Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions (R21) | RFA CA 17 018

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 17 018

Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions (R21) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding opportunity under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that aims to push cancer research toward tackling specific, well-defined scientific problems that have been overlooked or are unusually difficult to resolve. Rather than funding broad or incremental projects, this announcement is built around the NCI "Provocative Questions" initiative, which frames important gaps in knowledge as direct questions. The central idea is to spark creative, high-impact research that can explain paradoxes, challenge assumptions, and open up new lines of investigation in areas where progress has been slower than expected.

The mechanism is an R21, which is NIH's exploratory and developmental research grant. In practical terms, that means the program is designed for early-stage, proof-of-concept, or high-risk studies that could lead to major advances but may not yet have the extensive preliminary data expected for larger awards. Projects proposed under this FOA are expected to be clearly responsive to one or more of the specified Provocative Questions, with an emphasis on generating new insights, testing unconventional hypotheses, developing novel approaches, or producing key data that can shift the direction of a research area. While these questions point to priorities that NCI considers important, the FOA makes a point of clarifying that they do not represent the full range of NCI's overall cancer research priorities; they are a targeted set meant specifically to draw attention to underexplored problems.

The opportunity is a discretionary grant program in the health and education funding activity categories, associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399), reflecting NCI's broader research portfolio. The funding opportunity number is RFA-CA-17-018, and it was created on 2017-03-03 with an original application closing date of 2018-01-23. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, which signals that the program is oriented toward smaller, focused projects rather than large-scale multi-year efforts. The number of expected awards is not specified in the source information provided, which is common for some FOAs when the final count depends on budget and application quality.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can contribute meaningfully to cancer research. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In addition, the FOA explicitly highlights other eligible applicant types that NIH and NCI often encourage to apply, 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), and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). The emphasis on these categories signals an intent to widen participation and draw on diverse institutional strengths and perspectives, though applicants still need to confirm the detailed requirements in the FOA.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a targeted call for innovative cancer research ideas that directly respond to NCI-defined provocative questions. It is structured to incentivize investigators and institutions to pursue bold, question-driven projects that might not fit neatly into standard funding streams, especially when the work involves resolving contradictions, explaining unexpected findings, or tackling stubborn conceptual roadblocks in cancer biology, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. For applicants, success depends on clearly aligning the proposal to a specific Provocative Question and presenting a compelling plan for how the project will generate meaningful, actionable answers within the scope and budget of an R21 award.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions (R21)" 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, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-23. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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 RFA CA 17 018

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: