Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative: Enabling Biomimetic Tissue-Engineered Technologies for Cancer Research (R01) | PAR 17 171

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 171

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity "Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative: Enabling Biomimetic Tissue-Engineered Technologies for Cancer Research (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-17-171) is a discretionary grant program designed to push forward next-generation, biomimetic tissue-engineered platforms that can be used to study cancer more realistically. The central idea is to fund research teams that can build and rigorously characterize experimental models that better reproduce how cancers actually behave in the body, including the physical structure of tissues, cell-to-cell interactions, and key microenvironmental factors that shape tumor growth, invasion, and treatment response. The FOA emphasizes that traditional cancer models often fall short of capturing real pathophysiology, so the goal here is to enable engineered systems that more faithfully mirror human disease biology and therefore improve the relevance of preclinical research.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its requirement for truly collaborative, multidisciplinary work. NIH is specifically looking for projects that combine expertise from regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, biomaterials science, and bioengineering with strong cancer biology. In practice, that means proposals are expected to integrate engineering-driven design and fabrication with biologically meaningful validation, rather than simply creating a device or scaffold without demonstrating cancer relevance. The FOA is framed around developing and characterizing "state-of-the-art" biomimetic technologies, which signals an expectation for innovation in how tissues are engineered (for example, advanced biomaterials, 3D culture systems, microphysiological systems, organoid-based constructs, or other engineered tumor microenvironment platforms) coupled with careful benchmarking of how well these systems reproduce features of cancer pathophysiology.

Projects funded under this announcement will not operate as isolated efforts. Awardees are expected to establish and collectively participate in the Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative (TEC) Research Program, meaning NIH intends to build a coordinated community of investigators working toward aligned goals. While the source text does not spell out program operations in detail, the use of "collaborative" and "collectively participate" indicates that funded teams should anticipate cross-project engagement such as sharing methods, harmonizing certain validation approaches, contributing to joint discussions about standards and best practices, and helping the broader program accelerate progress beyond what individual laboratories could achieve alone.

The funding mechanism is an R01 research project grant, and the listed award ceiling is $400,000 (as provided in the source data). The CFDA program numbers tied to this opportunity are 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, and 93.399, reflecting its alignment with NIH cancer-related and related biomedical research support areas. The opportunity was created on 2017-02-21, and the original closing date shown is 2018-12-17, which is important for historical context if you are reviewing the FOA as a reference point for similar or reissued programs.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across academia, government, nonprofit, and industry. Eligible applicants listed include 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 and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and an "other" category that typically captures additional eligible entities as defined by NIH. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized ones, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations). That explicit inclusion underscores NIH interest in broad participation and the potential for international or community-rooted contributions where they strengthen the science and collaborative network.

In short, this FOA supports ambitious R01-level projects that engineer and validate biomimetic cancer tissue models with strong translational relevance, while also committing awardees to participation in a coordinated collaborative program (the Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative). The emphasis is on building experimental technologies that capture real tumor biology and microenvironmental complexity, enabled by teams that bridge engineering and cancer research disciplines, with a wide range of institution types eligible to apply.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative: Enabling Biomimetic Tissue-Engineered Technologies for Cancer Research (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-02-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-12-17. (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 $400,000.00 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.

Apply for PAR 17 171

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