Early-Stage Innovative Technology Development for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 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 to develop innovative technologies for cancer research or clinical care. The emphasis of this NOFO is on early-stage projects proposing proof-of-concept/pilot studies to test the technical feasibility of the proposed method, tool, assay, platform, or instrument. Well-suited applications must offer a high degree of technical innovation and 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. This funding opportunity is part of a broader NCI-sponsored Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program.