Innovative Basic Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 703

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 703

The NIH funding opportunity PAR 18-703, titled "Innovative Basic Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," supports early-stage, exploratory research that uses adducts to cellular macromolecules as measurable indicators of exposure to cancer-related risk factors in human populations. In this context, "adducts" generally refer to chemical modifications formed when reactive compounds (from environmental exposures, diet, lifestyle factors, inflammation, endogenous metabolism, or other sources) bind to DNA, RNA, proteins, or lipids. The central idea is that these adducts can serve as a kind of molecular record of exposure and biological response, and that better tools and knowledge around adduct formation, persistence, and biological meaning could improve how cancer risk is identified and ultimately reduced.

A major emphasis of the announcement is on adductomics, meaning approaches that aim to characterize a broad range or "totality" of adducts rather than focusing on one or two well-known lesions. Projects are expected to explore basic questions that underpin the usefulness of adducts as biomarkers. That includes understanding which adducts are formed under certain exposure conditions, how reliably they can be detected, how long they persist, what variability exists across people or populations, and which adduct patterns may be informative for cancer detection, prevention strategies, or risk assessment. The FOA is not limited to any single exposure source and is designed to be responsive to the complex mixture of exposures that humans experience in real life.

Although the scientific relevance must tie back to humans and human populations, the FOA allows a wide range of experimental systems. Investigators can use cultured cells, animal models, or other systems to develop methods, establish mechanisms, validate candidate adduct signatures, or test hypotheses that would be difficult to address directly in humans. At the same time, the use of human biospecimens is strongly encouraged when it fits the scientific aims. Human samples are not strictly required, but the expectation is that the work should remain anchored to questions that matter for human exposure assessment and cancer risk biology. In select, well-justified cases, the announcement also supports innovative adductomics studies that explicitly integrate cancer etiology and gene-environment interaction research, recognizing that inherited differences in metabolism, DNA repair, inflammation, and detoxification pathways can shape adduct profiles and their downstream consequences.

For projects that fall under NIEHS interests, the FOA highlights technology and method development as a potential focus. This can include improved analytical platforms for detecting adducts at very low abundance, better workflows for untargeted or semi-targeted mass spectrometry, data processing and identification strategies for unknown adducts, reference materials and standards, reproducibility improvements, and approaches that make adductomic measurements more scalable and comparable across laboratories. Overall, the opportunity is positioned to stimulate innovative foundational work rather than late-stage validation, and it is specifically labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applicants should not propose studies that meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial.

Mechanistically, this is an R21 discretionary grant mechanism, which is commonly used for high-risk, high-reward projects that generate proof-of-concept data, novel methods, or early evidence supporting a new line of investigation. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, reflecting the smaller, exploratory nature of R21 projects. The opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health, falls within health and environment-related funding activity categories, and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.113, 93.393, 93.394, and 93.395.

Eligibility is broad and includes many standard 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 public housing authorities and tribal entities. The FOA also explicitly calls out a range of other eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), tribal governments that are not federally recognized, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities. This breadth signals an intent to encourage diverse institutions and communities to participate in advancing exposure biology and cancer prevention science through adduct-focused research.

Key logistical details in the source information include an original closing date of July 11, 2018, and a creation date of March 6, 2018. While those dates indicate the specific posting is historic, the scientific scope described captures what NIH sought to fund: innovative, basic, adductomics-centered research that improves the foundational science and tools needed to connect real-world exposures to biologically meaningful markers of cancer risk, with the longer-term goal of enabling better prevention and risk identification approaches.

• 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 (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): 93.113, 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.)
• 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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