Basic and Translational Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 19 251

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 251

The NIH funding opportunity PAR 19 251, titled "Basic and Translational Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)," supports research that uses adducts to cellular macromolecules as measurable indicators of exposure to cancer-related risk factors. In this context, "adducts" are chemical modifications formed when reactive compounds bind to biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, or lipids. Because these modifications can reflect both external exposures (for example, pollutants, tobacco-related compounds, occupational chemicals, diet-related carcinogens, or radiation-associated damage) and internal processes (such as inflammation-driven oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, or metabolism-generated reactive intermediates), they can serve as biologically relevant readouts of what has actually interacted with cells and tissues, rather than what may have been present in the environment. The central aim of the FOA is to advance how these adduct signals can be measured, interpreted, and ultimately used to better understand, predict, detect, or prevent cancer in human populations.

A key priority is the use of adductomics, meaning approaches that attempt to profile a broad set of adducts rather than focusing on a single targeted modification. The program is looking for projects that address some aspect of the "totality" of adducts, such as untargeted or semi-targeted mass spectrometry workflows, high-throughput platforms, expanded libraries of adduct signatures, improved bioinformatics for adduct identification, or strategies that connect adduct patterns to exposure sources and biological responses. The intent is to move beyond one-chemical-one-biomarker studies and instead develop broader exposure indicators that can capture complex, real-world mixtures and multiple endogenous pathways. The ultimate translational goal is to discover and characterize adductomic-based indicators that could be useful for cancer risk assessment, early detection, and prevention, including identifying high-risk exposures, populations, or mechanistic pathways that are actionable through policy, behavior change, or medical intervention.

The FOA also allows, when strongly justified, studies that use adductomic approaches to answer questions in cancer etiology and gene-environment interactions. That includes research designs where adduct patterns are linked with genetic variation in metabolic enzymes, DNA repair pathways, inflammatory responses, or detoxification mechanisms, with the aim of understanding why similar exposures may lead to different biological damage profiles and different cancer risks across individuals or groups. While clinical trials are optional under this mechanism, applications can include human studies if they are appropriate for the scientific questions and fit the R01 scope. Overall, projects are expected to be innovative and to strengthen the evidentiary bridge between exposures, molecular damage, and cancer-relevant outcomes.

For projects intended for NIEHS support, the FOA highlights an emphasis on innovative technology and method development, which typically includes improving analytical sensitivity and specificity, increasing throughput, developing standardized methods and reference materials, improving quantitative accuracy, or solving persistent challenges in adduct detection (for example, low abundance adducts, artifact formation, batch effects, and robust structural annotation). These kinds of advances are foundational for making adductomic measurements reliable enough for broader use in population studies, longitudinal monitoring, and multi-site research where reproducibility and harmonization are critical.

This is a discretionary grant opportunity using the NIH R01 mechanism (a standard research project grant) under activity categories spanning education, environment, and health. The listing references CFDA numbers 93.113, 93.393, 93.394, and 93.395, reflecting NIH programs involved in cancer and environmental health-related research support. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health. The original posted closing date shown in the source data is 2021-11-08, and the opportunity record was created on 2019-04-11, which matters for applicants because they should confirm whether the FOA is still active, has been reissued, or has updated receipt dates and policies.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and governmental entities, such as state, county, and city 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; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; and a wide range of nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including small businesses, though the mechanism is an R01 rather than an SBIR/STTR). The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), along with tribal governments that are not federally recognized. This broad eligibility aligns with the population-relevant focus of exposure research and supports participation by institutions serving communities that may experience disproportionate exposure burdens and cancer risks.

In practical terms, the opportunity is aimed at teams that can connect advanced measurement science with cancer-relevant biological questions: developing or applying adductomic tools, mapping exposure signatures to mechanistic pathways, and evaluating whether adduct patterns can function as meaningful exposure indicators for risk identification and prevention. The emphasis is on innovation, relevance to real-world human exposures, and producing knowledge or tools that could make exposure assessment more comprehensive and more directly tied to cancer biology than traditional environmental monitoring alone.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Basic and Translational Research on Adducts in Cancer Risk Identification and Prevention (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): 93.113, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-04-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-11-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 19 251

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