Quantitative Imaging Tools and Methods for Cancer Response Assessment (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 919

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 919

The NIH funding opportunity "Quantitative Imaging Tools and Methods for Cancer Response Assessment (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (PAR-18-919) is designed to push proven quantitative imaging software from the development stage into real-world clinical use, specifically in the context of cancer therapy assessment and radiation therapy planning. The emphasis is not on inventing brand-new tools from scratch, but on clinically translating software that has already been built and optimized, either through the Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN) or through other prior funding. In practical terms, the program targets imaging-based software that can objectively measure or predict how a cancer is responding to treatment, as well as tools that help plan and validate radiation therapy strategies that are being tested in clinical trials.

A key requirement is that the proposed project must be a clear extension of prior successful work where the core tool or method has already been developed and tuned for performance. This FOA is essentially a bridge from "it works in the lab or in a limited setting" to "it works reliably across real clinical sites with different scanners, staff, and workflows." The funding is meant to support rigorous validation of these tools in prospective, multisite clinical trials or similar multicenter clinical settings, where performance can be tested under conditions that reflect everyday clinical variability. A major goal is to demonstrate that the tool can be integrated into clinical workflow with minimal disruption, meaning it should be practical for clinicians and trial teams to adopt without major additional burden, extensive manual intervention, or unrealistic infrastructure changes.

From a study design perspective, the FOA supports work that tests software tool performance in a way that is meaningful for clinical decision-making during trials. That typically implies attention to reproducibility, standardization across sites, robustness to different imaging acquisition conditions, and well-defined endpoints that show the tool adds value for assessing response to therapy or guiding radiation treatment strategies. Although the title notes "Clinical Trial Optional," the description strongly centers on prospective multisite validation in clinical trial-like environments, with the intent that results will be convincing enough to support broader adoption in oncology trials and potentially routine care.

The opportunity is offered as an R01 grant mechanism under the NIH, within the health and education activity category, and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.394 and 93.395. The listed award ceiling is $500,000. Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of applicant organizations: state, county, city, township, and 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 and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, US territories or possessions, and even non-US (foreign) organizations.

In short, this grant is aimed at research teams that already have a mature quantitative imaging software tool and are ready to prove, in a rigorous and clinically realistic multisite setting, that the tool delivers reliable, actionable information about cancer treatment response or supports radiation therapy trial planning and validation, while fitting smoothly into clinical workflows.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Quantitative Imaging Tools and Methods for Cancer Response Assessment (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-09-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-07. (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 $500,000.00 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.

Apply for PAR 18 919

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