Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Consortium: Innovative Approaches to the Prevention and Early Detection of Small Cell Lung Cancer (U01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?

The opportunity is titled "Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Consortium: Innovative Approaches to the Prevention and Early Detection of Small Cell Lung Cancer (U01)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-16-051.

Which federal agency is offering and administering this opportunity?

The administering agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), listed as HHS-NIH11.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The purpose is to build and support coordinated research teams (an SCLC Consortium) focused on stopping small-cell lung cancer earlier in its disease course by advancing prevention strategies and enabling earlier detection in people most likely to develop SCLC.

How is this program different from typical cancer research that focuses on treatment?

Rather than concentrating primarily on treatment of established SCLC, this program targets the period before full-blown, clinically diagnosable SCLC appears. The emphasis is on what happens earlier (premalignant and very early disease processes) and on identifying who is at higher risk so prevention and early detection can be improved.

What type of award mechanism is used?

This opportunity uses the U01 mechanism, which is an NIH cooperative agreement.

What does a U01 cooperative agreement imply for how the project will be run?

A U01 cooperative agreement generally involves substantial scientific and/or programmatic involvement from NIH compared with a standard research project grant. Based on the consortium framing in this FOA, funded teams should anticipate coordinated participation with NIH and other consortium members, potentially including regular communication, collaboration across sites, and expectations around sharing data and resources and using common standards where required.

Is this opportunity intended for individual projects or for coordinated teams?

It is intended to establish and support research teams operating within an SCLC Consortium. The concept emphasizes coordinated components of a larger collaborative effort rather than isolated, stand-alone projects.

What are the major scientific goals applicants are being asked to address?

Applicant teams are asked to pursue one or both of two main goals: (1) deepen understanding of key molecular events in the lung that occur before "frank" (clinically apparent) SCLC develops, and/or (2) identify human populations at especially high risk for SCLC to support improved risk stratification and earlier detection or precursor identification in those groups.

Does an applicant need to address both scientific goals?

No. The FOA indicates teams may pursue one or both of the two major scientific goals.

What does "before frank SCLC develops" mean in the context of this FOA?

In this context, it refers to the biological and molecular changes that occur before SCLC becomes clinically apparent and diagnosable. The FOA is interested in understanding premalignant states, very early lesions, and the transition steps that lead to aggressive SCLC.

What kinds of research areas are implied by the stated goals?

While specific required methods are not spelled out in the summary provided, the goals imply interest in mechanistic and translational work that connects molecular findings to identifying risk and enabling earlier detection. Examples mentioned or implied include mapping early molecular alterations, developing or refining biomarkers, and defining high-risk cohorts to support future screening or prevention research.

What is the role of high-risk population identification in this program?

Identifying human populations at especially high risk is a central scientific goal. The FOA supports work aimed at better risk stratification, improved identification of susceptible groups, and approaches to find early disease or precursors in those groups.

What domain or general activity area does this funding fall under?

The activity focus is within the health and education research domain, as described in the provided opportunity summary.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The listing includes CFDA numbers 93.393 and 93.394.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic entities, including: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses.

Are tribal entities eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as other tribal organizations.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. Nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status are included as eligible applicants (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories, as stated in the summary).

Are colleges and universities eligible?

Yes. Both public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible.

Does the opportunity mention any additional eligibility categories?

Yes. The listing notes an "Others" category and indicates additional eligibility clarification may be referenced in the full FOA text, suggesting additional applicant types may be allowable depending on NIH policy and the specific wording in the complete announcement.

What is the maximum award amount shown in the provided information?

The financial parameters shown include an award ceiling of $450,000, indicating the maximum amount anticipated per award under the terms summarized here.

How many awards are expected to be made?

The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data.

What are the key dates for this funding opportunity?

The posting date and creation date are December 7, 2015. The original and current closing date is November 17, 2017.

Is this particular funding opportunity still open based on the dates provided?

No. The provided information shows a closing date of November 17, 2017, indicating that this specific posting reflects a funding cycle that closed in 2017.

Does the summary suggest that similar opportunities could exist later?

Yes. The summary notes that while this specific posting closed in 2017, the scientific concept and consortium approach may exist in later reissues or related NIH opportunities.

What is the overall intent of building a consortium for SCLC prevention and early detection?

The intent is to accelerate progress by aligning multiple coordinated teams around complementary questions. By working upstream of diagnosis and treatment, the consortium aims to clarify the earliest molecular steps leading to SCLC and to identify which people are most at risk, laying groundwork for practical prevention and early detection strategies.