NCI Small Grants Program for Cancer Research (NCI Omnibus R03) | PAR 16 416

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 416

The NCI Small Grants Program for Cancer Research (NCI Omnibus R03) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity designed to support small-scale cancer research projects that can be completed relatively quickly and with limited resources. Using the NIH R03 small grant mechanism, the program is meant for focused, well-defined studies that generate preliminary findings, test feasibility, or produce early-stage results that can position investigators for larger research efforts later. The scope is intentionally broad within cancer research, emphasizing projects that are compact and achievable rather than large, multi-year programs.

This opportunity specifically encourages several common project types that fit the R03 format. Examples include pilot and feasibility studies that explore whether an approach is workable before investing in a larger trial or expanded research program, and secondary analyses of existing datasets where researchers can address important cancer-related questions without collecting entirely new data. It also supports small, self-contained research projects that can be completed as a discrete unit of work, as well as efforts focused on developing research methods (such as new analytical approaches, measurement strategies, or study designs) and developing new research technologies that could improve how cancer research is conducted. Overall, the emphasis is on producing meaningful, publishable, or decision-enabling results within a constrained budget and timeframe.

The administering agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the funding instrument is a grant under a discretionary funding opportunity. The activity category is listed as Education and Health, and it aligns with multiple CFDA program numbers, including 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.397, and 93.399, reflecting the way NIH and NCI track and categorize related research activities across cancer institutes and programs. The funding opportunity number for this announcement is PAR-16-416, and the opportunity was created on August 26, 2016. The original closing date listed for the opportunity is January 24, 2018.

In terms of available funding, the award ceiling shown for this opportunity is $50,000. That ceiling underscores the “small grant” intent of the R03 mechanism: it is not meant to fund large personnel-heavy studies, extensive clinical trials, or major infrastructure, but rather targeted research that can be executed efficiently. The listing provided does not specify an expected number of awards, suggesting that applicants should not assume a fixed award count from the summary information alone and should refer to the full FOA details for any cycle-specific guidance.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of organizations across government, education, nonprofit, and private sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Institutions of higher education are eligible, including public and state-controlled universities as well as private institutions of higher education. Tribal eligibility includes Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized, as well as Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized as tribal governments. Nonprofits are eligible whether they have 501(c)(3) status or not (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), and for-profit organizations are eligible as well, including small businesses and other for-profit entities that are not classified as small businesses. The opportunity also recognizes “other” applicant types, indicating additional flexibility depending on the applicant’s organizational structure and compliance with NIH requirements.

Beyond the standard eligibility categories, the announcement explicitly highlights additional applicant groups to encourage broad participation and reach. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). It also notes eligibility for eligible agencies of the federal government and for faith-based or community-based organizations, which can be important for community-engaged cancer research, outreach-linked studies, or feasibility work grounded in real-world settings. Importantly, the FOA also allows non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized ones (as called out separately), and applicants located in a U.S. territory or possession, which expands the geographic and institutional diversity of potential applicants.

In practical terms, this FOA is best suited for investigators and organizations that have a strong, specific cancer research question but need a smaller, faster award to validate an idea, analyze existing information, refine a method, or build an early technology prototype. It is also a good fit for institutions that want to seed early-stage cancer research activity, including minority-serving institutions, tribal institutions, and community-based organizations that may be building capacity or piloting approaches tailored to their populations. The overall intent is to accelerate progress in cancer research by funding smaller, high-value projects that can deliver actionable results without requiring the scale and resources of larger NIH mechanisms.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Small Grants Program for Cancer Research (NCI Omnibus R03)" 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, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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 $50,000.00 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 16 416

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