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Limited Competition: Biospecimen Banks to support NCI National Clinical Trials Network Biospecimen Banks (NCTN Biobanks) and the NCI Early-Phase and Experimental Clinical Trials Biospecimen Bank (EET Biobank) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Agency: National Institutes of Health

Assistance Listings
  • 93.394 -- Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research

Open opportunityLast Updated: Oct 15, 2026

View version history on Grants.gov

This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a Limited Competition that will invite application(s) from eligible organization(s) to apply. Please see Section III. Eligibility for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding. Through this limited competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicits applications to support continuation of two biospecimen banking resources.

The National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) Biospecimen Banks (NCTN Biobanks) support the NCI-funded NCTN and the Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), and The Early-Phase and Experimental Clinical Trials Biospecimen Bank (EET Biobank) supports the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN) and other NCI-supported early phase and experimental clinical trials.

The objective is to maintain these national resources for the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of high-quality, clinically annotated human biospecimens. The goal of these resources is to ensure the availability of biospecimens from participants in NCI-funded clinical trials focused on treatment, prevention, and cancer control studies to enable translational cancer research. 

The NCTN Biobanks support biomarker development and validation, secondary correlative studies, and broader scientific discovery using biospecimens collected through harmonized protocols and linked to clinical outcome data from large multi-site clinical trials.

The EET Biobank supports biospecimen banking for ETCTN and other early-phase and experimental therapeutic clinical trials involving investigational agents. Biospecimens collected through these studies support biomarker assay development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses, investigation of drug response and resistance mechanisms, patient stratification, and translational research supporting development of novel cancer therapies. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Miscellaneous

  • Other

Additional information

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Eligibility is limited to an institution/entity that is the recipient of an existing NCTN biobank of human biospecimens from NCI clinical trials funded under RFA-CA-20-002 or an existing EET Biobank of human specimens under RFA-CA-20-003.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

Grantor contact information

Description

NCI DCTD CDP PIRB NOFO NCICDPNOFO@mail.nih.gov

Email

NCICDPNOFO@mail.nih.gov

NCICDPNOFO@mail.nih.gov

Documents

File nameDescriptionLast updated
RFA-CA-28-004-Full-Announcement.html
RFA-CA-28-004-Full-Announcement.html
Oct 15, 2026 03:36 PM UTC

Link to additional information

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Closing: February 11, 2027

Application process

This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates.

Award

$19,000,000

Program Funding

6

Expected awards

$--

Award Minimum

$--

Award Maximum

Funding opportunity number:

RFA-CA-28-004

Cost sharing or matching requirement:

No

Funding instrument type:

Cooperative agreement

Opportunity Category:

Discretionary

Opportunity Category Explanation:

--

Category of Funding Activity:

Health

Category Explanation:

--

History

Version:

1

Posted date:

October 15, 2026

Archive date:

April 12, 2027

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