Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancers for Years 2024, 2025, and 2026 (P50 Clinical Trial Required)
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-04-29. Official notice and agency instructions control.
Multi-million-dollar research center grants for established institutions with proven translational cancer programs aiming to move basic discoveries toward clinical endpoints.
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What this is
The National Cancer Institute is accepting applications for P50 Research Center Grants through 2026, targeting translational cancer research organized around organ systems (e.g., gastrointestinal, head and neck), common biological mechanisms, shared infectious agents, or cross-cutting themes like pediatric cancers or health disparities. Projects must combine cellular, molecular, genetic, and biochemical approaches to human biology and demonstrate progress toward human clinical endpoints within the grant period. This is a large, collaborative program requiring institutional infrastructure, multiple research projects, and clinical translation capability.
Who can apply
Universities, medical centers, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, small businesses, government agencies, and other research institutions are eligible; applicants must have institutional infrastructure to support multiple integrated research projects with clear pathways to human clinical translation. Individual researchers and solo founders are not eligible; this requires organizational capacity and institutional backing.
Eligible applicant types
- Private institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- County governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- State governments
- Independent school districts
Full description — from the agency
Through this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications for P50 Research Center Grants for Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE). The program will fund P50 SPORE grants to support state-of-the-art investigator-initiated translational research that will contribute to improved prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of an organ-specific cancer or a highly related group of cancers. For the purpose of this FOA, a group of highly related cancers are those that are derived from the same organ system, such as gastrointestinal, neuroendocrine, head and neck, and other cancers. Other programmatically appropriate groups of cancers may include those centered around a common biological mechanism critical for promoting tumorigenesis and/or cancer progression in organ sites that belong to different organ systems. For example, a SPORE may focus on cancers caused by the same infectious agent or cancers promoted and sustained by dysregulation of a common signaling pathway. In addition, a SPORE may focus on cross-cutting themes such as pediatric cancers or cancer health disparities. The research supported through this program must be translational and must stem from research on human biology using cellular, molecular, structural, biochemical, and/or genetic experimental approaches. SPORE projects must have the goal of reaching a translational human endpoint within the project period of the grant.
Topics: cancer research center grant · translational oncology · spore program · cancer prevention and detection · organ-specific cancer · research center grant p50 · clinical translation · nih funding
Public-source funding discovery only. This summary is generated from public agency data and may be incomplete or stale. NonDilute is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government agency. Official notices and agency instructions control. NonDilute does not determine eligibility, provide grant-writing advice, or guarantee funding.