Early-Stage Development of Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 19 039

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 19 039

The Early-Stage Development of Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) grant opportunity (RFA-CA-19-039) is a National Institutes of Health funding announcement under the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Program. It supports cooperative agreement (U01) projects aimed at creating or substantially improving informatics technologies that help cancer researchers and related stakeholders better acquire, manage, analyze, and share data and knowledge. The scope is intentionally broad across the cancer research continuum, including cancer biology, treatment and diagnosis, prevention, control and epidemiology, and efforts to understand and address cancer health disparities. The central idea is to fund practical, enabling tools that remove informatics bottlenecks and strengthen how cancer data moves from generation to meaningful use.

This FOA is specifically focused on early-stage development, meaning the work should be in the phase where a tool is being initially built or where an existing tool is being significantly modified for a new application. In practice, that includes activities such as prototyping, strengthening and stabilizing software (often described as "hardening"), and adapting tools so they can be used in realistic research environments. The emphasis is not just on having a clever idea, but on building something that can credibly become useful to the broader cancer research community. Because it is part of the ITCR program, the expectation is that proposals are driven by real, well-defined needs in cancer research informatics and that the resulting technology fits into the larger ecosystem of biomedical data and software.

A key requirement embedded in the announcement is a strong justification for why the proposed technology is needed and how it will benefit the field. Applicants are expected to show that they understand the specific gap their tool addresses, why existing approaches are insufficient, and what measurable improvements the new technology could enable. Another central expectation is user and collaborator engagement throughout the development process. Rather than building in isolation, funded teams are expected to incorporate mechanisms for ongoing feedback, which could include formal user testing, advisory groups, pilot users, iterative design cycles, or partnerships with research groups who will try the tool in realistic workflows. This focus on continuous feedback is meant to increase the chance that the final product is usable, relevant, and adopted.

The opportunity uses the cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally indicates substantial involvement from the funding agency compared with a standard research project grant. While the scientific and technical work remains the responsibility of the awardee, a U01 typically involves active coordination with NIH/NCI program staff, alignment with program goals, and shared expectations around milestones and progress. The FOA is also labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning a clinical trial component is not required for all projects, but may be allowable if it is appropriate for the proposed technology development and evaluation plan.

In terms of funding and administrative details provided, the award ceiling listed is $300,000, and the original closing date shown is November 20, 2019, with a creation date of March 28, 2019. The program is categorized under Education and Health and is associated with CFDA number 93.396. The listing indicates expected awards, though the exact number is not specified in the provided text.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations 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 Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American 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 federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This broad eligibility aligns with the program goal of building widely useful cancer informatics technologies and encourages participation from diverse institutions and communities.

Overall, this funding opportunity is designed for teams who can translate a clearly defined informatics need in cancer research into an early-stage but concrete technology product, with a realistic plan for iterative development and strong user engagement. The ideal project is one where the tool is not only technically sound, but also shaped by the people who will actually use it, and positioned to improve the way cancer-related data and knowledge are handled across research and, where relevant, clinical or public health contexts.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Early-Stage Development of Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-03-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-11-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• 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 19 039

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