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Cancer Research Grants

Federal funding for cancer research, clinical trials, and oncology programs from NIH, NCI, and DOD. Covering basic research, translational science, and prevention studies.

Active Grants: 51 // Source: Grants.gov // Updated: Daily
About This Topic

Discover and fund active federal grants targeting cancer biology, treatment, screening, and prevention.

Active Opportunities (51)

PAR-25-254 05/07/2026
Understanding Expectancies in Cancer Symptom Management (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-254) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-221 01/07/2027
Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-221) targets strategic development wi...

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RFA-CA-24-026 09/28/2026
National Cancer Institute Youth Enjoy Science Research Education Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: RFA-CA-24-026) targets strategic development...

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PAR-25-098 01/07/2027
Interventions to expand cancer screening and preventive services to ADVANCE health in populations that experience health disparities (R01, Clinical Trial Required)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-098) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-23-284 09/25/2026
Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancers for Years 2024, 2025, and 2026 (P50 Clinical Trial Required)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-23-284) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-23-276 01/07/2027
Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Courses for Skills Development (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-23-276) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-23-277 01/07/2027
Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Research Experiences (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-23-277) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-103 10/25/2027
Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (U34 Clinical Trials Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-103) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-145 01/07/2028
Clinical Characterization of Cancer Therapy-induced Adverse Sequelae and Mechanism-based Interventional Strategies (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-145) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-043 01/07/2028
Mechanisms that Impact Cancer Risk after Bariatric Surgery (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-043) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-104 10/25/2027
Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trials Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-104) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-248 10/08/2027
Utilizing the PLCO Biospecimens Resource to Bridge Gaps in Cancer Etiology and Early Detection Research (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-248) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-24-311 01/07/2028
Molecular Imaging of Inflammation in Cancer (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-24-311) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-075 10/14/2026
Assay Validation of High Quality Markers for Clinical Studies in Cancer (UH3 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-075) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-175 01/07/2028
Integration of Imaging and Fluid-Based Tumor Monitoring in Cancer Therapy (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-175) targets strategic development wi...

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PA-25-172 01/07/2028
Modular R01s in Cancer Control and Population Sciences (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PA-25-172) targets strategic development wit...

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PA-25-253 09/07/2028
Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PA-25-253) targets strategic development wit...

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PAR-25-069 01/07/2027
Mechanisms that Impact Cancer Risk with Use of Incretin Mimetics (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-069) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-167 01/07/2027
Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Grant Program (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-167) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-081 01/07/2027
National Cancer Institute's Investigator-Initiated Early Phase Clinical Trials for Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-081) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-044 01/07/2028
Mechanisms that Impact Cancer Risk after Bariatric Surgery (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-044) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-243 01/07/2028
Basic Research in Cancer Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-243) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-095 09/07/2026
Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-095) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-070 01/07/2027
Mechanisms that Impact Cancer Risk with Use of Incretin Mimetics (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-070) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-336 11/15/2027
Toward Translation of Nanotechnology Cancer Interventions (TTNCI; R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-336) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-299 01/07/2028
Interventions to Address Disparities in Liver Diseases and Liver Cancer (R01 - Clinical Trials Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-299) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-23-278 01/07/2027
Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Curriculum or Methods Development (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-23-278) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-074 10/14/2026
Assay Validation of High Quality Markers for Clinical Studies in Cancer (UH2/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-074) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-096 09/07/2026
Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-096) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-244 11/16/2027
Basic Research in Cancer Health Disparities (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-244) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-25-444 09/25/2028
Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) for NCI-designated Cancer Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-25-444) targets strategic development wi...

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PAR-27-073 07/05/2029
Research Opportunities in Cancer Epidemiology Cohort Studies (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Agency HHS-NIH11

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-NIH11. This initiative (ID: PAR-27-073) targets strategic development wi...

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HT942526OCRPIIRA 10/01/2026
DoW, Ovarian Cancer, Investigator-Initiated Research Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526OCRPIIRA) targets strategic developm...

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HT942526OCRPCTA 10/01/2026
DoW Ovarian Cancer, Clinical Trial Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526OCRPCTA) targets strategic developme...

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HT942526PCARPIDA 10/07/2026
DoW Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, Idea Development Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526PCARPIDA) targets strategic developm...

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HT942526PCARPFPTA 10/07/2026
DoW Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, Focused Pilot Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526PCARPFPTA) targets strategic develop...

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HT942526OCRPOCAECI 10/01/2026
DoW, Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Academy – Early-Career Investigator Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526OCRPOCAECI) targets strategic develo...

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HT942526BCRPBTA12 07/08/2026
DoW Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526BCRPBTA12) targets strategic develop...

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HT942526BCRPCREA 07/08/2026
DoW Breast Cancer, Clinical Research Extension Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526BCRPCREA) targets strategic developm...

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HT942526BCRPTBCCDA 07/08/2026
DoW Breast Cancer, Transformative Breast Cancer Consortium Development Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526BCRPTBCCDA) targets strategic develo...

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HT942526LCRPIDA 09/02/2026
DoW Lung Cancer Idea Development Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526LCRPIDA) targets strategic developme...

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HT942526BCRPEOHS 07/08/2026
DoW Breast Cancer, Era of Hope Scholar Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526BCRPEOHS) targets strategic developm...

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HT942526BCRPTBCCA 09/30/2026
DoW Breast Cancer, Transformative Breast Cancer Consortium Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526BCRPTBCCA) targets strategic develop...

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HT942526LCRPTRA 09/02/2026
Lung Cancer Translational Research Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526LCRPTRA) targets strategic developme...

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HT942526BCRPBTA4 09/30/2026
DoW Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Level 4
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526BCRPBTA4) targets strategic developm...

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HT942526PCARPTRPA 10/07/2026
DoW Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, Translational Research Partnership Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526PCARPTRPA) targets strategic develop...

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HT942526OCRPPA 10/01/2026
DoW, Ovarian Cancer, Pilot Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526OCRPPA) targets strategic developmen...

Defense View Details →
HT942526OCRPOCCTAECI 10/01/2026
DoW, Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trial Academy – Early-Career Investigator Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526OCRPOCCTAECI) targets strategic deve...

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RFA-FD-26-004 06/15/2026
Novel Approaches to Support Therapeutic Development in Ultra-Rare Cancers
Agency HHS-FDA

High-priority technical directive issued by HHS-FDA. This initiative (ID: RFA-FD-26-004) targets strategic development w...

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HT942526BCRPBTA3 09/30/2026
DoW Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Level 3
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526BCRPBTA3) targets strategic developm...

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HT942526LCRPPCOSA 09/02/2026
Lung Cancer Patient-Centered Outcomes and Survivorship Award
Agency DOD-AMRAA

High-priority technical directive issued by DOD-AMRAA. This initiative (ID: HT942526LCRPPCOSA) targets strategic develop...

Defense View Details →
About This Funding Category

Federal cancer research funding is anchored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which awards approximately $6.4 billion annually across its portfolio of basic, translational, clinical, and community-level research programs. The NCI R01 mechanism funds individual investigator-initiated projects at academic institutions and research hospitals, while P01 Program Project Grants support multi-investigator teams tackling complex cancer problems from multiple angles. For research-enabled nonprofits and community organizations, NCI's cancer control and prevention portfolio provides a distinct pathway: community health education, screening outreach, and patient navigation programs receive dedicated funding separate from laboratory research. The Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) adds a complementary funding layer with substantial annual appropriations for specific cancers including breast, prostate, lung, and ovarian disease. Eligible applicants span universities, NCI-designated Cancer Centers, independent research institutes, patient advocacy organizations, and community health programs — each with distinct grant mechanisms calibrated to organizational capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who funds cancer research grants?
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a division of NIH, is the largest federal funder of cancer research. The Department of Defense (DOD) also operates the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) for specific cancers including breast, prostate, and lung cancer.
How much does NCI award in cancer grants?
NCI awards approximately $6.4 billion annually in research grants and contracts. Individual R01 research grants average $400,000–$600,000 per year for 4–5 years. Larger program project grants (P01) can reach $3–5 million per year.
Can nonprofits apply for cancer research grants?
Yes. Nonprofit research institutions, academic medical centers, and cancer-focused nonprofits are all eligible for NCI and DOD cancer grants. Community organizations can apply for cancer prevention and control grants through NCI's cancer control portfolio.
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GrantMetric Intelligence Systems — Independent federal grant intelligence platform. Not affiliated with Grants.gov, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, or any government agency. Grant data is sourced from the Grants.gov API for informational purposes only; always verify opportunity details directly with the funding agency before applying. Some links on this site are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Full Disclaimer  ·  Last Reviewed: May 2026  ·  Data Methodology