Pediatric Immunotherapy Translational Science Network (PI-TSN)(U01) | RFA CA 17 051

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 17 051

The Pediatric Immunotherapy Translational Science Network (PI-TSN) (U01) opportunity (RFA-CA-17-051) is an NIH cooperative agreement funding announcement tied to the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative, with the bigger aim of speeding up progress in cancer research. The central purpose is to build a coordinated group of investigators who can work together to move promising pediatric immunotherapy ideas out of basic research and closer to real clinical use for children and adolescents with cancer. This announcement is designed to implement a specific Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel priority calling for a pediatric immunotherapy translation science network, meaning the emphasis is not just on generating new knowledge, but on producing findings that are set up to translate into therapies, targets, and testable strategies.

Scientifically, the network is intended to concentrate on three broad needs in pediatric cancer immunotherapy. First is identifying and validating new targets that could be used to direct immune-based treatments against pediatric tumors. Second is developing new treatment approaches tailored to children, including (but not limited to) cancer vaccines, cellular therapies, and combination strategies that pair multiple immunotherapy agents or immunotherapy with other modalities. Third is digging into the biology of why pediatric tumors can escape or suppress immune responses, with a focus on the mechanisms of immune evasion that may differ from adult cancers and could explain why some therapies work inconsistently across tumor types or age groups. In practical terms, the FOA encourages projects that can define mechanisms, create or improve relevant models, and generate data strong enough to support advancement of a target or approach toward clinical testing.

This specific FOA funds discrete, standalone research projects under the U01 mechanism. That matters because U01 awards are cooperative agreements, which typically involve substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared with a standard investigator-initiated research grant. Applicants are expected to propose focused projects that tackle a clearly defined translational barrier or opportunity, such as establishing or refining pediatric-appropriate immunotherapy models, validating a single immunotherapy target, or clarifying an immune escape pathway that could be therapeutically disrupted. At the same time, the FOA is explicitly linked to a companion announcement (RFA-CA-17-050) that supports larger, multi-component U54 centers. The intention is that U01 project teams and U54 centers will operate together as one larger enterprise.

Awardees funded through either this U01 FOA or the companion U54 FOA will become members of the Pediatric Immunotherapy Discovery and Development Network (PI-DDN). Conceptually, PI-DDN is the umbrella network that coordinates discovery and development efforts across institutions and project types, aligning work to the Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations. Being part of the network implies collaboration expectations, shared goals, and a structure where separate projects contribute to a larger roadmap for pediatric immunotherapy translation rather than operating in isolation.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, and falls within the education and health activity category. The CFDA number listed is 93.395, and the agency is the National Institutes of Health. The posting indicates an award ceiling of $500,000, and the original closing date was December 19, 2017 (with creation dated September 26, 2017), which is important for historical context if someone is reading the announcement now versus when it was active.

Eligibility is broad across government, academic, nonprofit, and private sector organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; 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); and small businesses. The FOA also highlights categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. On the non-U.S. side, it draws a clear boundary: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant can include certain foreign collaborations or elements if they fit NIH policy and are justified.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as an NIH effort to assemble a connected, goal-driven pediatric immunotherapy community: smaller, well-scoped U01 translational projects feeding into a larger network alongside U54 centers, all aimed at surfacing actionable targets, building and validating pediatric-appropriate immunotherapy strategies, and overcoming pediatric tumor immune evasion so that more immunotherapy concepts can realistically progress toward clinical application for young patients.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pediatric Immunotherapy Translational Science Network (PI-TSN)(U01)" 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 2017-09-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-12-19. (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.

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