Academic-Industrial Partnerships (AIP) to Translate and Validate In Vivo Imaging Systems (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 25 079

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name and number of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Academic-Industrial Partnerships (AIP) to Translate and Validate In Vivo Imaging Systems (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and the FOA number is PAR-25-079.

Which agency is offering this grant?

This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant administered through the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

What is the main purpose of this program?

The core purpose is to accelerate the translation of scientific and engineering advances in in vivo imaging systems (and closely related areas) into practical, validated tools and methods that can address current challenges in cancer and, where relevant, other diseases.

What types of projects is NCI trying to support through this announcement?

NCI is looking for projects that move beyond basic concept development and focus on building, refining, integrating, and validating imaging-related technologies so they are credible and usable for real research and care needs. The emphasis is on demonstrating performance, reliability, and relevance in the settings that matter for adoption.

Is this opportunity limited strictly to "in vivo imaging systems"?

While the title highlights in vivo imaging systems, the description indicates broad interest in imaging approaches and closely related areas such as data science and spectroscopic technologies, as long as they are being translated into usable tools or workflows aligned with the program goals.

What does "translate and validate" mean in the context of this program?

Based on the description provided, it means taking promising imaging-related discoveries and pushing them out of the lab by improving them into practical systems or workflows, then validating them so they are credible, reproducible, and usable for impactful applications (for example, in cancer biology and cancer care).

What kinds of improvements or system components can be included in an application?

The opportunity describes interest in improvements that can include hardware, software, acquisition methods, processing pipelines, analytic approaches (including AI-enabled interpretation), and integrated systems that generate actionable biological or clinical information.

What outcomes or use-cases does NCI want these imaging systems to support?

The program description highlights technologies that can be used to study fundamental biology, assess risk or likelihood of disease development, improve diagnosis, inform treatment decisions, and monitor disease status over time.

Is this a basic research funding opportunity?

The description emphasizes moving beyond basic concept development. It is positioned to support translation and validation work that strengthens performance, reliability, and real-world relevance, rather than funding purely exploratory imaging ideas.

What is the role of academic-industrial partnerships in this program?

Partnership is described as a central theme, especially academic-industrial collaboration. The structure is intended to encourage teams that combine academic strengths (discovery, mechanistic insight, early innovation, rigorous evaluation) with industry strengths (engineering for reliability, manufacturability, usability, scalability, regulatory and quality considerations, and pathways to deployment).

Does an applicant need an industry partner to apply?

The opportunity emphasizes partnership and is designed to encourage academic-industrial collaboration. The provided information does not state an absolute requirement, but it clearly frames collaboration as a key theme and intended structure.

What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?

The award mechanism is an NIH R01.

What does "Clinical Trial Optional" mean for applicants?

It means applicants may propose either non-clinical-trial research or research that includes a clinical trial component, as long as the project fits the goal of translating and validating in vivo imaging systems and related technologies.

Does this program support preclinical validation, clinical evaluation, or both?

The description indicates that validation may include preclinical validation and/or clinical evaluation depending on the maturity of the technology and its intended use.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed?

The listed award ceiling is $500,000.

Does the $500,000 ceiling guarantee the award amount?

No. The listing indicates an award ceiling of $500,000, and also notes that actual awarded amounts typically depend on project scope, NIH policies, and the specific budget justification.

How many awards will be made under this opportunity?

The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided information. This is common for NIH opportunities where awards depend on application volume, application merit, and available appropriations.

When was this opportunity created?

The creation date provided is 2024-11-06.

What is the original closing date listed for this opportunity?

The original closing date provided is 2027-01-07, suggesting a multi-year window for submission cycles under this announcement.

What are the associated CFDA numbers?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 93.394 and 93.395.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

The provided eligibility list is broad and includes: state, county, city, and township 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; Native American tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities.

Are particular institution types explicitly called out as eligible?

Yes. The NOFO explicitly calls out additional eligible groups including 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, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply?

Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

Is this a discretionary grant opportunity?

Yes. The description characterizes it as a discretionary grant opportunity under NIH.

What topic areas does this opportunity fall under?

The listing describes activity areas spanning education and health, with a focus on cancer-related imaging translation and validation and related enabling technologies (such as data science and spectroscopy).

How should applicants think about "real-world deployment" in this context?

The description highlights creating systems that are validated, reproducible, and fit for answering pressing questions in cancer biology and cancer care, with partnership structures that can support engineering refinement, usability, scalability, and other considerations tied to adoption and deployment.

What is the overall goal NCI is trying to achieve with this program?

Overall, it is framed as NCI's push to move imaging and related computational or spectroscopic innovations toward real-world impact by supporting the development of tools that are practical, validated, and usable, ideally through well-structured academic-industrial partnerships.