Cancer Adoptive Cellular Therapy Network (Can-ACT) Coordinating Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA CA 22 030

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 22 030

The Cancer Adoptive Cellular Therapy Network (Can-ACT) Coordinating Center opportunity (RFA-CA-22-030) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH funding announcement to establish a central hub that will organize and support a broader Can-ACT network of research sites focused on adoptive cell therapy for solid tumors. The network is meant to speed progress on collaborative, innovative approaches in this area, with particular attention to moving promising work from preclinical testing and translational studies into early phase clinical trial readiness. While the Coordinating Center itself is funded under a U24 cooperative agreement mechanism and is designated "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," the overall purpose is to enable and coordinate the network's clinical development pathway by aligning sites, processes, and shared resources with NCI involvement.

At its core, the Coordinating Center is expected to provide leadership and day-to-day coordination for the Can-ACT network. That includes building and maintaining structures that make multi-site collaboration work in practice: organizing communications across participating research sites, setting up consistent operating procedures, and serving as the main point of contact between the network and NCI. A major emphasis is on data sharing and collaboration, meaning the Coordinating Center is positioned to help standardize how information is captured, curated, stored, and shared so that results and lessons learned can be compared across sites rather than remaining isolated. The Center is also expected to coordinate clinical trial activities between research sites and NCI, which in practical terms typically means facilitating planning, alignment, and operational coordination across the network for early phase trial efforts without the Coordinating Center itself conducting a clinical trial under this award.

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which signals substantial federal scientific or programmatic involvement compared with a more traditional research grant. In cooperative agreements, the awardee generally runs the project, but NCI is more directly engaged in oversight, coordination, and network-level decision-making. This fits a Coordinating Center model where success depends on harmonizing multiple groups and maintaining consistent standards across a distributed consortium.

Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S.-based organization types across government, academia, nonprofit, and industry. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; 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) and small businesses; and other entities. The opportunity 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 (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, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the announcement is clear about foreign restrictions: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.

Key administrative details provided include an original closing date of 2022-10-28 and a creation date of 2022-08-24. The award ceiling is listed as $300,000. The assistance listing (CFDA) number included is 93.395, and the activity area is categorized under education and health. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as funding for the operational and scientific coordination backbone of a national research network aimed at accelerating adoptive cell therapy advances for solid tumors by enabling collaboration, standardized data practices, and coordinated interactions with NCI as projects mature toward early phase clinical evaluation.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cancer Adoptive Cellular Therapy Network (Can-ACT) Coordinating Center (U24 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): 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-08-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-10-28. (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 $300,000.00 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 RFA CA 22 030

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