Biology of Bladder Cancer (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 19 169

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 169

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity titled "Biology of Bladder Cancer (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-19-169). The focus of this announcement is on exploratory, early-stage research aimed at understanding the core biology of bladder cancer and the underlying mechanisms that drive how the disease starts, progresses, and becomes malignant. Bladder cancer is highlighted as a major public health concern in the United States and worldwide, in large part because it is common and because tumors often come back after treatment, creating an unusually high long-term medical burden for patients and healthcare systems.

A key point of this opportunity is that, even though science has made meaningful strides in molecular profiling of bladder tumors and in identifying mutated genes, there is still a major gap in explaining how those molecular findings translate into real biological behavior. In other words, the FOA is pushing investigators to move beyond lists of mutations and molecular signatures and toward mechanistic understanding: what pathways, cellular programs, tissue interactions, and microenvironmental factors actually cause bladder cancer to initiate, recur, invade, and progress. The announcement also stresses that basic knowledge of normal bladder biology is still limited at molecular, cellular, and organ levels, and that this gap slows progress in cancer research. Projects that clarify normal bladder function and then connect those insights to cancer-related changes fit well within the intent of the FOA, because understanding what "normal" looks like is often essential for pinpointing what has gone wrong in disease.

The FOA encourages applications that take a multidisciplinary approach, reflecting the complexity of bladder cancer biology. That can include teams that integrate molecular biology, genetics, immunology, pathology, urology, bioinformatics, systems biology, engineering, or other complementary disciplines. It also explicitly encourages the use of clinical specimens, which signals an interest in research that is anchored in human biology and can connect mechanistic questions to real patient-derived material. In addition, the FOA welcomes studies that investigate both normal and cancer processes, reinforcing the idea that progress may come from comparing healthy bladder cell states, tissue organization, and regenerative responses with the altered states seen in tumors.

This opportunity uses the R21 mechanism, which is typically intended for exploratory and developmental research that can test novel ideas, generate preliminary data, or open new directions rather than deliver a fully mature research program. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation means applicants may propose studies that include a clinical trial if it is scientifically appropriate, but they are not required to do so; strong non-trial mechanistic studies are also within scope.

In terms of funding details provided in the listing, the award ceiling is $200,000. The CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.393 and 93.396, and the activity category is listed under education and health. The original closing date shown is 2019-02-05, and the creation date is 2019-01-24, which indicates this specific posting is historical; applicants would generally need to confirm whether the FOA is still active, reissued, or replaced by a newer announcement before planning a submission.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local 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 Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other organizations. The FOA also specifically notes additional eligible applicant types 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and foreign (non-U.S.) entities. This wide eligibility aligns with the FOA's emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration and the value of diverse research settings and patient populations.

Overall, the grant is geared toward accelerating foundational discoveries in bladder biology and bladder cancer mechanisms, especially work that can explain why bladder tumors form and recur, how they progress, and how normal bladder molecular and cellular functions are rewired during cancer. The NIH is signaling that mechanistic, biology-driven studies, ideally strengthened by clinical specimens and cross-disciplinary expertise, are central to advancing future interventions and improving outcomes in bladder cancer.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Biology of Bladder Cancer (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-01-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-02-05. (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 $200,000.00 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 19 169

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