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Closed on Sep 7, 2026

Assay development and screening for discovery of chemical probes, drugs or immunomodulators (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · Opportunity number PAR-25-153

Details summarized from the official notice as of Sep 8, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.

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This opportunity is closed as of Sep 7, 2026. It is kept here for reference. See the related open opportunities below, or check the official listing in case the agency posts a new cycle.

Key facts

Opportunity numberPAR-25-153
AgencyNational Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA)93.395
PostedNov 6, 2024
DeadlineSep 7, 2026
Cost sharing or matching requiredNo
Funding typeGrant
CategoryHealth
Last updated hereSep 8, 2026

Summary from the notice

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicits applications for identification of small molecules that function to elucidate the biology of disease as chemical probes or function as agonists or antagonists of disease target(s) for therapy or immunotherapy. The NOFO is intended to support discovery research for the identification of validated hits relevant to health-related outcomes of participating NIH Institutes. Stages of discovery research covered by this NOFO include: 1) assay development for specific biological targets and disease mechanisms relevant to the mission of participating NIH Institutes with the intent to screen for small molecule compounds that show potential as probes for use in advancing knowledge about the known targets, identifying new targets, or as pre-therapeutic leads; 2) screen implementation high throughput target-focused approaches or moderate throughput phenotypic- and fragment-based approaches to identify initial screening hits; 3) hit validation, including implementation of secondary assays that are orthogonal to the primary assay, advanced cheminformatics analysis and initial medicinal chemistry inspection to prioritize the hit set, and follow-up assays to characterize mode and mechanism of action of the validated hits; 4) hit-to-lead optimization, including SAR to optimize target engagement, selectivity and to minimize chemical liabilities, ADME, PK and PD studies, and, if appropriate, in vivo modeling to test efficacy or biological effects.

Who can apply

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:

  • Public and state colleges and universities
  • Independent school districts
  • Private colleges and universities
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Other Native American tribal organizations
  • Small businesses
  • Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)
  • Federally recognized tribal governments
  • State governments
  • Public and Indian housing authorities
  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than colleges)
  • County governments

Who should take a closer look

  • Small businesses
  • Nonprofits
  • Colleges and universities
  • State governments
  • Local governments
  • Tribal governments and organizations
  • Larger for-profit companies

Not listed as eligible

  • Individuals

Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.

Eligibility details from the notice

Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession.

Registrations you will likely need

Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.

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