The National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications for investigator-initiated research investigating the mechanisms through which bariatric surgery affects cancer risk. The opportunity focuses on exploratory and proof-of-concept studies examining biological mechanisms rather than short-term outcomes such as weight loss or diabetes.
Research may use animal models, human studies, or a combination of both to investigate how bariatric surgery may alter cancer risk through pathways involving bile acids, the gut microbiome, metabolic signaling, genetic predisposition, and other biological mechanisms.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, small businesses, local governments, eligible federal agencies, and other eligible organizations.
- Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply.
- Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.
- Foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed.
- Any individual with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to conduct the proposed research may serve as the Program Director/Principal Investigator.
- Applicant organizations may submit more than one application if each application is scientifically distinct.
Funding Details
- Funding: Up to $275,000 in combined direct costs
- Duration: Up to 2 years
- Annual limit: No more than $200,000 may be requested in a single year
Deadline
- Next Application Deadline: October 16, 2026
- Application Time: 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization
- Additional New Application Deadlines: February 16, 2027; June 16, 2027; October 16, 2027
- Expiration Date: January 8, 2028
Further Information
- Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact NCI staff when developing an application, preferably at least 12 weeks before the application deadline.
- Applications must be submitted through NIH ASSIST, an institutional system-to-system solution, or Grants.gov Workspace.
- The opportunity is the R21 companion to PAR-25-043, the related R01 funding opportunity.
- Official Funding Opportunity: NIH — PAR-25-044
- Simpler.Grants.gov: Simpler.Grants.gov Opportunity