Innovative Biospecimen Science Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA CA 23 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 23 004

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is seeking grant applications under the funding opportunity titled "Innovative Biospecimen Science Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-23-004; CFDA 93.394). The focus is on exploratory, early-stage research projects that create highly innovative technologies to improve the quality, integrity, and practical usefulness of biospecimens used in cancer research and, more broadly, in clinical care settings where cancer-relevant samples are collected and analyzed. The central problem this opportunity targets is pre-analytical variability: the losses, chemical changes, or degradation that can happen to specific analytes (for example, DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, extracellular vesicles, or other molecular targets) during sample collection, processing, handling, transport, and storage, before any laboratory assay even begins. Because these pre-analytical factors can strongly distort downstream measurements, they can slow discovery, reduce reproducibility, and weaken clinical interpretation, so the FOA aims to fund solutions that directly reduce or manage those sources of variation.

Projects supported by this FOA are expected to develop tools, devices, instrumentation, and associated methods that either preserve biospecimen integrity or allow researchers and clinicians to assess and verify specimen quality in a reliable way. In practice, that can include technologies that stabilize vulnerable analytes at the point of collection, protect samples during shipping or short-term handling, improve processing workflows to minimize degradation, or introduce built-in quality control and quality assessment criteria that can flag compromised specimens before expensive or clinically important analyses are performed. Another key emphasis is the ability to handle diverse real-world conditions, meaning approaches that work outside idealized lab environments and remain robust across different collection sites, workflows, and resource settings. The intention is that these innovations will strengthen downstream applications across cancer biology research, early detection and screening, clinical diagnosis, treatment decision-making, epidemiology, and efforts that address cancer health disparities, specifically by improving the consistency and interpretability of data derived from biospecimens.

This opportunity sits within the larger NCI Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, which is designed to stimulate the creation of next-generation technologies that can transform how cancer is studied and managed. While IMAT broadly supports innovative molecular analysis technology development, this particular FOA concentrates on the biospecimen side of the pipeline, recognizing that even the most advanced analytic platforms cannot compensate for poor or inconsistent sample quality. Importantly, the mechanism is R61 and the announcement explicitly states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means applicants must propose technology development and related research activities that do not meet NIH definitions of a clinical trial.

A wide range of organizations are eligible to apply, reflecting the program's interest in drawing innovation from academia, government, nonprofits, and industry. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities. This broad eligibility is consistent with the applied, technology-forward nature of the program and the need for solutions that can be adopted across many settings.

Key administrative details included in the source information are that the sponsoring agency is NIH (with NCI as the lead institute), the opportunity category is discretionary, and the funding instrument is a grant. The original closing date listed is 2023-09-01, and the record creation date is 2022-12-02. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data. Overall, the FOA is best understood as a targeted investment in breakthrough biospecimen technologies that can prevent, measure, or standardize away pre-analytical damage and variability, ultimately improving the reliability of cancer research results and the quality of sample-driven clinical insights.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Biospecimen Science Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-01. (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 RFA CA 23 004

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: