The NCI Advanced Development of Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management program supports emerging informatics technologies that have moved beyond initial prototyping and pilot development but still require substantial enhancement, validation, dissemination, and broader adoption.
Projects may address cancer biology, treatment, diagnosis, early detection, risk assessment, prevention, cancer control, epidemiology, clinical research, and translational research. Technologies should offer clear advantages over existing approaches and demonstrate strong potential to benefit the broader cancer research community.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education.
- State, county, city, tribal, federal, and other eligible governmental organizations may apply.
- Foreign components of U.S. organizations are also permitted, although applications involving foreign subawards or subcontracts are not accepted under this NOFO.
- Multiple-PD/PI applications are permitted.
- For a single-PI project, the PI must commit at least 15% effort (1.8 person-months per year).
- For multiple-PI projects, each PI must commit at least 10% effort (1.2 person-months per year).
Funding Details:
- Maximum budget: $600,000 in direct costs per year, excluding consortium F&A costs.
- Maximum project period: 5 years.
- A project funded at the maximum annual level for five years could therefore request up to $3 million in direct costs, subject to NCI approval and annual budget justification.
- NCI intends to commit approximately $2.6 million in FY2027 to this funding opportunity.
- Approximately 3 awards are expected.
Deadline:
- Applications opened: June 1, 2026.
- Next and final application deadline: October 19, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant organization.
- Scientific merit review: March 2027 for applications submitted by October 19.
- Advisory Council review: May 2027.
- Earliest project start date: July 2027.
- NOFO expiration date: October 20, 2026.
- Late applications will not be accepted.
Further Information:
- Eligible technology areas include machine learning and deep learning, data mining and visualization, clinical decision-support systems, clinical-trial matching tools, multimodal data integration, data standards, workflow platforms, mathematical and statistical methods, and personalized modeling and simulation.
- This opportunity is intended for advanced development, not early-stage or exploratory technology development. Applicants must provide evidence that the existing software or technology has already passed initial prototyping and pilot development.
- Projects primarily applying existing data-analysis methods are not responsive, and data-generation activities cannot exceed 10% of the project budget in any single year.
- Awardees must engage cancer researchers and end users throughout development and provide plans for user support, documentation, training, dissemination, software/model sharing, and participation in the NCI Informatics Technology for Cancer Research program.
- Official program information and application details: See the official Simpler.Grants.gov listing and full NCI announcement for RFA-CA-27-020, including application forms, eligibility requirements, budget instructions, review criteria, and submission guidance.