The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancers 2026 supports large, multidisciplinary translational research programs focused on organ-specific cancers, biologically related groups of cancers, or cross-cutting themes such as pediatric cancers and cancer health disparities.
SPOREs are designed to move discoveries from laboratory research toward meaningful human endpoints in cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Applicants may request up to $1.4 million in direct costs per year for up to five years, with additional funding available for qualifying early detection, prevention, population science, and cancer health disparities projects. (Grants.gov)
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include U.S. public and private institutions of higher education.
- Nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including small businesses, may apply.
- Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, although eligible foreign components may participate.
- Investigators may serve as PI/multi-PI on only one funded SPORE P50 at a time.
- New applications must propose at least three translational research projects, each with a human endpoint.
- At least one project must include a SPORE investigator-initiated clinical trial.
- Projects must focus on an organ-specific cancer, a related group of cancers, a common biological mechanism, or an approved cross-cutting cancer theme.
Funding Details
- Maximum base funding: $1.4 million in direct costs per year.
- Maximum project duration: 5 years.
- Approximately 6–10 SPORE awards per year are anticipated, subject to NIH appropriations and scientific merit.
- Qualifying Early Detection, Prevention, or Population Science projects may request an additional $120,000 in direct costs per year.
- Qualifying Cancer Health Disparities/Minority Health projects may request an additional $120,000 per year.
Deadline
- Application deadline: September 25, 2026
- Time: 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
- Letter of Intent: Requested 30 days before the application deadline, but not required and not binding.
- Earliest project start: June 2027.
- NOFO expiration: September 26, 2026.
Further Information
- The Career Enhancement Program supports junior faculty or established investigators transitioning into translational cancer research; it does not support predoctoral or postdoctoral fellows.
- NCI strongly recommends a pre-application consultation 4–6 months before submission to discuss SPORE requirements and scientific fit.
- Official program page: View the NIH NOFO
- Simpler.Grants.gov: View the grant opportunity
- Grants.gov: View on Grants.gov