NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (R35) | PAR 15 342

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 15 342

The NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (R35), announced by the National Institutes of Health under FOA number PAR-15-342, is a discretionary grant opportunity designed to support high-level cancer research in any scientific area relevant to cancer. The core idea of this award is to provide substantial, stable funding to investigators so they can pursue ambitious, long-range research programs rather than being limited to short, narrowly defined projects. Because it is framed broadly as "any area of cancer research," the opportunity can cover a wide range of topics, including basic, translational, clinical, prevention, population, behavioral, and other cancer-related research, as long as the work aligns with the National Cancer Institute mission and priorities.

In terms of funding structure, this opportunity is offered as a grant, with an indicated award ceiling of $600,000. While the source data does not specify the exact number of expected awards, it does indicate that the program is intended to make one or more awards depending on application volume, program priorities, and available funds. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers associated with this opportunity are 93.393 through 93.399, reflecting that it sits within NIH and NCI research support mechanisms that span multiple cancer-related assistance listings. The original closing date listed for this particular announcement cycle was January 7, 2016, and the record shows a creation date of September 3, 2015, which signals that applicants needed to plan around a traditional NIH application timeline and policies in effect for that period.

Eligibility is broad across the U.S. research ecosystem and includes many common applicant types: state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both those with 501(c)(3) status and those without, as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category listed); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. It also includes Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized, as well as Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are also listed as eligible.

The FOA also explicitly highlights additional categories of eligible applicants, emphasizing inclusion of a wide range of institution types and community-connected organizations. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). It also notes faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized entities as eligible in the contexts described.

At the same time, the announcement draws clear boundaries around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, meaning foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. Similarly, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, the FOA allows foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning that while the main applicant must be a U.S.-based eligible organization, certain parts of the research activities may involve foreign collaborations or performance sites if they meet NIH definitions and requirements and if the application justifies the need for that foreign component.

Overall, this R35 opportunity can be understood as a major NCI mechanism meant to back outstanding cancer researchers with sizable support and flexibility, while still operating within standard NIH grants rules on eligibility, institutional applicant types, and the permitted scope of any international collaboration.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (R35)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.397, 93.398, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-09-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-01-07. (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 15 342

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