Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 20 010
This funding opportunity, titled "Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" (RFA-CA-20-010), is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) cooperative agreement program designed to keep proven cancer informatics resources running, improving, and broadly available to the research community. Rather than paying for brand-new tool creation, the focus is on sustained operations and ongoing enhancement of existing, widely used informatics tools, platforms, or resources that already provide clear value to cancer researchers. The overarching goal is to strengthen how cancer-related data and knowledge are acquired, managed, analyzed, and shared across the full cancer research continuum, including basic cancer biology, diagnosis and treatment, early detection, risk assessment and prevention, cancer control and epidemiology, and efforts addressing cancer health disparities.
A central theme of the FOA is that applicants must make a strong, evidence-based case for why the resource should continue to be supported. That means clearly documenting the resource's current impact, who is using it, how it enables or accelerates research, and why ongoing sustainment is necessary for the field. Since this FOA sits within NCI's Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Program, it aligns with ITCR's broader mission of supporting research-driven informatics technology across the full development lifecycle. In practical terms, this specific announcement covers the later "keep it reliable, improve it, and support users" phase, while companion ITCR announcements typically cover earlier-stage development and more advanced new feature creation.
Because this is a U24 cooperative agreement, the relationship with NIH/NCI is expected to be more collaborative than a standard grant. Applicants should plan for active coordination with program staff and should propose a sustainment approach that is realistic and operationally mature, including staffing, maintenance, upgrades, documentation, user support, and plans for reliability and availability. A major emphasis is placed on improving user experience and ensuring that the tool or resource remains accessible and dependable for its user base. The FOA also stresses the importance of deep engagement with the target research community, so proposals should include mechanisms to assess user needs, collect feedback, measure usage and value, and iteratively improve the resource in ways that match real-world research workflows. Community-building, training, outreach, and collaboration models are therefore not side items; they are part of demonstrating that the resource will remain useful and actively used.
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and various government entities, including state, county, city/township governments, special districts, certain housing authorities, and eligible tribal governments and tribal organizations. The announcement is issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health, with the relevant CFDA listing as 93.394. The opportunity was created on January 23, 2020, and the original closing date was November 18, 2020. The notice indicates an expectation of two awards, and the posted award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that applicants should rely on the FOA text for budget guidance rather than assuming a fixed cap from the summary field.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NCI's way of preventing high-value cancer informatics infrastructure from becoming outdated, under-supported, or inaccessible after initial development funding ends. Competitive applications will look less like a prototype-building plan and more like a well-justified sustainment and service plan, backed by demonstrated adoption, clear benefit to cancer research, measurable impact, and a credible strategy for long-term operations, continuous improvement, and strong community partnership.Apply for RFA CA 20 010
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 23, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 18, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and identifier of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is identified as RFA-CA-20-010.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as the sponsoring institute.
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The main purpose is to provide sustained operational support for proven, widely used cancer informatics resources so they remain running, improved, and broadly available to the cancer research community.
Is this funding meant for building brand-new tools from scratch?
No. The emphasis is on sustaining and enhancing existing informatics tools, platforms, or resources that already demonstrate clear value and real-world use in cancer research.
What kinds of resources does NCI want to sustain under this FOA?
The FOA targets informatics tools, platforms, or resources that support cancer research and management by helping the field acquire, manage, analyze, and share cancer-related data and knowledge, and that have already shown strong adoption and impact.
What areas of cancer research are included in the scope?
The scope spans the full cancer research continuum, including basic cancer biology, diagnosis and treatment, early detection, risk assessment and prevention, cancer control and epidemiology, and work addressing cancer health disparities.
How does this opportunity relate to NCI's ITCR Program?
This FOA sits within NCI's Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Program. It aligns with ITCR by supporting later-stage activities focused on keeping established informatics resources reliable, improving them over time, and supporting users, while companion ITCR announcements typically address earlier-stage development and newer feature creation.
What is a U24 cooperative agreement in practical terms?
A U24 cooperative agreement generally involves more active collaboration with NIH/NCI program staff than a standard grant. Applicants should plan for ongoing coordination with program staff and propose an operationally mature sustainment plan.
What does "Clinical Trial Optional" mean here?
It indicates that proposing a clinical trial is optional for this U24 opportunity. The FOA is not described as being exclusively focused on clinical trials.
What does NCI expect applicants to prove about their resource?
Applicants are expected to make a strong, evidence-based case that the resource merits continued support. This includes documenting current impact, who uses the resource, how it enables or accelerates research, and why sustained operations are necessary for the field.
What types of evidence help demonstrate that a resource is worth sustaining?
Based on the FOA description, strong evidence would include demonstrated adoption and usage, clear benefits to cancer research, measurable impact, and documentation showing the resource is widely used and provides ongoing value to its user community.
What activities are emphasized for the sustainment phase?
The FOA emphasizes sustained operations and ongoing enhancement, including realistic plans for staffing, maintenance, upgrades, documentation, user support, and reliability and availability.
How important is user experience and reliability in this FOA?
Improving user experience and ensuring the resource remains accessible and dependable are major emphases. Applications are expected to treat reliability, availability, and usability as core sustainment responsibilities.
What does the FOA say about community engagement?
Deep engagement with the target research community is a central expectation. Proposals should include ways to assess user needs, gather feedback, measure usage and value, and iteratively improve the resource to match real-world research workflows.
Are training, outreach, and community-building optional extras?
No. Community-building, training, outreach, and collaboration models are described as integral to showing that the resource will remain useful, actively used, and responsive to its user base.
What does "sustained operations" typically include for an informatics resource?
As described, sustained operations include keeping the resource running, maintaining and upgrading it, producing and updating documentation, providing user support, and ensuring the service is reliable and available to the community.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. It includes public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and various government entities such as state, county, and city/township governments, special districts, certain housing authorities, and eligible tribal governments and tribal organizations.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligible tribal governments and tribal organizations are explicitly included among the eligible applicant types.
Are for-profit organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations, including small businesses, are listed as eligible.
What is the CFDA listing for this opportunity?
The relevant CFDA listing provided is 93.394.
When was this opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on January 23, 2020, and the original closing date was November 18, 2020.
How many awards does NCI expect to make?
The notice indicates an expectation of two awards.
Is there a stated maximum award amount (ceiling)?
The posted award ceiling is listed as 0. This typically means applicants should rely on the FOA text for budget guidance rather than assuming a fixed cap from the summary information.
What does it mean if the award ceiling is shown as 0?
In this context, it generally signals that the summary field is not providing a fixed cap, and that the detailed FOA text is the appropriate source for budget expectations and guidance.
What kind of application is likely to be competitive for this FOA?
Competitive applications are expected to look like a well-justified sustainment and service plan rather than a prototype-building plan. The proposal should be backed by demonstrated adoption, clear benefit to cancer research, measurable impact, and a credible strategy for long-term operations, continuous improvement, and strong community partnership.
Why is NCI offering this type of sustained support?
The opportunity is positioned as a way to prevent high-value cancer informatics infrastructure from becoming outdated, under-supported, or inaccessible after initial development funding ends.
What is the overarching goal of sustaining these informatics resources?
The overarching goal is to strengthen how cancer-related data and knowledge are acquired, managed, analyzed, and shared across the cancer research continuum.
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| Revision Applications to Support the Application of Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (R01 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA CA 20 011 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 011 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Revision Applications to Support the Application of Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (U01 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA CA 20 012 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 012 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Revision Applications to Support the Application of Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA CA 20 013 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 013 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| FY 2018 American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) Program Apply for 72ASHA18RFA00001 Funding Number: 72ASHA18RFA00001 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Utilizing Cohort Studies to Address Health Outcomes in Cancer Survivors (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA CA 20 030 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 030 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Strengthening Institutional Capacity to Conduct Global Cancer Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (D43 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA CA 20 031 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 031 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Metastasis Research Network (U54 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA CA 20 029 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 029 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $1,200,000 |
| Improving Smoking Cessation Interventions among People Living with HIV (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA CA 20 035 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 035 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Improving Smoking Cessation Interventions among People Living with HIV (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA CA 20 036 Funding Number: RFA CA 20 036 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Emergency Awards: Exosome-based Non-traditional Technologies Towards Multi-Parametric and Integrated Approaches for SARS-CoV-2 (U18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA OD 20 018 Funding Number: RFA OD 20 018 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NLM Grants for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health (G13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for PAR 21 046 Funding Number: PAR 21 046 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Advanced Development of Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA CA 21 015 Funding Number: RFA CA 21 015 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA CA 21 016 Funding Number: RFA CA 21 016 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Revision Applications to Support the Application of Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (U01 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA CA 21 018 Funding Number: RFA CA 21 018 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Development of Innovative Informatics Methods and Algorithms for Cancer Research and Management (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA CA 21 013 Funding Number: RFA CA 21 013 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Revision Applications to Support the Application of Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (R01 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA CA 21 017 Funding Number: RFA CA 21 017 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| Revision Applications to Support the Application of Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA CA 21 019 Funding Number: RFA CA 21 019 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| NIDA Translational Avant-Garde Award for Development of Medication to Treat Substance Use Disorders (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for PAR 21 092 Funding Number: PAR 21 092 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| HEAL Initiative: Integrative Management of chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery (IMPOWR): Coordination and Dissemination Center (R24 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA DA 21 029 Funding Number: RFA DA 21 029 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $575,000 |
| Limited Competition to Convert the CNS HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) Study Cohort to a Research Resource (R24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA MH 21 170 Funding Number: RFA MH 21 170 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Category: Education, Health Funding Amount: $1,250,000 |
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