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Simpler Grants

No. PA-25-253 · National Institutes of Health

Open

Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

grants.gov listing Full announcement (NOFO)
Dealbreakers No cost share required Audit: not stated
Not reimbursement-only
“Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity.” — From the announcement
Award range
Not specified
Expected awards
Not specified
Application deadline
Sep 7, 2028
Posted
Nov 12, 2024
Last verified
7 days ago

At a glance

AI summary

This program funds exploratory two-year R21 research on cancer control, including studies on behavior, screening, risk factors, surveillance, health care delivery, and methods or tools that could advance population-based cancer research. It accepts new and resubmission applications from a wide range of organizations, including nonprofits, universities, governments, for-profit organizations, faith-based or community-based organizations, and foreign organizations, and foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed. The total direct-cost budget for the two-year project period may not exceed $275,000, with no more than $200,000 requested in any single year, and the number of awards depends on NIH appropriations and the quality of applications. No cost sharing is required, and the announcement is not responsive to basic cancer biology studies or studies focused on developing cancer diagnostics, therapies, imaging, or bioassays.

AI-generated summary — verify against the announcement

What it funds

  • Education
  • Health
  • Research & Discovery
  • Researchers & Scholars
  • Biomedical & Disease Research
  • Health Care Delivery, Access & Workforce
  • Public Health, Prevention & Nutrition
Official description from grants.gov

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages the submission of exploratory/developmental research grant (R21) applications that focus on different aspects of cancer control by modifying behavior, screening, and understanding etiologic factors contributing to the development of cancer, and developing ways to control cancer. The overarching goal is to provide support to promote the early and conceptual stages of research efforts on novel scientific ideas that have the potential to substantially advance population-based cancer research, such as the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of cancer research (epidemiologic, biomedical, behavioral, health care delivery or clinical).

Who can apply

  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Independent school districts
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized)
  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
  • Others
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
  • Small businesses
  • Special district governments
  • State governments
Geographic restriction None found in the announcement — likely nationwide

Program history

USASpending.gov

Assistance listing 93.393 · Cancer Cause and Prevention Research

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.393), not just this notice.

Fiscal year Awards Median award Middle half
FY 2026 (so far) 167 $596,996 $422,899 – $685,984
FY 2025 233 $743,438 $397,772 – $1,287,560
FY 2024 331 $1,232,605 $403,858 – $1,928,145
FY 2023 333 $1,580,141 $399,888 – $2,324,497
FY 2022 371 — —
FY 2021 317 — —

Dollar figures are based on the 1,000 most recent awards we store, not all 1,752 — award counts are complete.

Who wins it Higher education (1,176), Nonprofit (458), Business (49) of 1,752 awards — categories can overlap.
Top states NY (124) · CA (100) · MA (89) · TX (82) · NC (34)
Largest recent awards
  1. HEALTH RESEARCH, INC. $8,975,418 · FY 2023
  2. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE $7,529,016 · FY 2024
  3. WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES $7,411,948 · FY 2023
  4. VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER $7,120,874 · FY 2023
  5. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA $6,827,635 · FY 2023

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 14, 2026

Assistance listing 93.399 · Cancer Control

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.399), not just this notice.

Fiscal year Awards Median award Middle half
FY 2026 (so far) 0 — —
FY 2025 1 $2,490,206 $2,490,206 – $2,490,206
FY 2024 13 $3,165,783 $804,361 – $3,227,950
FY 2023 7 $1,121,797 $947,583 – $1,353,065
FY 2022 14 $4,573,965 $2,523,875 – $6,154,995
FY 2021 5 $3,186,801 $2,957,140 – $3,199,301
Who wins it Higher education (28), Nonprofit (8) of 40 awards — categories can overlap.
Top states CA (5) · WA (5) · MI (3) · NY (3) · GA (2)
Largest recent awards
  1. UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE $16,730,455 · FY 2021
  2. VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIVERSITY $8,183,001 · FY 2022
  3. FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER $7,696,898 · FY 2022
  4. THE INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH $6,471,989 · FY 2022
  5. WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY $4,655,326 · FY 2022

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 22, 2026