Innovative Basic Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 704

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 704

The grant opportunity titled Innovative Basic Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) supports basic research that uses chemical adducts to cellular macromolecules as measurable indicators of exposure to factors that raise cancer risk in human populations. In this context, "adducts" generally refer to chemical modifications formed when reactive compounds bind to DNA, RNA, proteins, or other cellular molecules. Because these adducts can serve as a record of exposure and early biological effect, the FOA is aimed at improving how researchers detect, characterize, and interpret adduct patterns in ways that can ultimately inform cancer risk assessment, prevention strategies, and potentially earlier detection approaches. Although the projects should be relevant to humans and human populations, the FOA allows substantial flexibility in the scientific systems used to answer the core questions, including cultured cells, animal models, and other experimental platforms.

A central priority of the announcement is adductomics, meaning approaches that try to capture a broad and more comprehensive view of the "totality" of adducts rather than measuring one or two specific known adducts. This can include developing or applying wide-coverage analytical methods, building libraries or databases for adduct identification, improving quantitative strategies, and creating better ways to link complex adduct profiles to particular exposures, biological pathways, or cancer-relevant outcomes. The emphasis is on innovative basic aspects of adduct biology and measurement science that have a plausible path to usefulness in cancer prevention and risk identification, even if the work is not yet at the stage of clinical validation or implementation.

The FOA encourages the use of human biospecimens when appropriate, reflecting an interest in real-world exposures and population relevance, but it does not strictly require human samples for every project. Applicants can justify alternative model systems if those systems are better suited to mechanistic questions, method development, or controlled exposure experiments that would be impossible or unethical in humans. The announcement also notes that, when well-justified, studies applying adductomic approaches to cancer etiology and gene-environment interaction questions may fit well. That includes work that connects exposure-derived adduct signatures with genetic variation in metabolism or DNA repair, or with biological processes that influence cancer initiation and progression.

For projects intended for support by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the FOA highlights an additional interest in innovative technology and method development. In practice, that points to advances in analytical chemistry, mass spectrometry workflows, computational pipelines for peak detection and annotation, quality control and harmonization approaches, and other tools that make adductomic measurements more robust, sensitive, interpretable, and scalable for environmental health and cancer research applications.

This is an NIH R01 funding mechanism and explicitly does not allow clinical trials, signaling that the work should remain in the domain of basic research rather than testing interventions in humans. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant within health, environment, and related areas, and it is associated with CFDA numbers 93.113, 93.393, 93.394, and 93.395. The posting lists an original closing date of July 11, 2018, and the creation date is March 6, 2018, indicating when the opportunity was initially published.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly welcomes applications from a wide range of other eligible applicants, including 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), tribal governments and organizations (including those other than federally recognized), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). Overall, the opportunity is geared toward expanding and strengthening the scientific foundation for using adducts and adductomic profiles as practical indicators of exposure and early carcinogenic processes, with the longer-term goal of improving cancer risk identification and prevention.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Basic Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-03-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-07-11. (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.

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