Cancer Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Technologies for Global Health (UG3/UH3) | RFA CA 15 024

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 15 024

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Cancer Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Technologies for Global Health (UG3/UH3)" (Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-CA-15-024) is a discretionary cooperative agreement program aimed at advancing practical cancer-related technologies for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The core purpose is to move beyond concepts or early prototypes and support projects that can realistically function in resource-constrained settings, where cost, ease of use, infrastructure limitations, and workforce constraints often determine whether a promising tool can actually improve patient outcomes.

This FOA focuses on adapting, applying, and validating either existing technologies or emerging innovations so they become a new generation of user-friendly and low-cost solutions for real-world cancer care in LMICs. The scope is broad across the cancer care continuum: imaging, detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment technologies are all responsive, as long as the end product is clearly cancer-relevant and appropriate for LMIC implementation. In practical terms, this means projects are expected to think carefully about field conditions such as limited laboratory capacity, unstable electricity, limited access to specialty clinicians, supply chain challenges, maintenance and calibration issues, and the need for tools that can be deployed in community clinics or district hospitals rather than only in tertiary centers.

The mechanism is a UG3/UH3 phased cooperative agreement, which generally implies a milestone-driven approach where an initial phase supports planning and early development activities and a subsequent phase supports more advanced validation and readiness steps, contingent on meeting predefined progress benchmarks. Because it is a cooperative agreement, NIH typically expects substantial programmatic involvement, meaning awardees may collaborate with NIH staff on milestones, study design considerations, or translational planning to help ensure that the technology development stays aligned with the program's global health and implementation-oriented goals.

Eligibility is intentionally wide to encourage multidisciplinary partnerships that can bridge engineering, clinical oncology, public health, and on-the-ground implementation capacity. Eligible applicants include various levels of U.S. government entities (state, county, city/township, special district), federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and public or state-controlled institutions of higher education. The FOA also allows private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. It explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants 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, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities. This breadth supports the reality that effective LMIC technology development often requires collaborations that include local institutions and organizations that understand the healthcare delivery context and patient needs.

The FOA is tied to CFDA numbers 93.286, 93.394, and 93.395. The original posting date (creation date) is 2015-10-08, with an original closing date of 2016-02-09, indicating this specific announcement cycle was time-limited. While the provided source data does not list an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the program description makes clear that NIH is prioritizing translational, application-driven technology work that can be validated and positioned for eventual deployment in LMIC settings, rather than basic research without a clear pathway to practical use.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cancer Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Technologies for Global Health (UG3/UH3)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.286, 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-02-09. (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), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA CA 15 024

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