Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 292

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 292

The Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutional training and career development grant that uses the K12 mechanism (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-18-292; CFDA 93.398). It is designed to help institutions build structured, mentored career development programs that prepare the next generation of clinical oncology researchers to lead clinical therapeutic studies. In practical terms, the FOA is trying to strengthen the pipeline of investigators who can move promising cancer-related interventions from concept to well-designed human testing, with a clear emphasis on real-world clinical trial skills and leadership.

The central purpose of the program is to increase the number of both clinician and non-clinician researchers who are trained to design, implement, and evaluate clinical therapeutic research protocols in clinical trial settings. The FOA specifically calls out clinicians such as M.D.s, D.O.s, Pharm.D.s, and nurses who hold Ph.D.s (or equivalent research doctorates), while also explicitly including non-clinician postdoctoral researchers. The training focus spans the full range of therapeutic trial development and execution, including pilot and Phase I trials (early feasibility, dosing, safety, and initial signals), Phase II trials (preliminary efficacy and further safety), and Phase III trials (comparative effectiveness and confirmation in larger populations). The mention of "Clinical Trial Optional" indicates that programs supported under this announcement can be structured to include clinical trial-related research and training without making a clinical trial component mandatory for every aspect of the program, depending on how the institution designs its curriculum and mentored experiences within NIH rules.

Because this is an institutional K12, the application is submitted by an eligible organization rather than by an individual trainee. The institution proposes the overall program structure: the mentoring environment, the training plan, and how scholars will be selected and supported as they develop into independent investigators capable of leading clinical research in oncology. Although the FOA description provided here is brief, the intent is clear: NIH is investing in institutions that can demonstrate a strong clinical research ecosystem, appropriate mentorship, and a plan to cultivate investigators with the technical and practical competencies needed for high-quality clinical trials, from protocol design and regulatory considerations to trial conduct and analysis.

A wide range of U.S.-based organizations are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include many types of government entities (state, county, city or township, special district governments), educational institutions (public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts), and tribal entities (federally recognized Native American tribal governments and certain tribal organizations). The eligibility list also includes public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other organizations. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types that NIH often wants to encourage, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible agencies of the federal government, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This broad eligibility is meant to support diverse institutional settings and expand access to advanced clinical trials training across different communities and regions.

At the same time, the announcement is explicit about restrictions related to foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In addition, foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed under this FOA. In other words, the program must be run entirely within allowable U.S.-based organizational structures, without foreign components embedded in the grant-supported activities.

From the source details provided, this opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the education and health funding activity area, administered by NIH. The record shows an original closing date of June 15, 2018, and the entry was created on November 30, 2017. The provided data do not list an award ceiling or expected number of awards, which usually means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text and NIH Institute/Center guidance for budget limits, number of scholar slots, project period expectations, and other specifics that typically shape how a K12 program is proposed.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (K12 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.398.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-06-15. (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.

Apply for PAR 18 292

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