Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Forecasted opportunity (not yet open for applications; expected to be posted around 2027-01-15; estimated application due date 2027-06-04). Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicits grant applications proposing exploratory research projects focused on further development and validation of emerging technologies for cancer research or clinical care. This NOFO solicits R33 applications where major feasibility gaps for the technology or methodology have been overcome, as demonstrated with supportive preliminary data, but still requires further development, enhancements, optimizations, and rigorous technical validation to encourage adoption by the research community.Well-suited applications must offer the potential to accelerate and/or enhance research in the areas of cancer biology, early detection and screening, clinical diagnosis, treatment, cancer control, and/or epidemiology. Projects that are in-scope include technologies with new or significantly improved technical capabilities to measure, analyze, model, or interrogate cancer-related systems. These may include, but are not limited to, advanced molecular and cellular analysis platforms, multi-omic and spatial profiling methods, imaging and sensing technologies, immuno-engineering approaches, and innovations in biospecimen processing, modeling, and quality assessment. Technologies proposed for development may have potential for widespread applicability but must be focused in this proposal on cancer applications. Projects proposing application of existing technologies where the novelty resides in the clinical target or biological question being pursued are not appropriate for this solicitation. This funding opportunity is part of a broader NCI-sponsored Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program.