Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trials Optional) | PAR 22 173

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 173

The Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trials Optional), funding opportunity number PAR-22-173, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant designed to help research teams do the up-front work needed to launch strong, efficient clinical trials in cancer prevention and cancer control. The central idea is that many investigators have a sound scientific reason to run a trial based on prior literature or early data, but still do not have enough practical, real-world information to lock down a final protocol without risking costly delays and redesigns. This program funds the planning and preparatory studies that close those gaps before a full clinical trial begins, with the goal of improving feasibility, reducing start-up problems, and avoiding repeated protocol changes that can drain budgets and timelines and sometimes stop trials from being completed at all.

The scope covers the full cancer prevention and control spectrum. That includes interventions aimed at prevention or interception, improving cancer-related health behaviors, increasing or optimizing screening and early detection, strengthening healthcare delivery approaches, managing treatment-related symptoms, expanding supportive care, and improving long-term outcomes for cancer survivors. In practical terms, the program is meant for teams who are close to being ready for a clinical trial but need targeted planning work to confirm key assumptions, refine trial procedures, and reduce uncertainty. The FOA also emphasizes that newer trial designs intended to minimize infrastructure and lower costs may need to be tested for suitability in specific contexts, such as a particular intervention, an at-risk population, a symptom domain, or a clinical or community setting where the study would actually run.

The kinds of challenges this planning grant is meant to address are the common make-or-break issues that often only become obvious when a trial is about to start. Examples include uncertainty about the true size and characteristics of the study population, difficulty predicting accrual and retention, questions about whether the intervention can be delivered consistently across sites or settings, and uncertainty about selecting outcomes or endpoints that are both meaningful and measurable. It also supports tackling data, statistical, and operational risks that can derail a trial if they are not resolved early, such as data collection burden, missing data patterns, variability across clinics, workflow constraints, and the feasibility of implementing a novel or streamlined trial design. By funding these preparatory activities, the program aims to help investigators produce a better finalized protocol and a clearer picture of feasibility, which ultimately saves time and money for both researchers and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) categorized under Education and Health, with CFDA number 93.399. The listed award ceiling is $600,000. The opportunity was created on 2022-06-23, and the original closing date is 2025-09-07.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility aligns with the program's focus on practical trial planning across diverse populations and real-world settings where prevention and control interventions are often delivered.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a bridge between promising trial ideas and a fully operational clinical trial: it funds the necessary planning and feasibility work to make a later trial more implementable, more reliable, and less likely to be slowed down by predictable but unresolved uncertainties.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trials Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-06-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

Apply for PAR 22 173

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