Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancers for Years 2021, 2022, and 2023 (P50 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 20 305

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 305

The Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancers for Years 2021, 2022, and 2023 (P50 Clinical Trial Required) opportunity, issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under NIH, is a discretionary grant funding announcement (PAR-20-305) that supports large, coordinated cancer research centers focused on translational science. The core purpose is to fund investigator-initiated, state-of-the-art translational research programs that can meaningfully improve cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. This is not meant to be purely basic science or purely clinical work; the program is designed to move discoveries along the pipeline so they ultimately reach and benefit people, with an expectation that funded work will advance toward measurable, human-focused outcomes within the grant period.

A defining feature of this SPORE announcement is its emphasis on organ-specific cancers or a tightly related group of cancers. The most straightforward model is an organ site focus (for example, cancers within the gastrointestinal system, neuroendocrine tumors, head and neck cancers, and similar groupings that share an organ system). However, the FOA also allows a SPORE to be organized around other scientifically coherent groupings if they are programmatically appropriate and strongly justified. That can include cancers spanning different organ systems when they share a common biological driver that is central to tumor development or progression, such as a shared infectious cause or a shared signaling pathway that sustains malignancy. The announcement also recognizes broader themes where a cross-cutting program structure makes sense, explicitly noting examples like pediatric cancers and cancer health disparities, as long as the scientific strategy remains firmly translational and oriented toward human endpoints.

The research scope required under this FOA is explicitly translational and rooted in human biology. Projects are expected to stem from research that uses human-relevant experimental approaches, including cellular, molecular, structural, biochemical, and genetic methods, and the work should be designed to push findings toward clinical application. A key requirement is that SPORE projects must aim to reach a translational human endpoint within the project period. In practical terms, that means applicants should be proposing research with a credible pathway to impact human health, such as advancing a preventive intervention, validating an early detection strategy, developing or refining a diagnostic approach, or moving a therapeutic concept toward clinical evaluation. The title of the opportunity includes "Clinical Trial Required," signaling that the overall SPORE program is expected to incorporate clinical trial activity as part of its translational mission rather than remaining entirely preclinical.

From an eligibility standpoint, this FOA is broadly open to many types of U.S.-based applicants across government, academia, nonprofit, and industry, reflecting the center-style nature of SPOREs and the collaborative infrastructure they typically require. Eligible applicants listed 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 and other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as stated); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it makes clear that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities cannot apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. Foreign components, as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, which means a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign collaborations or elements when they meet NIH policy requirements, but the applicant organization itself must be domestic.

In terms of administrative details, the funding instrument is a grant and the activity mechanism is a P50 Research Center Grant, consistent with SPORE’s center-based structure. The opportunity sits within the Education and Health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.121 and 93.395. The source data provided lists an award ceiling of $1,400,000, indicating the maximum award amount shown for this announcement. The opportunity was created on 2020-09-28, and the original closing date shown is 2023-09-26, which aligns with the multi-year framing of the FOA covering years 2021 through 2023. The listing also shows an "ExpectedAwards" field without a specified number in the provided text, so the announcement data excerpt does not state how many awards were anticipated.

Overall, this SPORE FOA is best understood as a competitive, center-scale translational cancer research funding opportunity where applicants must build an integrated program aimed at moving human biology insights toward tangible clinical impact. The program is flexible about the exact cancer focus as long as it is either organ-based or scientifically cohesive (including mechanism-based or theme-based groupings like disparities or pediatrics), but it is strict about the translational nature of the work and the expectation of progress toward human endpoints, reinforced by the clinical trial requirement embedded in the opportunity’s title.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancers for Years 2021, 2022, and 2023 (P50 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-09-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-26. (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 $1,400,000.00 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.

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