NCI Research Specialist (Laboratory-based Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 22 187

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 187

The NCI Research Specialist (Laboratory-based Scientist) Award (R50, Clinical Trial Not Allowed), funding opportunity number PAR-22-187, is a National Institutes of Health grant program run through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that supports experienced, highly skilled laboratory-based scientists who want to build long-term research careers without becoming independent, tenure-track principal investigators. The central idea is to strengthen and stabilize the cancer research workforce by providing a dedicated mechanism for exceptional non-tenure track researchers who make major, ongoing contributions within an existing NCI-funded cancer research program. The award is geared toward people whose career goals focus on deep technical or scientific specialization, leadership in a lab environment, and sustained contribution to a broader research program rather than launching an independent lab.

This FOA is open to applications in any area of NCI-funded cancer research, spanning basic, translational, clinical, and population science programs, as long as the role supported by the award is specifically laboratory-based. In practice, this means the supported scientist is embedded within a larger NCI-supported research enterprise and helps drive that program forward through specialized expertise, advanced experimental work, technology development, study execution, data generation, and/or other essential scientific functions that are hard to replace and critical to productivity. The program explicitly recognizes that these kinds of scientists are often the backbone of high-performing research groups and that creating stable, well-supported career paths for them is important for sustaining the biomedical research ecosystem.

A key boundary in this announcement is that clinical trials are not allowed under this mechanism. In other words, the R50 described here is not intended to fund the design or conduct of clinical trials, and applicants should expect the scope of supported work to stay on the laboratory side of research activities. The overall emphasis is on supporting a research specialist who contributes to cancer research aims within an established NCI-funded program, rather than building an independent research portfolio or running clinical trial activities.

Eligibility is broad on the organizational side and includes many common U.S.-based applicants such as public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it places firm limits on foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity categorized under education and health, associated with CFDA numbers 93.393 through 93.399. The original closing date listed in the provided record is November 2, 2022, and the record does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a career-sustaining award for outstanding lab-based research specialists who will remain integral members of an NCI-funded cancer research program and who want recognition, stability, and support for that high-impact role without transitioning to an independent investigator track.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Research Specialist (Laboratory-based Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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, 93.397, 93.398, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-05-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-11-02. (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 PAR 22 187

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