Mechanisms of Alcohol-associated Cancers (R21) | PA 17 219

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 219

The Mechanisms of Alcohol-associated Cancers (R21) funding opportunity (PA-17-219) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program focused on early-stage, exploratory research that digs into how alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing cancer. The core aim is to support studies that move beyond the general epidemiologic link between alcohol and cancer and instead clarify the underlying cellular and molecular processes that drive alcohol-related carcinogenesis. Because alcohol use has been formally classified as carcinogenic to humans by major authorities including the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), the announcement emphasizes the public health importance of explaining exactly why and how alcohol exposure contributes to tumor initiation, promotion, and progression in specific tissues.

A central feature of the announcement is its focus on mechanism. Applicants are encouraged to investigate biologically grounded pathways through which alcohol may contribute to cancer risk, with attention to how these effects may differ by tissue type and biological context. The FOA highlights several major cancer target sites that have strong evidence of alcohol association, including the upper aerodigestive tract, breast, liver, and colon. In practical terms, this means proposed projects might concentrate on molecular damage and repair processes, changes in cellular signaling, inflammatory and immune-related changes, metabolic impacts, microenvironment effects, or other mechanistic explanations that connect alcohol exposure to malignant transformation or cancer progression. The broader rationale is that a clearer mechanistic picture can translate into better prevention strategies, improved therapeutic approaches, and more evidence-based guidance about risk and safe levels of alcohol consumption.

The activity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is generally intended for novel, high-impact ideas and proof-of-concept work rather than large, long-term research programs. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, reflecting the smaller, exploratory nature typical of R21 projects. This mechanism is often used when investigators have a compelling hypothesis and a strong plan to generate critical preliminary data, test a new experimental system, or open up a new mechanistic direction that could later be expanded into a larger grant. The funding activity category is listed under Education and Health, and the associated CFDA numbers include 93.273 and 93.396, which correspond to NIH research and training assistance listings.

Eligibility is broad and is designed to include a wide range of organizational types that can contribute to biomedical research. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. It also includes public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments, nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education under that category), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly calls out 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), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, US territories or possessions, regional organizations, and even non-US entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects NIH interest in encouraging diverse institutional participation and enabling collaborations that may be necessary for mechanistic cancer research.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was created on 2017-03-13 and lists an original closing date of 2020-09-07. While that closing date indicates the specific posting is not current for new submissions under that exact deadline, the description still provides a clear picture of the NIH research priorities behind the program: mechanistic, tissue-relevant studies of alcohol-associated carcinogenesis that can sharpen prevention and treatment approaches. Overall, the FOA is aimed at researchers who can propose focused, hypothesis-driven mechanistic studies that explain how alcohol contributes to cancer development in key organs, with the expectation that results will advance both scientific understanding and downstream public health and clinical decision-making.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mechanisms of Alcohol-associated Cancers (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.273, 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-07. (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.

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