with RFA-CA-12-018?
The opportunity is titled "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions Group B (R21)."
Which cancer research areas did this program map to (CFDA program areas)?
This opportunity mapped to several cancer-related CFDA program areas: 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).
Does the opportunity limit proposals to a single part of the cancer research pipeline?
No. The CFDA coverage and description indicate it was intended to be cross-cutting. Projects could span from mechanistic cancer biology to translational and clinical implications, as long as the research directly addressed one of the designated provocative questions.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many organization types, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and multiple levels of government entities (state, county, city/township, special district, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities).
Were minority-serving institutions specifically included as eligible applicants?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included categories 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 AANAPISI institutions.
Could federal agencies apply?
Yes. The eligibility description included eligible federal agencies.
Could applicants from U.S. territories or possessions apply?
Yes. The eligibility description included U.S. territories or possessions.
Were foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The eligibility description indicated that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) were allowed, reflecting an interest in attracting strong ideas regardless of geography, as long as NIH requirements were met.
When was the announcement posted and created?
The announcement was posted and created on September 21, 2012.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed for the opportunity was June 20, 2013.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. It was archived on July 21, 2013, indicating it was a time-limited solicitation rather than an open-ended funding mechanism.
Where can applicants find the official FOA details?
The official FOA page was provided by NIH at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-12-018.html
Who should be contacted for technical access issues with the FOA page?
The announcement directed technical access issues to the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
What was the central goal NCI signaled through the structure of this program?
It was a targeted, innovation-forward R21 call intended to catalyze early evidence and new ways of thinking about specific NCI-identified cancer research problems. The limited number of anticipated awards and the focus on provocative, underexplored questions highlighted an interest in projects that could change how researchers approach a hard problem, even at a formative stage.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions Group C (R01) Apply for RFA CA 12 019 Funding Number: RFA CA 12 019 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions Group C (R21) Apply for RFA CA 12 020 Funding Number: RFA CA 12 020 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions Group D (R01) Apply for RFA CA 12 021 Funding Number: RFA CA 12 021 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions Group D (R21) Apply for RFA CA 12 022 Funding Number: RFA CA 12 022 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancer for Years 2013 and 2014 (P50) Apply for PAR 12 296 Funding Number: PAR 12 296 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Drug Abuse Aspects of HIV/AIDS (R01) Apply for PA 12 293 Funding Number: PA 12 293 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Drug Abuse Aspects of HIV/AIDS (R03) Apply for PA 12 294 Funding Number: PA 12 294 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Drug Abuse Aspects of HIV/AIDS (R21) Apply for PA 12 295 Funding Number: PA 12 295 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Mechanism for Time Sensitive Drug Abuse Research (R21) Apply for PAR 12 297 Funding Number: PAR 12 297 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) for NCI designated Cancer Centers (P30) Apply for PAR 12 298 Funding Number: PAR 12 298 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| Early Stage Development of Innovative Technologies for Biospecimen Science (R21) Apply for RFA CA 13 003 Funding Number: RFA CA 13 003 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Validation and Advanced Development of Emerging Technologies for Biospecimen Science (R33) Apply for RFA CA 13 004 Funding Number: RFA CA 13 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Limited Competition Palliative Care Research Co Operative (PCRC) (U24) Apply for RFA NR 13 004 Funding Number: RFA NR 13 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Utilizing the PLCO Biospecimens Resource to Bridge Gaps in Cancer Etiology and Early Detection Research (U01) Apply for PAR 13 036 Funding Number: PAR 13 036 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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