NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 274

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 274

The NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity from the National Cancer Institute that aims to create more stable, long-term research career paths for exceptional clinician scientists who are essential to the NCI-supported clinical trials enterprise. Rather than functioning as independent principal investigators on research project grants, awardees are expected to serve in high-value specialist and leadership roles that keep national cancer clinical trials moving forward. The program is built around the idea that many clinician scientists provide critical continuity and expertise for trial networks, yet their careers can be vulnerable if their salaries depend mainly on other investigators grants or short-term support. This R50 mechanism is meant to provide salary support and enough professional autonomy to sustain their research careers and strengthen the clinical trials infrastructure over time.

The core focus is participation and leadership within NCI clinical trials networks, especially in three areas: first, contributing to the development of national clinical trials (for example, helping shape protocols, study concepts, and trial design work that feeds into network-led studies); second, supporting the implementation of NCI clinical trials at their home institutions (such as coordinating trial activation, ensuring scientific and operational readiness, and helping integrate network trials into local clinical research programs); and third, providing national service to NCI clinical trials networks through committee work and other formal activities, including participation on scientific review committees, monitoring committees, and related network responsibilities. In practical terms, the award is designed for clinician scientists whose value is tightly tied to clinical trials leadership, oversight, and network functioning, and whose contributions are often broader than a single lab or a single investigator-initiated project.

Despite the strong emphasis on clinical trials networks, the funding opportunity is explicitly labeled Clinical Trial Not Allowed, meaning the R50 award itself is not intended to support the recipient in proposing or conducting a clinical trial under this grant mechanism. The intent is to fund the individual and their specialist role supporting the clinical trials ecosystem, rather than using the award as a vehicle to run a trial. It is also clear that the role is not structured around serving as a principal investigator of traditional research project grants; instead, it supports a clinician scientist who helps lead and sustain trial development, trial implementation, and national network service in a way that is central to NCI-funded clinical trials research.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and spans many sectors. Eligible applicants 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as listed); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations. The notice also calls out additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISISs, faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the opportunity is not open to non-U.S. entities: non-domestic (non-U.S.) organizations cannot apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined in NIH policy) are not allowed.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as PAR-24-274, categorized as a discretionary grant within the Education and Health funding activity category, and associated with CFDA numbers 93.393 through 93.399. The original closing date shown is 2025-11-04. An award ceiling is not specified in the provided source data, and the expected number of awards is not listed. The notice was created on 2024-08-22. Overall, the program is best understood as a career-stabilizing, salary-supporting award for clinician scientists who provide indispensable leadership and service to NCI clinical trials networks, helping design, launch, and sustain national cancer trials without positioning the recipient as a traditional R01-style PI or allowing the award to be used to conduct a clinical trial under this mechanism.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 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, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.397, 93.398, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-11-04. (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 24 274

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: