Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 12 020
Apply for RFA CA 12 020
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions Group C (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: Independent school districts Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments Private institutions of higher education City or township governments Special district governments Small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- 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:
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding opportunity titled "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions, Group C (R21)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-12-020) was a discretionary NIH grant program designed to stimulate creative, high-impact cancer research focused on a defined set of underexplored scientific puzzles. The central idea behind the Provocative Questions initiative is to spotlight specific "problems and paradoxes" in cancer research that are widely recognized as important, but historically have not received enough focused attention or fresh approaches. Rather than covering the entire cancer research landscape, this FOA intentionally narrows investigators onto particular questions that NCI believes could unlock meaningful advances if tackled with innovative strategies and sound experimental or analytic design.
This opportunity used the NIH R21 mechanism, which is generally intended for exploratory and developmental projects. In practical terms, that means the program was aimed at supporting early-stage, idea-driven studies that could open up new directions, test novel hypotheses, generate preliminary evidence, or establish proof-of-concept for approaches that might be too new or unconventional for more mature grant mechanisms. The FOA emphasized both rigor and innovation: applicants were expected to bring strong scientific rationale and feasible plans, while also pushing beyond routine extensions of existing work to address the targeted provocative questions directly. The subject areas aligned with core NCI mission space, including cancer cause and prevention, detection and diagnosis, treatment, and cancer biology, as reflected in the associated CFDA program areas (93.393, 93.394, 93.395, and 93.396).
From an administrative and funding standpoint, the program anticipated making around six awards, with an award ceiling of $200,000. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, so applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award. The FOA was posted on September 21, 2012, and the application window closed on June 20, 2013, after which it was archived on July 21, 2013. While the opportunity is no longer active, the archived announcement and related materials were made available through the NIH grants site, which is helpful for understanding how NCI framed the questions and what it expected from proposed projects.
Eligibility for this FOA was broad and inclusive, spanning a wide range of potential applicant organizations. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (including those outside the higher education sector), for-profit organizations other than small businesses as well as small businesses, and multiple levels of government such as state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts. The FOA also listed public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. Importantly, eligibility was explicitly extended to a variety of mission-serving and minority-serving institutions and entities, including 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 and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). In addition, tribal governments and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, eligible federal agencies, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) were included, signaling NCI's willingness to support strong ideas wherever the relevant expertise and capacity existed.
At its core, this FOA can be understood as a targeted catalyst: it was meant to encourage researchers to take on specific, well-defined questions that challenge assumptions and expose gaps in current understanding of cancer. By using the R21 mechanism, NCI positioned the program to fund projects that could move quickly, take calculated scientific risks, and generate the kind of results that either resolve a paradox directly or set the stage for larger, longer-term studies. For applicants, the key to alignment would have been demonstrating a clear connection to one of NCI's specified provocative questions, presenting a genuinely innovative approach to answering it, and laying out a credible plan that could produce meaningful insight within the scope and budget constraints of an exploratory grant.
For reference and historical details, NCI directed applicants to the full FOA text hosted on the NIH grants website (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-12-020.html). Technical or access issues were handled through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact (FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV), which was provided for support with accessing or linking to the announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This was a National Cancer Institute (NCI) discretionary NIH funding opportunity titled "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions, Group C (R21)" under Funding Opportunity Number (FON) RFA-CA-12-020. It was designed to stimulate creative, high-impact cancer research focused on a defined set of underexplored scientific puzzles identified by NCI.
What was the main goal of NCI's Provocative Questions initiative?
The Provocative Questions initiative aimed to spotlight specific "problems and paradoxes" in cancer research that are widely recognized as important, but historically have not received enough focused attention or fresh approaches. The FOA intentionally narrowed the scope to particular questions NCI believed could unlock meaningful advances if addressed with innovative strategies and sound study design.
What grant mechanism did this opportunity use?
This opportunity used the NIH R21 mechanism, which is generally intended for exploratory and developmental projects.
What kinds of projects were a fit for an R21 under this FOA?
The program was aimed at early-stage, idea-driven studies that could open new directions, test novel hypotheses, generate preliminary evidence, or establish proof-of-concept for approaches that might be too new or unconventional for more mature grant mechanisms.
How did the FOA balance innovation and scientific rigor?
The FOA emphasized both rigor and innovation. Applicants were expected to present a strong scientific rationale and feasible plans, while also going beyond routine extensions of existing work and directly addressing one of NCI's targeted provocative questions.
What research areas did this opportunity cover?
The subject areas aligned with NCI's mission space, including cancer cause and prevention, detection and diagnosis, treatment, and cancer biology, as reflected in the associated CFDA program areas: 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, and 93.396.
How many awards were anticipated?
The program anticipated making around six awards.
What was the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling was $200,000.
Was cost-sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award.
When was this FOA posted?
The FOA was posted on September 21, 2012.
When did the application window close?
The application window closed on June 20, 2013.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The opportunity is no longer active. It was archived on July 21, 2013.
Can the archived FOA still be useful?
Yes. The archived announcement and related materials remained available through the NIH grants site and can help with understanding how NCI framed the provocative questions and what it expected from proposed projects.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many organization types, such as: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (including nonprofits outside higher education); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other-than-small businesses); and multiple levels of government (state, county, city or township, special district governments, and independent school districts).
Were housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities were listed as eligible applicants.
Were minority-serving and mission-serving institutions eligible?
Yes. Eligibility explicitly included 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 and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
Were tribal entities eligible?
Yes. Tribal governments and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments) were included among eligible applicants.
Were U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions were included in the eligibility list.
Could federal agencies apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies were included as eligible applicants.
Were non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA included non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), indicating NCI's openness to supporting strong ideas wherever the appropriate expertise and capacity existed.
What was the most important alignment factor for applicants?
The key alignment factor was demonstrating a clear connection to one of NCI's specified provocative questions, paired with a genuinely innovative approach and a credible plan capable of producing meaningful insight within the scope and budget constraints of an exploratory R21 grant.
Where could applicants find the full FOA text?
NCI directed applicants to the full FOA text hosted on the NIH grants website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-12-020.html
Who could be contacted for technical or access issues related to the FOA posting?
Technical or access issues were handled through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster contact: FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV
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