Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 12 003
Apply for RFA CA 12 003
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Validation and Advanced Development of Emerging Technologies for Cancer Research (R33)" 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.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 21, 2011 and posted on Dec 21, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 18, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments County governments Private institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses.
- 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) 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) issued this Funding Opportunity Announcement (RFA-CA-12-003) to support advanced development and validation of new molecular and cellular analysis technologies that are ready to move beyond early pilots but are not yet proven in their real, intended cancer research setting. The focus is on taking an "emerging technology" that already has proof-of-principle and some solid preliminary data, and then pushing it through rigorous technical and analytical validation in a cancer-relevant biological system or context. In other words, the technology should already basically work in a controlled or early demonstration sense, and this grant is meant to help show that it performs reliably, accurately, and usefully when applied to realistic cancer research problems and samples.
A key point in this opportunity is that it is technology-driven, not just biology-driven. NCI is looking for projects where the main novelty is the technology or methodology itself, and where the work will meaningfully advance that technology toward broader use by the cancer research community. The FOA is explicitly not meant for projects that simply use established, widely available tools to tackle a new biological or clinical question. Applications that are essentially standard technology applied to an interesting cancer problem are considered non-responsive and would not be reviewed under this announcement. The expectation is that the proposed work has the potential to create a major, broad impact across cancer research areas, rather than producing a narrow, one-off tool for a single niche question.
If successful, the technologies supported by this FOA are expected to accelerate progress in multiple domains of cancer research and public health. The announcement highlights possible downstream benefits for cancer biology (understanding mechanisms), cancer treatment and diagnosis (better therapeutic strategies and detection methods), cancer prevention, cancer control and epidemiology (population-level insights and monitoring), and work addressing cancer health disparities. The underlying idea is that better measurement and analysis tools in molecular and cellular systems can unlock new kinds of data, improve accuracy and reproducibility, reduce costs or complexity, and enable studies that are currently too difficult or impossible with existing methods.
This is an NIH grant mechanism in the R33 category, which generally signals a development and validation stage rather than early invention. The opportunity was posted on December 21, 2011, with an application closing date of September 18, 2012, and it was archived on October 19, 2012. The estimated total funding listed is $3.5 million, with an award ceiling of $300,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The FOA sits within NIH cancer-related assistance listings (CFDA 93.393, 93.394, and 93.395), spanning prevention, detection/diagnosis, and treatment research.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district). The FOA also explicitly includes eligibility for tribal governments and tribal organizations, and for a range of mission-focused institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions are allowed to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are permitted, which reflects an intent to attract strong technology development efforts regardless of geography as long as the work aligns with NCI priorities and NIH requirements.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as NCI backing the "last mile" between a promising prototype technology and a cancer-research-ready tool: taking something that has early evidence of feasibility and turning it into something validated, characterized, and credible in an appropriate cancer context, with enough demonstrated performance to justify broader adoption and to enable substantial advances across cancer research and care-related fields.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the purpose of this funding opportunity?
This National Cancer Institute (NCI) Funding Opportunity Announcement (RFA-CA-12-003) supports advanced development and validation of new molecular and cellular analysis technologies that have moved beyond early pilot work but are not yet proven in real, intended cancer research settings. The goal is to take an emerging technology with proof-of-principle and solid preliminary data and push it through rigorous technical and analytical validation in a cancer-relevant biological system or context.
What stage of technology development is this FOA aimed at?
It is aimed at the development-and-validation stage. The technology should already basically work in controlled or early demonstrations, and the proposed project should focus on establishing reliable, accurate, and useful performance when applied to realistic cancer research problems and samples.
What does NCI mean by an "emerging technology" in this announcement?
In this FOA, an emerging technology is one that has proof-of-principle and preliminary data showing feasibility, but still needs rigorous validation and characterization to demonstrate that it performs well in cancer-relevant settings. It is not an untested concept, and it is not yet a fully proven, widely adopted tool for cancer research.
Is this FOA technology-driven or biology-driven?
It is explicitly technology-driven. The main novelty should be the technology or methodology itself, and the work should meaningfully advance the technology toward broader use by the cancer research community.
Are projects that use established tools to answer a new cancer question responsive?
No. Applications that primarily apply established, widely available technologies to a new biological or clinical question are considered non-responsive and would not be reviewed under this announcement. The emphasis is on advancing the technology itself, not just using standard tools on an interesting cancer problem.
What kind of validation is expected?
The FOA emphasizes rigorous technical and analytical validation in a cancer-relevant biological system or context. In practical terms, the project should demonstrate that the technology performs reliably and accurately and provides useful results when used with realistic cancer research samples and problems.
Does the technology need to be demonstrated in a cancer-relevant context?
Yes. A central expectation is that validation occurs in a cancer-relevant biological system or setting, meaning the technology is tested in conditions that reflect its real intended use in cancer research rather than only controlled or artificial demonstrations.
What is the expected impact of technologies supported by this FOA?
If successful, supported technologies are expected to accelerate progress across multiple domains of cancer research and public health. The FOA highlights potential downstream benefits for cancer biology, treatment and diagnosis, prevention, cancer control and epidemiology, and research addressing cancer health disparities. The broader theme is enabling better measurement and analysis in molecular and cellular systems to unlock new data, improve accuracy and reproducibility, reduce costs or complexity, and make currently difficult or impossible studies feasible.
Is this intended to create a tool for a narrow niche, or a broadly useful technology?
The FOA emphasizes broad impact. The expectation is that the proposed work could create a major, broad impact across cancer research areas, rather than producing a narrow, one-off tool aimed at a single niche question.
What NIH mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This is an NIH R33 mechanism, which generally signals a development and validation stage rather than early invention.
What is the total estimated funding and the award ceiling?
The estimated total funding listed for the opportunity is $3.5 million, and the award ceiling is $300,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What were the key dates for this FOA?
The opportunity was posted on December 21, 2011. The application closing date was September 18, 2012. It was archived on October 19, 2012.
What does it mean that the FOA is archived?
Based on the information provided, the FOA being archived indicates it is no longer active as of October 19, 2012, and is presented as an archived opportunity rather than a currently open competition.
Which program areas or assistance listings does this FOA fall under?
The FOA is within NIH cancer-related assistance listings: CFDA 93.393, 93.394, and 93.395, spanning prevention, detection/diagnosis, and treatment research.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and various levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special district).
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes eligibility for tribal governments and tribal organizations.
Are minority-serving and mission-focused institutions included in eligibility?
Yes. The eligibility description explicitly includes institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and organizations in U.S. territories or possessions.
Can foreign institutions apply?
Yes. Foreign institutions are allowed to apply under this announcement.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA states that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible.
Are foreign components permitted?
Yes. Foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are permitted according to the description provided.
What is the main "fit" test for a proposed project under this FOA?
The project should center on advancing an emerging molecular or cellular analysis technology that already has proof-of-principle and preliminary data, and it should focus on rigorous validation and demonstration of performance in a cancer-relevant context. Proposals that mainly apply standard, widely available tools to answer a cancer question do not fit this FOA.
How should applicants think about the overall goal of this award?
The award is positioned as supporting the "last mile" between a promising prototype and a cancer-research-ready tool: turning early feasibility into a validated, characterized, credible technology demonstrated in an appropriate cancer context, with enough performance evidence to justify broader adoption and enable advances across cancer research and care-related fields.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education Health
Next opportunity: Innovative and Early Stage Development of Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R21)
Previous opportunity: Early Stage Innovative Technology Development for Cancer Research (R21)
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA CA 12 003) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Innovative and Early Stage Development of Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R21) Apply for RFA CA 12 004 Funding Number: RFA CA 12 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Validation and Advanced Development of Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R33) Apply for RFA CA 12 005 Funding Number: RFA CA 12 005 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| NCI Established Investigator Award in Cancer Prevention and Control (K05) Apply for PAR 12 065 Funding Number: PAR 12 065 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Imaging Science Track Award for Research Transition (I/START) R03 Apply for PAR 12 066 Funding Number: PAR 12 066 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Human Health and Heredity in Africa (H3Africa) Research Grants (U01) Apply for RFA RM 12 004 Funding Number: RFA RM 12 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $275,000 |
| Small Grants for Behavioral Research in Cancer Control (R03) Apply for PAR 12 035 Funding Number: PAR 12 035 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cancer Prevention, Control, Behavioral Sciences, and Population Sciences Career Development Award (K07) Apply for PAR 12 067 Funding Number: PAR 12 067 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Fogarty HIV Research Training Program for Low and Middle Income Country Institutions (D43) Apply for PAR 12 068 Funding Number: PAR 12 068 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Pediatric Phase 1/Pilot Consortium (Limited Competition UM1) Apply for RFA CA 12 502 Funding Number: RFA CA 12 502 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Biomechanisms of Peripheral Nerve Damage by Anti Cancer Therapy (R21) Apply for PA 12 083 Funding Number: PA 12 083 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Biomechanisms of Peripheral Nerve Damage by Anti Cancer Therapy (R01) Apply for PA 12 082 Funding Number: PA 12 082 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Leadership Group for a Clinical Research Network on Integrated Strategies to Prevent HIV Infection (UM1) Apply for RFA AI 12 011 Funding Number: RFA AI 12 011 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Cutting Edge Basic Research Awards (CEBRA) (R21) Apply for PAR 12 086 Funding Number: PAR 12 086 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $125,000 |
| Basic Cancer Research in Cancer Health Disparities (U01) Apply for PAR 12 095 Funding Number: PAR 12 095 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Exploratory/Developmental Grants Program for Basic Cancer Research in Cancer Health Disparities (R21) Apply for PAR 12 094 Funding Number: PAR 12 094 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Exploratory Grant Award to Promote Workforce Diversity in Basic Cancer Research (R21) Apply for PAR 12 096 Funding Number: PAR 12 096 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Phased Services Research Studies of Drug Use Prevention, Addiction Treatment, and HIV in an Era of Health Care Reform (R21/R33) Apply for RFA DA 13 001 Funding Number: RFA DA 13 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Centers of Excellence in Symptom Science (P30) Apply for RFA NR 12 006 Funding Number: RFA NR 12 006 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $480,000 |
| Centers of Excellence in Symptom Science Building Research Teams for the Future (P20) Apply for RFA NR 12 009 Funding Number: RFA NR 12 009 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| NLM Information Resource Grants to Reduce Health Disparities (G08) Apply for RFA LM 12 001 Funding Number: RFA LM 12 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Education Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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