Limited Competition: Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN)(UM1) | RFA CA 16 501

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 16 501

The Limited Competition: Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN) (UM1) funding opportunity (RFA-CA-16-501) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to maintain and strengthen the national infrastructure needed to run coordinated, multi-institution clinical trials in cancer immunotherapy. The core focus is on enabling Phase I and early Phase II studies that test novel immunomodulatory agents in patients with cancer. In practical terms, the announcement is about supporting the operational backbone required to take promising immunotherapy concepts and move them into early human testing across multiple clinical sites, with consistent trial design, execution, and oversight.

The purpose of the program is to continue the work of the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN) by funding the systems and collaborative capabilities that make complex early-stage immunotherapy trials possible. These trials often require specialized clinical expertise, integrated correlative science, careful safety monitoring, and standardized approaches to immune monitoring and data collection. By supporting the CITN infrastructure, NIH aims to make it easier to design high-quality, harmonized clinical protocols, activate them efficiently across participating institutions, and generate reliable early evidence about safety, dosing, biological activity, and early signals of clinical benefit.

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (UM1), which generally indicates substantial scientific or programmatic involvement from NIH staff compared with a traditional research project grant. Under this kind of mechanism, awardees typically work closely with the funding institute on milestones, coordination, governance, and network-level decision-making. The funding instrument signals that NIH is not only providing funds but also actively partnering to ensure the network functions effectively, prioritizes the right studies, and maintains consistent standards across participating sites.

The competition is explicitly limited. Eligibility is restricted to the current awardee of the CITN Clinical Operations and Statistical Center (COSC). While the listing notes common applicant categories such as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and certain nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), the decisive eligibility rule is that only the existing CITN COSC awardee may apply. The FOA also makes clear that foreign participation is not permitted in this competition: non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) cannot apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. The net effect is that the award is intended to remain within the established U.S.-based CITN operational structure.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and falls under the health-related activity area. The CFDA (now often referenced through Assistance Listings) number provided is 93.395, which corresponds to NIH cancer-related assistance. The listed award ceiling is $3,000,000, indicating the maximum anticipated funding level for the award (with final amounts typically dependent on NIH appropriations, scope, and negotiated budgets). The original closing date was March 10, 2017, and the FOA record shows a creation date of November 25, 2016, placing it within a specific funding cycle intended to continue an existing network rather than establish a new open competition.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as continued support for a specialized national clinical trials network focused on early-phase cancer immunotherapy. Its central deliverable is not a single stand-alone trial, but the enduring capability to design, launch, and manage multiple coordinated Phase I and early Phase II immunotherapy studies across institutions, using novel immune-based interventions and the rigorous operational and statistical framework needed to evaluate them in patients.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN)(UM1)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-11-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-03-10. (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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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.

Apply for RFA CA 16 501

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