Atom | Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Funding Amounts: Up to $499,000 direct costs per year, for a maximum project period of 5 years (R01 mechanism).

Summary: Supports projects to expand, improve, or transform the use of mammalian cancer and tumor models for translational research, with the goal of enhancing their clinical relevance and impact.

Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed; foreign and domestic organizations are eligible; Data Management and Sharing Plan required.

Description

This opportunity, issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at NIH, funds research projects aimed at enhancing the applicability of mammalian models (including organoids, tumoroids, and cell models) for translational cancer research. The focus is on demonstrating that these models robustly represent human biology, are suitable for addressing clinically relevant questions, and can reliably inform patient care. Projects may address technical, experimental, or practical challenges in the translational use of mammalian models, propose new uses or validation strategies, or develop best practices and standards for model use in translational settings.

Mechanistic, non-clinical research or the development of new models solely for non-clinical purposes is not responsive to this opportunity.

Due Dates

New Applications: June 5, 2025 | October 5, 2025 | February 5, 2026 | June 5, 2026
Renewal/Resubmission/Revision Applications: July 5, 2025 | November 5, 2025 | March 5, 2026 | July 5, 2026

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. The final expiration date for this opportunity is September 8, 2026.

Funding Amount

Direct Costs: Up to $499,000 per year
Project Period: Up to 5 years
Award Mechanism: R01 (Research Project Grant)
Number of Awards: Dependent on NIH appropriations and the number of meritorious applications

No cost sharing or matching is required.

Eligibility

Eligible organizations include:

Public/State and Private Institutions of Higher Education
Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
For-profit organizations (including small businesses)
State, county, city, township, and special district governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal governments (federally recognized and other)
Faith-based and community-based organizations
Regional organizations
U.S. territories and possessions
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations)

Individuals: Any qualified individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a PD/PI may apply.

Note: Both foreign organizations and foreign components of U.S. organizations are eligible.

Application Process

Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov using the NIH ASSIST system, institutional system-to-system solutions, or Grants.gov Workspace.
Required Registrations: Applicant organizations must have active registrations in SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. PDs/PIs must have an eRA Commons account.
Application Guide: Follow the NIH SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the specific instructions in the funding announcement.
Data Management and Sharing Plan: Required for all applications.
Clinical Trials: Not allowed under this opportunity.
Human Subjects/Vertebrate Animals: If applicable, follow all NIH policies and provide required documentation.

Additional Information

Responsive Project Types

Projects may include, but are not limited to:

Demonstrating or improving the translational relevance of existing mammalian models
Developing or validating new uses of mammalian models for clinical questions
Advancing best practices, standards, or SOPs for translational model use
Testing cross-validation strategies between human and model data
Developing informatics tools for integrating model and human data
Addressing unmet translational needs (e.g., immunotherapy, metastasis, early detection)
Participating in the Oncology Models Forum (OMF) community

Non-Responsive Activities

Mechanistic, non-clinical cancer research using mammalian models
Development of new mammalian models for non-clinical research only

Data Sharing

All applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan in accordance with the 2023 NIH policy.

Review Criteria

Applications will be evaluated for:

Significance and innovation
Rigor and feasibility of the approach
Investigator expertise and environment
Budget and period of support justification

External Links

Contact Information

Topic	Contact Name	Email	Phone
Scientific/Research Contact	Joanna Watson, Ph.D.	Joanna.Watson@nih.gov	240-276-6206
Scientific/Research Contact	Christine Nadeau, Ph.D.	christine.nadeau@nih.gov	240-276-7491
Grants Management Contact	Amy Bartosch	amy.bartosch@nih.gov	240-276-6375
General Grants Info	NIH Grants Info	GrantsInfo@nih.gov	301-480-7075
eRA Commons/ASSIST Support	eRA Service Desk	https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help	301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552

For additional details, see Section VII. Agency Contacts in the full announcement.