Precision Approaches in Radiation Synthetic Combinations (PAIRS, R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

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Description

This funding opportunity, issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at NIH, supports exploratory/developmental (R21) research projects that investigate actionable synthetic vulnerabilities in cancer, specifically those that can be conditionally paired with tumor responses to radiation therapy. The overarching goal is to develop and advance radiation-synthetic combination strategies, facilitating their integration into precision medicine and ultimately leading to new, effective anticancer treatments.

The program is agnostic to the type of radiation modality (e.g., external beam, radiopharmaceuticals) and encourages projects ranging from pre-clinical research to early-phase clinical trials. Multi-PI applications and team science approaches are encouraged to integrate expertise across cancer biology, radiobiology, targeted therapeutics, and radiation oncology.

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Due Dates

• Letter of Intent: May 17, 2025 (30 days prior to application due date)
• New Applications: June 16, 2025
• Renewal/Resubmission/Revision: July 16, 2025
• Expiration Date: September 8, 2025

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

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Funding Amount

• Total Direct Costs: Up to $275,000 for the 2-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.

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Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

• Public 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
• Native American tribal governments and organizations
• Independent school districts
• Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
• Faith-based and community-based organizations
• Regional organizations
• U.S. territories and possessions
• Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations)

Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to apply. There are no citizenship requirements for principal investigators.

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Application Process

• Letter of Intent: Strongly encouraged but not required. Should include project title, PI(s), key personnel, institutions, and FOA number/title. Submit to Ms. Julie Hong at hongj@mail.nih.gov.
• Application Submission: Use NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
• Required Registrations: SAM, eRA Commons, Grants.gov (may take 6+ weeks; start early).
• Application Guide: Follow the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and all FOA-specific instructions.
• Clinical Trials: Applications may propose clinical trials but are not required.
• Data Management: All applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan.

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Additional Information

• Scope: Projects must integrate radiation as an essential component of the synthetic combination design. Applications that do not include radiation or focus solely on agent development without actionable agents are non-responsive.
• Research Areas: May include epigenetic reprogramming, metabolic reprogramming, organelle-linked processes, RNA processing, stemness pathways, and tumor microenvironment targets.
• Review Criteria: Emphasis on innovation, conceptual framework, and potential for significant impact. Preliminary data are not required for R21 applications but may be included.
• Companion FOA: A parallel R01 opportunity (PAR-22-198) is available for larger-scale projects.

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External Links

• Full FOA and Application Instructions (NIH/NCI)
• Grants.gov Opportunity Listing
• NIH Standard Due Dates
• NIH Data Management & Sharing Policy
• NIH eRA Commons
• NIH ASSIST System
• Companion R01 FOA (PAR-22-198)

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Contact Information

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