Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 11 011
Apply for RFA CA 11 011
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Answers to NCIs Provocative Questions (R01)" 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 Aug 25, 2011 and posted on Aug 25, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 14, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $10,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses For profit organizations other than small businesses County governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 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:
Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions (R01) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity led by the National Cancer Institute that aims to push cancer research toward a set of deliberately targeted, high-impact problems. Instead of broadly covering every cancer research priority, this program is built around NCI's "Provocative Questions" (PQs), which are carefully selected scientific puzzles, contradictions, and underexplored observations that NCI considers important but insufficiently studied. The central idea is to motivate investigators to tackle questions that may be conceptually difficult, risky, or simply overlooked, using rigorous and creative research approaches that can generate clear answers and move the field forward.
The mechanism used is the NIH R01 research project grant, meaning applicants are expected to propose a defined research plan with strong scientific rationale, appropriate methodology, and a feasible strategy for producing meaningful results. Projects should be designed specifically to address one or more of the identified Provocative Questions, and the emphasis is on sound and innovative strategies, not incremental extensions of well-worn lines of work. A notable feature of this program is that some PQs are drawn from older or neglected scientific findings that have never been adequately followed up, signaling that strong applications could come from revisiting overlooked data or paradoxical results with modern tools, better models, improved measurement, or new conceptual frameworks.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (not a contract), and it falls under health and research-oriented activity categories tied to multiple cancer research domains. The opportunity is associated with several CFDA program areas, including cancer cause and prevention (93.393), detection and diagnosis (93.394), treatment (93.395), and cancer biology (93.396). That spread reflects how PQs can cut across the full cancer research pipeline, from mechanisms and risk to detection and therapeutic response, as long as the project is anchored to the provocative-question framework.
The estimated total funding amount listed for the opportunity is $10,000,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which means applicants are not required to contribute non-federal matching funds as a condition of receiving an award. The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-CA-11-011, and the posting and creation date are August 25, 2011. The original and current closing date is November 14, 2011, and the archive date is December 15, 2011, indicating this particular announcement is no longer active but remains part of the historical NIH funding record.
Eligibility is broad and designed to attract a wide range of capable research performers. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with specific distinctions noted), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and various levels of government such as state and county governments. The eligibility language also explicitly includes several institution types often highlighted in federal programs, 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 U.S. territories or possessions. Importantly, foreign institutions are eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations may also participate; foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This makes the program structurally open to international expertise when it strengthens the scientific plan and helps answer the targeted PQs.
For applicants seeking the official announcement details, NCI provided an additional information link hosted on the NIH grants site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-11-011.html). Administrative support contacts are routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster for access or linking issues, reflecting that the scientific specifics and PQ list would be contained in the full FOA document while the summary framing in the public listing highlights the program's intent: concentrate research effort on a curated set of hard, important, and under-addressed cancer research questions, and reward well-designed R01 projects that can produce concrete answers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions (R01)" opportunity?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that supports research projects aimed at answering NCI's deliberately selected "Provocative Questions" (PQs). The program is designed to push cancer research toward specific, high-impact problems rather than broadly covering all cancer research priorities.
What are NCI "Provocative Questions" (PQs)?
PQs are carefully selected scientific puzzles, contradictions, or underexplored observations that NCI considers important but insufficiently studied. They are intended to motivate investigators to pursue rigorous and creative research that can generate clear answers and move the field forward.
What type of funding mechanism does this opportunity use?
The opportunity uses the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism. Applicants are expected to propose a defined research plan with a strong scientific rationale, appropriate methodology, and a feasible strategy for producing meaningful results.
Does my project have to address a Provocative Question directly?
Yes. Projects should be designed specifically to address one or more of the identified Provocative Questions, and the project should be anchored to the provocative-question framework.
What kind of research approach is emphasized in this program?
The emphasis is on sound and innovative strategies rather than incremental extensions of well-established lines of work. The program is intended to support research that may be conceptually difficult, risky, or overlooked, as long as the approach is rigorous and capable of producing clear answers.
Can applicants propose revisiting older or neglected findings?
Yes. A notable feature of the PQ framework is that some questions are drawn from older or neglected scientific findings that were never adequately followed up. Strong applications may come from revisiting overlooked data or paradoxical results using modern tools, better models, improved measurement, or new conceptual frameworks.
Is this opportunity a grant or a contract?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity (not a contract).
What cancer research areas does the opportunity cover?
The PQs can cut across the full cancer research pipeline, including mechanisms and risk, detection, diagnosis, and therapeutic response, as long as the project is tied to one or more Provocative Questions.
Which CFDA program areas are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with multiple CFDA program areas: cancer cause and prevention (93.393), detection and diagnosis (93.394), treatment (93.395), and cancer biology (93.396).
What is the estimated total funding amount listed for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding amount listed is $10,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants are not required to contribute non-federal matching funds as a condition of receiving an award.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-CA-11-011.
When was this opportunity posted?
The posting and creation date is August 25, 2011.
What were the closing and archive dates for this opportunity?
The original and current closing date is November 14, 2011, and the archive date is December 15, 2011.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. Based on the listed closing and archive dates, this particular announcement is no longer active and remains part of the historical NIH funding record.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, with distinctions noted), small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and government entities such as state and county governments.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically included in eligibility?
Yes. The eligibility language explicitly includes institution types commonly highlighted in federal programs, 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 U.S. territories or possessions.
Are foreign organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. Foreign institutions are eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations may also participate. Foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Where can applicants find the official announcement and details (including the PQ list)?
NCI provided an official link on the NIH grants site: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-11-011.html. The full FOA document is where the scientific specifics and the Provocative Questions list would be contained.
Who should be contacted for website access or linking issues related to the announcement?
Administrative support contacts for access or linking issues are routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research webmaster.
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