NIH PA · NCI · R21

PA-25-253: Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed October 16, 2026Data refreshed October 16, 2026Editorial standards

Open for applicationsNext due date: Oct 16, 2026Expires Sep 8, 2028

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages the submission of exploratory/developmental research grant (R21) applications that focus on different aspects of cancer control by modifying behavior, screening, and understanding etiologic factors contributing to the development of cancer, and developing ways to control cancer. The overarching goal is to provide support to promote the early and conceptual stages of research efforts on novel scientific ideas that have the potential to substantially advance population-based cancer research, such as the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of cancer…

Full NOFO in the NIH Guide Apply on Grants.gov

NOFO number
PA-25-253
Type
PA
Activity code
R21
Primary institute
NCI · National Cancer Institute
Clinical trials
Optional
Posted
Nov 8, 2024
Opens
Jan 16, 2025
Expires
Sep 8, 2028

PA-25-253 due dates

5 application due dates remain before the NOFO expires. Dates marked * are NIH standard due dates. Check the related notices below for changes NIH made after posting.

Application due dates and review cycles for PA-25-253
Application Due Date(s)Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed)AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowedScientific Merit ReviewAdvisory Council ReviewEarliest Start Date
February 16, 2025March 16, 2025 *May 07, 2025 *July 2025October 2025December 2025
June 16, 2025July 16, 2025 *September 07, 2025 *November 2025January 2026April 2026
October 16, 2025November 16, 2025 *January 07, 2026 *March 2026May 2026July 2026
June 16, 2026July 16, 2026 *Not ApplicableNovember 2026January 2027April 2027
October 16, 2026November 16, 2026 *Not ApplicableMarch 2027May 2027July 2027
June 16, 2027July 16, 2027 *Not ApplicableNovember 2027January 2028April 2028
October 16, 2027November 16, 2027 *Not ApplicableMarch 2028May 2028July 2028
February 16, 2028March 16, 2028 *Not ApplicableJuly 2028October 2028December 2028
June 16, 2028July 16, 2028 *Not ApplicableNovember 2028January 2029April 2029

Projects funded under PA-25-253

NIH RePORTER lists 12 projects funded under PA-25-253 in FY2022–FY2026, with $5.2M in award dollars. Counts include each project's later non-competing years, which keep the original NOFO number.

Projects funded

12

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

12

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$5.2M

Award dollars under PA-25-253, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under PA-25-253
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202200$0
FY202300$0
FY202400$0
FY202500$0
FY20261212$5.2M

Institutions with the most funding

  1. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai$894K · 2 projects
  2. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital$492K · 1 project
  3. University of Tennessee Knoxville$475K · 1 project
  4. Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research$457K · 1 project
  5. Baylor College of Medicine$441K · 1 project
  6. UT Southwestern Medical Center$427K · 1 project
  7. University of Virginia$415K · 1 project
  8. Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp$406K · 1 project

Funding institutes

  • NCI$5.2M · 12

Activity codes funded

Most recent new awards

What its predecessor PAR-21-341 funded

PA-25-253 reissues PAR-21-341. Its funding history is the best guide to who wins under this program: 20 projects and $8.4M in FY2022–FY2026.

Projects funded

20

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

20

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$8.4M

Award dollars under PAR-21-341, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under PAR-21-341
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202200$0
FY202322$622K
FY20241211$3.8M
FY2025127$3.2M
FY202640$713K

Institutions with the most funding

  1. Arizona State University-Tempe Campus$833K · 2 projects
  2. Massachusetts General Hospital$774K · 2 projects
  3. University of South Carolina at Columbia$734K · 2 projects
  4. Beckman Research Institute/City of Hope$490K · 1 project
  5. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital$470K · 1 project
  6. Dana-Farber Cancer Inst$469K · 1 project
  7. Vanderbilt University Medical Center$448K · 1 project
  8. Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp$444K · 1 project

Funding institutes

  • NCI$8.4M · 30

Activity codes funded

Most recent new awards

FY2026 closed on September 30, 2026, but NIH keeps posting that year's awards to RePORTER for several weeks. FY2026 figures reflect records available on October 16, 2026 and may rise slightly at the next refresh.

Participating institutes

2 NIH institutes and offices take applications under PA-25-253. Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your research before applying.

  • NCI · National Cancer Institute
  • none

Related notices

  1. Mar 31, 2025 · NOT-OD-24-084

    This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities. Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission.April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25,…

  2. Aug 31, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-198

    Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198.

  3. Aug 5, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-189

    Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189.

Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs)

NIH has attached 19 NOSIs to PA-25-253; none are active now. A NOSI flags a topic an institute wants to fund through this NOFO.

Award terms

Application types allowed
NewResubmission The OER Glossary and the How to Apply Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.
Award budget
The combined budget for direct costs for the two-year project period may not exceed 275,000. No more than 200,000 may be requested in a single year.
Project period
The maximum project period is 2 years. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.
Funds available and number of awards
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Summarized from the NOFO text; the full NOFO governs eligibility, budget, and review.

Related NOFOs

  • Reissue of PAR-21-341.

Other open NOFOs for R21

Browse all open NIH NOFOs

About this page

GotGrant gathers the NOFO, its participation and change notices, and its NOSIs from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, and counts funded projects from NIH RePORTER by the opportunity number each award was made under. Data refreshed October 16, 2026; the NIH Guide is the authoritative source. See our data methodology.

Find who wins under this NOFO

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