Atom | Microbial-based Cancer Imaging and Therapy - Bugs as Drugs (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Due Dates: February 16, 2025 (New) | March 16, 2025 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)

Funding Amounts: Up to $275,000 direct costs over 2 years; no more than $200,000 in any single year; max project period: 2 years.

Summary: Supports exploratory, early-stage research using microorganisms or their products for cancer imaging, therapy, or diagnostics, focusing on mechanistic and preclinical studies.

Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed; only basic and preclinical research in cell culture or animal models is supported.

Description

This funding opportunity, issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), supports exploratory/developmental (R21) research projects that utilize bacteria, archaebacteria, bacteriophages, or other non-oncolytic viruses and their natural products to investigate the mechanisms of interaction between microorganisms, tumors, and the immune system. The goal is to advance the understanding and preclinical development of microbial-based approaches for cancer imaging, therapy, and diagnostics.

Projects may focus on:

Using microorganisms as anti-tumor agents or activators of anti-tumor immunity
Employing microbes as delivery vehicles for cancer treatment, diagnosis, or imaging
Developing microbial-based imaging or detection technologies
Exploring microbial manipulation of the tumor microenvironment or immune response

The R21 mechanism is intended for early-stage, high-risk/high-reward projects that are at the conceptual or feasibility stage, aiming to demonstrate core functional capabilities. Only basic mechanistic and preclinical studies in cell culture and animal models are supported; clinical trials are not allowed.

Due Dates

New Applications: February 16, 2025
Renewal/Resubmission/Revision Applications: March 16, 2025

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.

Funding Amount

Direct Costs: Up to $275,000 over a two-year project period
Annual Limit: No more than $200,000 in direct costs in any single year
Project Duration: Maximum of 2 years

The number of awards is contingent on NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

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

Note: Foreign organizations and components are eligible to apply.

Application Process

Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
Required Registrations: Applicant organizations must have active registrations in SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. Registration can take several weeks.
Application Guide: Follow the NIH How to Apply - Application Guide and the specific instructions in the funding announcement.
Key Attachments: Include a Data Management and Sharing Plan, and address all required sections as outlined in the R21 application instructions.
No Clinical Trials: Applications proposing clinical trials will not be accepted.

Additional Information

Scope: Only basic and preclinical research in cell culture and animal models is supported. No clinical trials.
Non-Responsive Applications: Proposals focused on oncolytic viruses or solely on microbial community-level analysis (for NIDCR) will not be reviewed.
Companion Opportunity: For more mature projects with preliminary data, see the companion R01 opportunity PAR-25-107.
Data Sharing: All applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan in accordance with NIH policy.

External Links

Contact Information

Area	Name	Institute	Email	Phone
Cancer Therapy Applications	Avi Rasooly, Ph.D.	NCI	rasoolya@mail.nih.gov	301-240-276-6196
Cancer Biology/Basic Research	Phil Daschner, Ph.D.	NCI	daschnep@mail.nih.gov	240-276-6227
Global Health	Luis Alejandro Salicrup, Ph.D.	NCI	luis.salicrup@nih.gov	240-276-5799
Microbial Cancer Diagnostics	Miguel Ossandon, Ph.D.	NCI	ossandonm@mail.nih.gov	240-276-5714
Microbial Cancer Imaging	Yisong Wang, Ph.D.	NCI	yisong.wang@nih.gov	240-620-0690
Microbial Oral Cancer Therapy	Zhong Chen, MD, Ph.D.	NIDCR	zhong.chen@nih.gov	301-529-7083
Grants Management (NCI)	Sean Hine	NCI	hines@mail.nih.gov	240-276-6291
Grants Management (NIDCR)	Diana Rutberg, MBA	NIDCR	dr258t@nih.gov	301-594-4798
Grants Management (NIDCR)	Gabriel Hidalgo, MBA	NIDCR	hidalgoge@mail.nih.gov	301-827-4630
General Grants Info	NIH Grants Info	NIH	GrantsInfo@nih.gov	301-480-7075

For technical assistance with electronic submission:

eRA Service Desk: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552
Grants.gov Support: 800-518-4726