Cancer Prevention, Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Technologies for Global Health (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 22 020

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 22 020

Cancer Prevention, Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Technologies for Global Health (RFA-CA-22-020) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity that uses a U01 cooperative agreement to support practical, cancer-focused technology development aimed specifically at low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The core goal is to move promising technologies closer to real-world use by adapting and validating them so they can function reliably in resource-constrained settings. Rather than funding basic discovery, the announcement focuses on turning an existing or emerging assay, device, or treatment-related technology into a user-friendly, low-cost solution that can meaningfully improve cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, or treatment where infrastructure, trained personnel, and budgets are limited.

A key requirement is that applicants must already have a working prototype or assay in hand at the time of application. The prototype does not have to be originally designed for cancer, but it must be far enough along that the project can credibly pursue adaptation for cancer use and then demonstrate performance. The expected work includes (1) tailoring the technology to the target cancer use-case and LMIC context, (2) showing technical functionality, and (3) generating evidence of clinical performance in the intended setting. The FOA emphasizes objective, milestone-driven progress: teams are expected to hit measurable performance targets, then iterate on the design based on results, and finally conduct improvements and validation activities within LMIC environments. Clinical trials are optional, meaning projects may include clinical studies if they are appropriate for demonstrating clinical performance, but the mechanism does not require a clinical trial for every award.

Because success depends on more than just engineering, the FOA makes multidisciplinary collaboration non-negotiable. Applicant teams must include expertise spanning engineering or assay/treatment development, oncology, global health care delivery, and business development. This reflects the reality that technologies fail in global health not only due to weak technical performance, but also because they are too expensive, too hard to use, too dependent on fragile supply chains, or poorly aligned with local clinical workflows. As a result, applicants are expected to treat affordability, cost-effectiveness, and point-of-need usability as core design constraints, not as afterthoughts. In practice, that means designing for the realities of LMIC settings such as limited lab capacity, intermittent electricity, shortages of specialized staff, challenging maintenance conditions, and the need for clear, actionable results that fit local clinical decision-making.

This FOA sits within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Affordable Cancer Technologies (ACTs) Program, which is oriented toward scalable, accessible cancer technology solutions. Consistent with that mission, the announcement supports projects that can be deployed and sustained, not just demonstrated in ideal conditions. The cooperative agreement structure also signals that NIH/NCI expects an active partnership role, typically involving programmatic involvement in shaping milestones, monitoring progress, and ensuring the project remains aligned with the program goals of affordability and deployability in LMICs.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations: public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly welcomes a wide range of additional applicant categories and partners, including non-U.S. (foreign) organizations and regional organizations, as well as institutions serving historically underrepresented communities (for example, HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, Tribal colleges and universities, and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian serving institutions). Tribal governments and tribal organizations are included as well. This broad eligibility aligns with the FOA's emphasis on multidisciplinary and cross-sector teams that can combine technical innovation with on-the-ground implementation capability.

From the provided opportunity details, the awarding agency is NIH, the opportunity category is discretionary, and the activity category is listed under education and health. The CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity include 93.313, 93.394, and 93.395. The opportunity was created on 2022-04-05 and had an original closing date of 2022-06-17. The listed award ceiling is $475,000, indicating an upper bound on budget per award under this announcement as provided in the source data. Overall, the program is designed for teams that are ready to translate a prototype into a field-ready cancer technology by proving it works, proving it performs clinically in context, and shaping it into something affordable and usable where the need is greatest.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cancer Prevention, Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Technologies for Global Health (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.313, 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-04-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-06-17. (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 $475,000.00 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 RFA CA 22 020

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