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Limited Competition: Biospecimen Banks to support NCI National Clinical Trials Network Biospecimen Banks (NCTN Biobanks) and the NCI Early-Phase and Experimental Clinical Trials Biospecimen Bank (EET Biobank) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · Opportunity number RFA-CA-28-004

View the official notice on Grants.gov
118 days left (deadline Feb 11, 2027)

Details summarized from the official notice as of Oct 16, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.

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Key facts

Opportunity numberRFA-CA-28-004
AgencyNational Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA)93.394
PostedOct 15, 2026
DeadlineFeb 11, 2027
Expected number of awards6
Estimated total program funding$19,000,000
Cost sharing or matching requiredNo
Funding typeCooperative agreement
CategoryHealth
Last updated hereOct 16, 2026

Summary from the notice

This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a Limited Competition that will invite application(s) from eligible organization(s) to apply. Please see Section III. Eligibility for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding. Through this limited competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicits applications to support continuation of two biospecimen banking resources.

The National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) Biospecimen Banks (NCTN Biobanks) support the NCI-funded NCTN and the Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), and The Early-Phase and Experimental Clinical Trials Biospecimen Bank (EET Biobank) supports the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN) and other NCI-supported early phase and experimental clinical trials.

The objective is to maintain these national resources for the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of high-quality, clinically annotated human biospecimens. The goal of these resources is to ensure the availability of biospecimens from participants in NCI-funded clinical trials focused on treatment, prevention, and cancer control studies to enable translational cancer research. 

The NCTN Biobanks support biomarker development and validation, secondary correlative studies, and broader scientific discovery using biospecimens collected through harmonized protocols and linked to clinical outcome data from large multi-site clinical trials.

The EET Biobank supports biospecimen banking for ETCTN and other early-phase and experimental therapeutic clinical trials involving investigational agents. Biospecimens collected through these studies support biomarker assay development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses, investigation of drug response and resistance mechanisms, patient stratification, and translational research supporting development of novel cancer therapies. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding.

Who can apply

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:

  • Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)

Not listed as eligible

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

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

Eligibility details from the notice

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Eligibility is limited to an institution/entity that is the recipient of an existing NCTN biobank of human biospecimens from NCI clinical trials funded under RFA-CA-20-002 or an existing EET Biobank of human specimens under RFA-CA-20-003.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.

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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