NIH: The Provocative Questions Initiative

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) 30 days prior to the application due date (Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review).

This grant is aimed to support research projects designed to solve specific problems and paradoxes in cancer research identified by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Provocative Questions Initiative.  Some of these "Provocative Questions" (PQs) stem from intriguing but older, neglected observations that have never been adequately explored. Other PQs are built on more recent findings that are perplexing or paradoxical, revealing important gaps in current knowledge. Finally, some PQs reflect problems that traditionally have been thought to be intractable but that now may be open to investigations using new strategies and recent technical advances.

Each proposal must address a specific PQ from the list. Proposals may use strategies and approaches from multiple disciplines, as appropriate. Transdisciplinary projects are encouraged if they serve the scientific focus of the selected PQ:

PQ1: What are the underlying causes of the unexplained rising incidence in certain early-onset cancers?

PQ2: How does intermittent fasting affect cancer incidence, treatment response, or outcome?

PQ3: How do selective pressures affect cell competition and cooperation during cancer initiation or development?

PQ4: What mechanisms explain sex differences in cancer incidence, lesion location, or response to therapy?

PQ5: What strategies can block or reverse the emergence of new cell lineage states induced by cancer treatments?

PQ6: How can cancer cachexia be reversed?

PQ7: What methods can be developed to integrate patient-generated health data into electronic health records?

PQ8: What strategies improve and sustain the coordination of comprehensive healthcare for underserved cancer patients with comorbid conditions?

PQ9: What methods can be developed to effectively study small or rare populations relevant to cancer research?

Funding:: Applicationes are accepted using the NIH R01 or R21 Mechanisms (See links below and call us for further details) 

R01 - Budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs.  project period - up to 5 years.

R21 - up to $275,000 over two years

https://provocativequestions.cancer.gov/current-rfas-and-pqs

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-ca-20-004.html

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-20-005.html