Modular R01s in Cancer Control and Population Sciences (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 869

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 869

The grant opportunity titled "Modular R01s in Cancer Control and Population Sciences (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-18-869) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program designed to support research projects in cancer control and population sciences. Its central purpose is to fund strong, novel scientific ideas that can meaningfully move the field forward, particularly work that improves how cancer-related questions are studied, measured, analyzed, and translated into real-world practice. As an R01 mechanism using the modular budget format, it is aimed at substantial, multi-year research efforts, and it allows (but does not require) proposed studies to include a clinical trial component.

The scientific scope is broad but clearly centered on population-level and systems-relevant cancer research. The FOA emphasizes work that could substantially advance cancer research in areas such as statistical and analytic methods (for example, improved modeling, measurement approaches, or methods for complex and longitudinal data), epidemiology (including patterns, causes, and distribution of cancer and cancer outcomes across populations), cancer survivorship (health and quality-of-life issues after diagnosis and treatment), and cancer-related behaviors and behavioral interventions (including prevention and risk-reduction behaviors, adherence, communication, and intervention development or testing). It also explicitly highlights health care delivery and implementation science, signaling a strong interest in studies that examine how cancer-related evidence, programs, or guidelines are delivered in clinical and community settings, how care systems perform, and what strategies improve adoption, fidelity, equity, and sustainability of effective interventions.

Eligibility is intentionally expansive, reflecting the population and community-facing nature of cancer control research. In addition to common applicant types such as state, county, city, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), the opportunity is open to public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and a wide range of nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), as long as they are not institutions of higher education). For-profit organizations other than small businesses may apply, as can small businesses, and the listing also includes "Other" eligible entities, which typically allows NIH to accommodate additional organizational categories that meet the FOA requirements.

The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant groups that NIH often highlights to encourage broad participation and representation in research. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); faith-based or community-based organizations; eligible agencies of the federal government; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and even non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). The inclusion of these groups underscores an interest in research that can engage diverse communities and settings, potentially addressing disparities and improving cancer outcomes across different populations.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as a grant under a discretionary funding program, with NIH as the sponsoring agency. The relevant CFDA numbers associated with the FOA are 93.393 and 93.399, which correspond to NIH/NCI-related assistance programs. The FOA was created on July 24, 2018, and the source listing notes an original closing date of March 8, 2021. No award ceiling or expected number of awards is specified in the provided source details, which is not unusual for NIH opportunities where final award amounts and counts depend on appropriations, application volume, and scientific merit.

In practical terms, applicants should view this opportunity as a fit for rigorous, hypothesis-driven or methodologically innovative cancer control and population science projects that can produce clear, generalizable insights. Strong applications will typically align their aims with the FOA focus areas (methods, epidemiology, survivorship, behaviors/interventions, delivery, and implementation), articulate why the proposed idea is novel and capable of advancing the field, and present a credible plan for producing results that matter for population health, health systems, and community outcomes. The clinical trial optional language means applicants can propose a clinical trial when it is essential to the research question, but the FOA also fully supports non-trial research designs common in population science, such as observational studies, modeling, pragmatic evaluations, and implementation studies conducted in real-world settings.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Modular R01s in Cancer Control and Population Sciences (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 18 869

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