NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 306

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 306

The NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50, Clinical Trial Not Allowed), Funding Opportunity Number PAR-21-306, is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity designed to provide stable, long-term career support for exceptional clinician scientists who play key roles in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) clinical trials enterprise. Rather than funding a traditional independent research lab or a principal investigator track, this award is built around the idea that NCI-funded clinical trials networks rely heavily on highly skilled clinician scientists who provide continuity, leadership, and specialized expertise across trials and institutions. The goal is to keep these individuals anchored in the national clinical trials system with enough salary support and professional autonomy that they are not forced to rely entirely on other investigators grants or short-term institutional funding to maintain their careers.

The FOA specifically targets clinician scientists who contribute to NCI-supported clinical trials research through three main lanes of activity. First, it supports leadership in the development of national clinical trials, meaning the conceptual and scientific work that helps shape trials that can be run across multiple sites. Second, it supports the implementation of NCI clinical trials at the applicant’s institution, which often includes operational leadership, protocol rollout, clinical integration, and ensuring trials can be opened and conducted effectively at the local level. Third, it supports national service to NCI clinical trials networks, such as participating on scientific review committees, data and safety monitoring committees, protocol committees, and other standing groups that keep the national trials infrastructure functioning and scientifically rigorous. A central boundary of the program is that awardees are not intended to serve as principal investigators on research project grants under this mechanism; the emphasis is on enabling a sustained specialist leadership role within the clinical trials networks rather than building an R01-style independent funding portfolio through this award.

A defining feature of the R50 mechanism here is the emphasis on career stability and continuity. The award is intended to provide salary support and enough independence for the clinician scientist to maintain a durable position that is not wholly dependent on being supported by other people’s grants. In practice, this is meant to strengthen the clinical trials workforce by retaining experienced clinician scientists whose roles are essential but do not always align neatly with standard academic promotion or grant leadership models. The FOA frames these specialists as vital to sustaining the NCI-funded clinical trials enterprise over time.

This opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and falls within health-related funding activity categories, with CFDA numbers listed as 93.393 through 93.399. Eligible applicants span a broad range of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities, including state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible organizational types such as 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized entities, and U.S. territories or possessions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply.

The opportunity was created on 2021-08-20, with an original closing date listed as 2023-10-31. The source data does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so those specifics are not available from the provided listing. Overall, PAR-21-306 is best understood as a targeted workforce-and-career support grant meant to keep highly capable clinician scientists embedded in the NCI clinical trials system, strengthening national trial development, institutional execution, and network-level oversight and service, while explicitly not serving as a mechanism for running clinical trials under the award itself.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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, 93.398, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-08-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-10-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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), Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PAR 21 306

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