Development of Innovative Informatics Methods and Algorithms for Cancer Research and Management (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 22 021

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 22 021

The National Institutes of Health, through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), released this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to support exploratory and developmental research projects under the R21 mechanism focused on creating genuinely new informatics methods and algorithms for cancer research and management. The opportunity sits within NCI's Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Program, which is aimed at building cutting-edge computational capabilities that can noticeably speed up or strengthen cancer research. The central idea is to fund early-stage, high-innovation work that may be somewhat higher-risk but could deliver major payoffs if successful, especially where new computational approaches remove bottlenecks in how cancer data are handled and understood.

This FOA is specifically looking for innovations in informatics that improve how cancer-related data are acquired, analyzed, visualized, or interpreted. The scope is intentionally broad across the cancer research continuum, including (but not limited to) cancer biology, treatment and diagnosis, early detection, risk assessment and prevention, cancer control and epidemiology, and efforts that address cancer health disparities. In practical terms, an application might propose a new algorithmic approach for integrating complex multi-modal datasets, a novel analytical method that improves inference or prediction from noisy clinical or molecular data, a visualization strategy that helps researchers or clinicians explore high-dimensional cancer datasets more effectively, or a new way to interpret or harmonize data generated across different platforms, sites, or populations. Because it is a "Clinical Trial Optional" R21, applicants may propose a clinical trial if it fits the informatics innovation, but it is not required.

A defining requirement is that the informatics contribution itself must be the novelty. The FOA emphasizes a clear and convincing rationale for why the proposed method or algorithm is new, what makes it meaningfully different from existing approaches, and how it would benefit the broader cancer research field. This point is important because the announcement explicitly excludes projects that mainly apply existing informatics tools or standard algorithms to a new biological or clinical question. In other words, if the computational method is already established and the only "new" aspect is the cancer dataset or the scientific question, that proposal is considered non-responsive and will not move forward for review under this solicitation. The expectation is that the funded work advances informatics capabilities in a way that could be reused, extended, or adopted beyond a single narrow study.

In terms of eligibility, the FOA is open to a wide range of organizations. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special districts), independent school districts, public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. It also explicitly calls out additional eligible organization types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities. The listing reflects an intent to encourage broad participation, including institutions and organizations that may be well positioned to contribute to or benefit from informatics advances that address disparities and diverse populations.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary grant with the activity area spanning education and health, and it is associated with multiple CFDA listings (93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399). The FOA number is RFA-CA-22-021, and it was created on March 24, 2022, with an original closing date of November 17, 2022. While the provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the main practical takeaway is that this is an R21 exploratory/developmental mechanism aimed at early-stage innovation, where the strongest applications will clearly define the informatics gap, demonstrate why existing methods fall short, and lay out a credible plan to produce a new method or algorithm that can advance cancer research broadly rather than only supporting a single narrow use case.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of Innovative Informatics Methods and Algorithms for Cancer Research and Management (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-11-17. (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 22 021

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