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

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is soliciting R33 grant applications under RFA-CA-27-002 for the advanced development, optimization, and technical validation of emerging technologies used for the molecular or cellular characterization of cancer or the quality control of biospecimens. This initiative, part of the Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, targets projects that have moved beyond early proof-of-concept and require rigorous validation to encourage adoption by the research community. Eligible applicants include small businesses and other for-profit organizations, provided they maintain active registrations in SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. The program specifically excludes projects that use existing technologies for hypothesis-driven research where the novelty is the biological target rather than the technology itself. Funding is limited to 300,000 dollars per year for a total project period not exceeding three years. For fiscal year 2027, the NCI intends to fund approximately 13 awards totaling 5.9 million dollars. Applications are evaluated based on scientific and technical merit, with a focus on the importance of the research, innovation, rigor, feasibility, and the expertise of the investigators. Awardees are required to attend an annual two-to-three day meeting and must comply with strict cybersecurity incident reporting and human subjects protection protocols. Applications involving foreign subawards or subcontracts are deemed noncompliant. The final response deadline for this solicitation is November 10, 2026.