Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Curriculum or Methods Development (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 065

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 065

The Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Curriculum or Methods Development (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that supports research education projects designed to strengthen the nations biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce as it relates to cancer. It sits under the NIH Research Education Program (R25), which is meant to fund structured educational activities that complement existing training pathways rather than traditional hypothesis-driven research projects. In this particular announcement (PAR-21-065), the central emphasis is on creating or improving curriculum and educational methods, meaning applicants are expected to develop, modernize, or rigorously refine the way cancer-related research education is taught and delivered, rather than running clinical trials or primarily conducting lab or population research.

The program is looking for creative, state-of-the-art educational approaches that can improve how learners gain the knowledge and skills needed to address cancer across the full continuum. Proposed educational content can focus on cancer causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation after cancer, and the long-term or continuing care of cancer patients, including support for families of cancer patients. In practical terms, this can include development of new courses, modular learning units, innovative teaching methods, instructional tools, competency-based curricula, or other educational frameworks that better prepare trainees and professionals to engage in cancer-related research and research-informed practice. The intent is workforce-focused: the project should clearly strengthen research education capacity and outcomes in areas aligned with NCI priorities.

A key limitation is embedded directly in the title: clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity. That means applicants should not propose studies that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial (for example, prospective assignment of human participants to an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes). While education research or evaluation activities may be part of the project (such as assessing the effectiveness of a new curriculum), the application must be structured so it does not cross into a disallowed clinical trial design.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants listed 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; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education where relevant); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The announcement also explicitly encourages participation from institutions and organizations that serve populations historically underrepresented in biomedical research and higher education, including 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it draws a clear boundary around foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations or foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means limited foreign participation can be included when well-justified and properly structured under NIH rules.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the education and health categories, with CFDA (Assistance Listing) number 93.398. The opportunity was created on 2020-11-17, and the listed original closing date in the provided data is 2023-09-29. The source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget guidance for typical R25 cost expectations and any NCI-specific caps or constraints.

Overall, this R25 is aimed at organizations that can credibly design and deliver high-impact cancer research education innovations, especially those that fill gaps in current training, modernize curriculum content, or introduce better methods for teaching and assessing key research competencies. The strongest projects are typically those that clearly define the educational need, identify the target learners, present a well-developed curriculum or methods plan, and include a realistic evaluation strategy to show how the educational product improves research readiness or capability, all while staying firmly outside clinical trial territory.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Curriculum or Methods Development (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.398.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-11-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

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