National Institutes of Health · United States

Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

Open

Applications close on 7 Sep 2028. Eligible applicant types include city or township governments, independent school districts, native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) and 12 more.

Deadline: 7 Sep 2028 (in 662 days)
Grant amount: Not stated — see the official call
Funding rate: No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated
Cost sharing: Not required
Likely applicant types: Public bodies, Universities & research, Non-profits, SMEs / start-ups, Companies From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Reference: PA-25-253
Assistance listing: 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research; 93.399 Cancer Control
Last checked: 13 Nov 2026

Open the official call ↗ Add deadline to calendar

About this call

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
Independent school districts
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Special district governments
County governments
State governments
Private institutions of higher education
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses

Other Eligible Applicants include the following:

Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Education Health

How to apply

Read the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) linked from the official page: eligibility, cost sharing and evaluation criteria.
Make sure your organisation has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI); registration can take several weeks.
For NIH: the organisation and the principal investigator also need eRA Commons accounts; applications are usually submitted through Grants.gov (for example with ASSIST).
Prepare the required forms, narrative, budget and attachments exactly as the NOFO specifies.
Submit before the deadline and keep the tracking number. Check for amendments before you submit.

From the call text

Who can apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Company stage: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Single applicant or consortium: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where applicants must be based: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where to apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Contact

National Institutes of Health · grantsinfo@nih.gov · 301-402-2541

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	7 September 2028	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Amount per applicant	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Total budget	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Funding rate	No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	City or township governments; Independent school districts; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Special district governments; County…	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Where to apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—

Official sources

Official call page · Funder's programme page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 13 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.