IMAT Funding Opportunities

RFAs for Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies

The following funding opportunities support early-stage development and advanced development of molecular and cellular analysis technologies using the R61 and R33 grant mechanisms, respectively. These projects should be proposing to develop new or improved capabilities for targeting, probing, or assessing the molecular and cellular features of cancer biology.

• RFA-CA-24-008: Innovative Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• RFA-CA-24-009: Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Molecular and Cellular Analysis Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Funded Projects

Read about IMAT projects focused on the development of novel technologies for cancer research.

Check out this RePORTER query for a list of projects that have been supported recently through these funding opportunities.

RFAs for Biospecimen Science Technologies 

The following funding opportunities support early-stage development and advanced development of biospecimen science technologies using the R61 and R33 grant mechanisms, respectively. These projects should be proposing to develop new or improved capabilities to improve or assess the quality of samples used for cancer research or clinical care including new methods for collecting, processing, handling, or storing cancer-relevant biospecimens. 

• RFA-CA-24-010: Innovative Biospecimen Science Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• RFA-CA-24-011: Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Biospecimen Science Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Check out this RePORTER query for a list of projects that have been supported recently through these funding opportunities. 

Specific Application Requirements for Technology-Development Projects

All applications submitted in response to the R61 and R33 funding opportunities must be focused on the development of technologies with new or improved technical capabilities. Early-stage projects proposing proof-of-concept experiments are supported through the R61 grant mechanism and have a limit of $150k direct costs per year for up to 3 years. Advanced development and validation of emerging technologies are supported through the R33 grant mechanism and have a limit of $300k direct costs per year for up to 3 years. Applications proposing to use a novel technology in hypothesis-driven research are outside the scope of these opportunities entirely and should consider alternative opportunities. Note that every funding opportunity describes specific non-responsive criteria for these opportunities.

Projects that have sufficient preliminary data to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology are considered too far along for the R61 mechanism and should consider applying to the appropriate R33 opportunity. For more details about the R61 grant mechanism, you may watch a recording from a 2022 webinar introducing the R61 and answering questions about the scientific scope and application details of these funding opportunities.

All R61 and R33 applications must include performance measures within the Research Strategy. Performance measures are an objective and quantitative measure of the technical capabilities the applicant seeks to achieve over the course of the proposed aims and must include the numerically described target of performance. Applications without quantitative performance measures will be withdrawn from consideration.

Each funding opportunity includes NOFO-specific review criteria to focus the review panel’s evaluation around the new capabilities of the proposed technology and their usefulness for cancer research. This includes specific questions within the Significance and Innovation criteria as well as additional questions to evaluate the proposed performance measures. Potential applicants are encouraged to consider the review criteria specific to the NOFO they are applying to as they prepare their proposal.

RFAs for Adoption of New Technologies into Ongoing Research

Researchers with active NCI funding can apply for additional support to expand or accelerate their ongoing research by incorporating a technology developed with support from the IMAT program into their work. The purpose of these funding opportunities is to accelerate adoption of new technologies by the cancer research community and promote independent validation of these tools. Applicants should have sufficient time remaining in their award to complete the proposed project. Awards in a period of no-cost extension are not eligible for funding.

Investigators applying for a revision to their active R01, U01, or P50 award should propose to add one or more specific aims to the original research project that leverages an IMAT-supported technology to overcome key shortcomings of alternative approaches being used in the research. Cancer center members participating in research programs supported through currently funded NCI P30 awards should propose a pilot project that will leverage an emerging IMAT-supported technology to enhance or accelerate the work. All revision projects are expected to independently validate the usefulness of the new technology for the cancer research community and may propose to collaborate with the original tool developers as necessary.

• RFA-CA-24-012, Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI-Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
• RFA-CA-24-013, Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI-Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)
• RFA-CA-24-014, Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI-Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (P50 Clinical Trial Optional)
• RFA-CA-24-015, Revision Applications for Incorporation of Novel NCI-Supported Technology to Accelerate Cancer Research (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)

Check out this RePORTER query for a list of projects that have been supported recently through these funding opportunities.

Beyond IMAT: Alternative Funding Opportunities

Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR): Researchers focusing on new bioinformatics or statistical techniques, tools, and/or software development solutions should consider one of the ITCR funding opportunities.

Bioengineering Research Grants: Interdisciplinary research teams proposing to develop new tools, methods, and techniques and apply them to a specific problem in basic or clinical cancer research should consider the bioengineering research grant R01 opportunities (PAR-22-242 or PAR-22-243) or the exploratory/developmental bioengineering research grant R21 opportunities (PAR-22-090 or PAR-22-091). Research teams composed of academic and industry partners proposing to accelerate the development and adoption of promising bioengineering tools should consider PAR-22-123.

Academic Industrial Partnerships for Translation of Technologies: Interdisciplinary research teams composed of academic and industrial partners proposing to develop and translate a technological solution to a problem in basic or clinical research should consider PAR-21-166 or PAR-21-206. Teams specifically focused on translating engineering developments in imaging, data science, and/or spectroscopic technologies should consider PAR-23-259.

Using technologies to understand cancer biology: The Division of Cancer Biology coordinates a number of programs for advancing and applying specific types of technologies to understand the biology of cancer, such as the Tissue Engineering Collaborative, Cancer Systems Biology Consortium, and Physical Sciences Oncology Network. 

Advancing nanotechnology: Researchers focused on nanotechnologies should consider opportunities for translating experimental nanomedicines (PAR-22-071) and applying nanotechnologies to overcome barriers in cancer biology (PAR-23-246).

Validation of Biomarkers and Biomarker Assays: Researchers proposing new projects to validate molecular/cellular/imaging markers and assays for cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and prediction or response or resistance to treatment should consider PAR-23-313 or PAR-23-314. Researchers with active NCI R01s can propose to add an aim to the parent project to validate a biomarker or assay through PAR-23-088. 

Translation and Transfer of Technologies: NCI’s small business innovative research (SBIR) development center has funding opportunities and resources for small businesses and researchers collaborating with small businesses to develop technology for cancer. 

NIGMS Opportunities for Technology Development: The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has a series of funding opportunities to support technological innovations to advance biomedical research.

NHGRI’s Genome Technology Program: The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)’s Genome Technology Program supports research to innovate and develop new methods, technologies, and systems that enable rapid, low-cost determination of nucleic acid sequences and genotyping along with epigenetic, functional, and synthetic genomics experiments.