Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) | PAR 25 096

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) titled "Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)." The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR-25-096.

What is the main goal of PAR-25-096?

The goal is to support innovative secondary analyses and creative integration of existing datasets to answer important questions about cancer risk and cancer-related outcomes, including what happens after cancer develops (for example, survival patterns and differences in treatment response). The intent is to produce high scientific value from data that already exist, without collecting new primary trial data or running clinical trials.

What type of grant mechanism is used for this program?

The program uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which generally supports exploratory and developmental research.

What is the maximum budget mentioned for awards under this announcement?

The listing includes an award ceiling of $200,000, indicating the maximum budget level expected under this announcement.

Are clinical trials allowed under this NOFO?

No. Clinical trials are not allowed. Proposed work should not involve prospectively assigning human participants to interventions to evaluate health-related outcomes. The focus must remain on secondary analysis and/or integration of existing data resources.

What does "secondary analysis" mean in this context?

Secondary analysis means using data that have already been collected (rather than collecting new primary data) to address new or existing research questions. For this opportunity, applicants are expected to work with existing datasets and database resources to generate new insights related to cancer risk and outcomes.

What kinds of existing data are specifically mentioned as relevant?

The opportunity describes a range of existing data sources that may be used, including clinical records, environmental exposure data, cancer surveillance and registry data, health services and claims information, vital statistics, behavioral and lifestyle data, and biological data such as genomics and molecular profiles.

What types of research projects are considered a good fit?

Projects are expected to be well-justified, innovative, and realistically answerable using existing resources. Examples of competitive project approaches described include: proposing new research aims that can be addressed with existing data, applying new or advanced analytic methods to established datasets, or integrating multiple datasets in novel ways to enable questions that cannot be answered from any single source alone.

What are examples of "data integration" approaches mentioned in the opportunity?

Examples include linking population-level surveillance data with clinical outcomes, merging molecular profiling information with treatment and survival data, and combining environmental and behavioral datasets with cancer incidence to investigate complex, multifactorial risk pathways.

What kinds of questions is the program trying to answer?

The program emphasizes research that can improve understanding of cancer risk, inform risk prediction or risk reduction strategies, clarify survival patterns, and help explain differences in response to treatment, using existing data and rigorous analytic strategies.

Why is NIH emphasizing analysis of existing data rather than new data collection?

As described, the program is designed to accelerate discovery by reducing the time and cost associated with collecting new data, while still supporting rigorous and cutting-edge cancer research through thoughtful secondary analyses and data integration.

Who is the lead agency and lead institute for this opportunity?

The agency is the NIH, and the opportunity is led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), with other participating NIH Institutes.

What is the funding instrument type?

The funding instrument is a grant.

How is the activity area categorized?

The activity area is categorized under education and health, reflecting the public health and biomedical research orientation of NIH programs.

Which organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.

Are minority-serving institutions and community-based organizations included in the eligible applicant categories?

Yes. The opportunity highlights additional eligible categories including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISISs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, TCCUs, and faith-based or community-based organizations, as well as regional organizations.

Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. The opportunity includes eligible federal agencies among the eligible applicant categories.

Can non-U.S. entities apply?

Yes. The eligibility information includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

Are U.S. territories or possessions included in the eligibility scope?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included, reflecting an intent to encourage participation across diverse settings and populations.

What is the closing date listed for this opportunity?

The source information lists an original closing date of 2026-09-07.

What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?

The associated CFDA numbers listed are 93.121, 93.172, 93.393, and 93.866.

Does the NOFO focus only on cancer risk, or also on outcomes after cancer develops?

It covers both. The description emphasizes understanding cancer risk and examining related outcomes after cancer develops, including survival patterns and differences in treatment response.

Is the program limited to a single dataset, or can multiple datasets be used?

The program explicitly encourages integrating multiple datasets in novel ways, particularly when integration enables questions that cannot be answered using any single source alone.

Does the NOFO require entirely new research aims?

It does not require entirely new aims, but it notes that competitive applications may propose entirely new research aims that can be addressed using existing data, among other approaches such as new analytic methods or novel integration of datasets.