Jul 2, 2025, 19:16

R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grants in Cancer Control

NCI’s R21 mechanism funds early‐stage, high‐impact cancer control projects—exploring novel ideas in epidemiology, behavioral science, health care delivery, surveillance, and clinical research to reduce cancer burden and improve survivor quality of life.

Eligibility Criteria:

Applicant Organization: U.S. and foreign academic institutions, non‐profits, for‐profits, and other research entities eligible to receive NIH grants.
Principal Investigator: Any career stage investigator with the skills and resources to carry out the proposed exploratory project; no preliminary data required.
Project Scope: Must address cancer control (behavior change, screening, etiology, management strategies, quality-of-life interventions, etc.); basic biology or therapeutic development is nonresponsive.
Clinical Trials: Optional—as specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Funding Details:

Project Period: Up to 2 years
Budget Cap: Combined direct costs ≤ $275,000 (no more than $200,000 in any single year)
Use of Funds: Exploratory research costs (personnel, supplies, equipment, travel, data collection) per NIH guidelines; indirect costs per institutional rate.

Deadline:

Refer to the current NOFO (e.g., PA-25-253) for specific receipt dates and submission windows.

Where to Go for Further Information & Application:

See the NIH Guide NOFO and apply.

behavioral research cancer Cancer Control epidemiology exploratory grant health-care-delivery NCI OncoDaily Oncology population science R21 surveillance

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