Early-Onset Cancers: Investigating Etiology, Mechanisms, and Early Detection Strategies (RP1 Clinical Trials Optional)

The National Institutes of Health, under the Department of Health and Human Services, has issued solicitation PAR-28-014 to fund research into the etiology and biological mechanisms of sporadic non-hereditary early-onset cancers in adults aged 18 to 49. The program seeks to identify environmental or lifestyle exposures driving the increase in these cancers, examine underlying host responses, and improve the identification of high-risk individuals to inform prevention and control strategies. Funding is available for both exploratory/developmental projects with a maximum period of three years and standard research projects with a maximum period of five years. Clinical trials are optional, and any applicable trials must be registered and reported via ClinicalTrials.gov. Applicants must maintain active registrations in the System for Award Management, including a Unique Entity Identifier and CAGE or NCAGE code, and must have accounts in eRA Commons and Grants.gov. Evaluation is based on the project's ability to address knowledge gaps, the study of novel biological pathways or rare cancer types, the feasibility and rigor of the approach, and the adequacy of institutional resources. Recipients are required to follow NIST-modeled cybersecurity guidelines, including a 48-hour incident reporting window to HHS. All research involving human subjects must be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee, and investigators must ensure transparent reporting of all methods and results to facilitate replication.