Stimulating Innovations in Behavioral Intervention Research for Cancer Prevention and Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 19 309

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 309

Stimulating Innovations in Behavioral Intervention Research for Cancer Prevention and Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity (PAR-19-309) designed to jump-start early-stage, high-impact research on behavioral interventions that can reduce cancer risk and improve cancer outcomes. The central focus is on creating and refining innovative approaches that improve cancer-related health behaviors in ways that are effective, scalable, and relevant for diverse racial and ethnic populations. The announcement is framed to encourage fresh thinking and new directions rather than incremental extensions of prior work, using the R21 mechanism to support exploratory, developmental projects that can generate strong preliminary evidence for larger future studies.

The FOA emphasizes four major research priorities. First, it supports testing new theories and conceptual frameworks, meaning applicants are encouraged to develop, adapt, or rigorously evaluate behavioral science theories that better explain how and why people adopt and sustain cancer-relevant behaviors, especially across different cultural and social contexts. Second, it calls for developing and evaluating novel strategies to improve cancer-related health behaviors, which can include new intervention components, new delivery settings, new engagement approaches, or new ways of tailoring interventions to individual needs and community realities. Third, it encourages multi-level and multi-behavior approaches. Multi-level approaches may intervene at more than one layer of influence (for example, individual behavior change combined with family support, clinical systems, workplace or school environments, neighborhood resources, or policy-level levers). Multi-behavior approaches target more than one behavior at a time (for example, combining physical activity and diet, or pairing smoking cessation with sleep improvement), reflecting how health behaviors often cluster in real life. Fourth, the FOA explicitly welcomes innovative designs, methodologies, and technologies, which can include novel trial structures, adaptive or pragmatic designs, modern measurement strategies, and technology-enabled intervention delivery or monitoring.

The behaviors of interest are clearly laid out and cover many of the most important modifiable cancer risk and survivorship factors. Target areas include diet, obesity, physical activity and sedentary behavior, smoking, sleep and circadian dysfunction, alcohol use, and adherence to cancer-related medical regimens. The inclusion of adherence broadens the scope beyond primary prevention into screening, treatment, and survivorship behaviors, such as staying on schedule with recommended screening, following oral chemotherapy or endocrine therapy regimens, attending follow-up care, or maintaining preventive medications where relevant.

Projects may address any point along the cancer continuum and any phase of the translational spectrum. In practical terms, that means research can focus on prevention in generally healthy populations, risk reduction in higher-risk groups, improving screening uptake, supporting treatment adherence and symptom management, or enhancing survivorship health and long-term outcomes. It also means the work can range from earlier translational stages (for example, intervention development, feasibility testing, mechanism-focused studies) to later-stage translational efforts that examine implementation potential, real-world delivery, and sustainability, as long as the project fits the R21 exploratory and developmental intent.

This opportunity uses the grant funding instrument and falls under NIH activity categories tied to education and health, with CFDA numbers 93.393, 93.394, and 93.395. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, consistent with an R21-style budget limit that supports pilot work, proof-of-concept testing, or other early-stage development needed to prepare for larger-scale funding. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which signals that applicants may propose studies that include a clinical trial if it fits the project goals, but a clinical trial is not required. That flexibility allows both trial and non-trial designs, such as optimization studies, experimental medicine approaches, feasibility studies, and other rigorous methodologies appropriate to behavioral intervention research.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive to support partnerships and reach populations most affected by cancer disparities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Higher education institutions are eligible, including public/state-controlled and private institutions. Tribal entities are included, both federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments, along with Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized in the "other eligible applicants" list. Nonprofits are eligible whether or not they hold 501(c)(3) status, and both for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses may apply. The FOA also highlights additional eligible groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Taken together, this eligibility structure signals NIH interest in community-engaged, culturally grounded, and context-specific behavioral intervention research, including work that is led by or meaningfully partnered with institutions serving populations experiencing disproportionate cancer burden.

Administrative details in the source information show the FOA was created on June 28, 2019, with an original closing date listed as September 7, 2022. The sponsoring agency is NIH. While the listing includes "ExpectedAwards:" without a number provided, the overall structure suggests a competitive NIH program where awards depend on scientific merit, programmatic priority, and available funds.

In summary, PAR-19-309 is aimed at accelerating new behavioral intervention ideas that can meaningfully improve cancer prevention and control, with a strong emphasis on innovation, multi-level and multi-behavior approaches, modern methods and technologies, and relevance to diverse racial and ethnic populations. It supports early, exploratory research that can establish feasibility, demonstrate promise, and lay the groundwork for larger trials and implementation efforts that ultimately reduce cancer risk and improve outcomes across the full cancer continuum.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Stimulating Innovations in Behavioral Intervention Research for Cancer Prevention and Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" 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.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-06-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• 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 PAR 19 309

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