Co-infection and Cancer (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 25 082

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 082

PAR-25-082, titled "Co-infection and Cancer (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity that supports research aimed at clarifying how co-infections contribute to infection-related cancers. The central goal is to strengthen both mechanistic and epidemiologic understanding of cancer causation when two or more infectious agents are involved, with particular emphasis on teasing apart the etiologic (causal) roles that co-infections may play in cancer development, progression, and related biological pathways. The funding mechanism is an R01 research project grant, and the notice explicitly states that clinical trials are not allowed under this opportunity, meaning the funded work should be observational, laboratory-based, computational, or otherwise non-interventional in ways that meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial.

A key feature of this opportunity is its focus on co-infection as an important, and often underexplored, dimension of infection-associated cancer risk. For this announcement, co-infection is defined broadly as infections by two or more agents occurring either at the same time or one after another (concurrently or sequentially). It also includes both acute and chronic infections and spans a wide range of organism types, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms. This broad definition leaves room for proposals that examine timing and order of infections, persistent versus transient infection patterns, interactions among microbes, and how those interactions might influence carcinogenesis or cancer-related immune and inflammatory responses.

NIH signals a preference for projects that investigate co-infections other than HIV co-infection, explicitly excluding HIV as the co-infecting agent for the preferred focus. Within the non-HIV space, preference is also given to co-infection scenarios that open up new or especially promising opportunities for prevention and treatment. In practice, that can include work that identifies modifiable infection combinations, reveals synergistic mechanisms that could be interrupted by vaccines or antimicrobial strategies, or points to biomarkers and risk stratification approaches that could improve screening or early detection in populations with common co-infection patterns.

Another emphasized priority is research attention to understudied populations. This suggests proposals that address gaps in cancer burden and infection exposure in communities that are often underrepresented in biomedical research, whether due to geography, healthcare access, socioeconomic factors, or historical underinvestment. Studies that integrate population-specific exposure patterns, local epidemiology, and context-relevant prevention strategies align well with this stated preference, especially when they can explain why certain groups may face different risks of infection-related cancers due to distinct co-infection profiles.

The opportunity is open to a wide range of applicant types, reflecting NIH's broad eligibility standards for R01 grants. Eligible applicants include various levels of U.S. government entities (state, county, city or township, and 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, and both nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status) and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), as well as small businesses. The notice also highlights additional eligible applicants and organizational categories, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, tribal governments other than federally recognized ones, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, meaning foreign organizations can apply as well.

From an administrative standpoint, this is listed under CFDA number 93.393 and falls within the Education and Health funding activity category. The opportunity was created on 2024-10-18, and the original closing date provided is 2026-01-07. An award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, which typically means applicants should consult the full funding announcement and NIH budget guidance for constraints and expectations around project scope, modular versus detailed budgets, and allowable costs.

Overall, the grant is designed to move the field beyond single-pathogen explanations for infection-related cancers by supporting research that can show how combinations of infections interact with each other and with the host to alter cancer risk. Projects that can connect co-infection patterns to actionable prevention or treatment angles, especially in populations that have been less studied, appear to be particularly well aligned with the intent of the announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Co-infection and Cancer (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-07. (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 25 082

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