Mechanisms of Disparities in Etiology and Outcomes of Lung Cancer in the U.S.: The Role of Risk and Protective Factors (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 19 019

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 019

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms of Disparities in Etiology and Outcomes of Lung Cancer in the U.S.: The Role of Risk and Protective Factors (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-19-019) is designed to fund early-stage, exploratory, and developmental research focused on why lung cancer risk and lung cancer outcomes are not the same across different U.S. populations. The central goal is to support multidisciplinary studies that dig into the underlying causal factors and biological, behavioral, social, environmental, and structural mechanisms that drive lung cancer disparities in U.S. health disparity populations. Because it uses the NIH R21 mechanism, the program is geared toward innovative, higher-risk ideas that can generate strong preliminary data or proof-of-concept findings rather than large, definitive projects.

This opportunity specifically emphasizes understanding how risk factors and protective factors contribute to disparities in both lung cancer etiology (how and why lung cancer develops) and outcomes (such as stage at diagnosis, survival, treatment response, quality of care, and mortality). In practice, projects under this announcement would be expected to go beyond simply documenting that disparities exist and instead focus on the pathways that produce them, such as differences in exposures, differences in vulnerability to exposures, differences in access to prevention and early detection, differences in comorbidities, differences in care delivery, or interactions among these factors. The program encourages multidisciplinary approaches, which often means combining methods and expertise from fields like epidemiology, biostatistics, behavioral science, clinical and translational research (without conducting clinical trials), toxicology and exposure science, genomics and other -omics, health services research, implementation science, and community-engaged research.

The award is offered as a discretionary grant within NIH health-related activity areas (CFDA numbers listed include 93.307 and multiple 93.39x series programs). The posted award ceiling is $200,000, reflecting the smaller-scale, exploratory nature of R21 projects. The announcement is explicitly "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applicants must propose research that does not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial (for example, no prospective assignment of human participants to interventions to evaluate health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes). Studies may still involve human participants, observational designs, analyses of existing datasets, biospecimens, medical records, or community and population-based research, as long as they do not cross into clinical trial territory.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. In addition, the announcement highlights a range of organizations often involved in serving or representing health disparity populations, 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the opportunity places clear limits on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which typically means a U.S. applicant can include certain internationally conducted elements or collaborations when they are justified and structured in compliance with NIH policy, even though the primary applicant organization must be U.S.-based.

Key administrative details from the source data include an original closing date of 2021-03-04 and a creation date of 2018-10-05. While those dates suggest the specific posting may be historical, the core purpose of the announcement is clear: to stimulate innovative R21-level research that can uncover mechanisms and causal pathways behind lung cancer disparities in U.S. health disparity populations, particularly through the lens of risk and protective factors, and to generate evidence that can inform future, larger studies and ultimately guide interventions, policies, or strategies aimed at reducing unequal lung cancer burden.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms of Disparities in Etiology and Outcomes of Lung Cancer in the U.S.: The Role of Risk and Protective Factors (R21 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): 93.307, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-10-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-04. (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.

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