NCI Research Specialist (Core-based Scientist) Award (R50) | PAR 17 050

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 050

The NCI Research Specialist (Core-based Scientist) Award (R50) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designed to support research specialist scientists who provide core, shared resource, or centralized scientific support for NCI-funded cancer research. In practice, this program is aimed at highly skilled scientists whose day-to-day work strengthens the research capacity of multiple investigators or projects by running or advancing shared platforms, technologies, or services (for example, centralized labs, institutional cores, shared instrumentation facilities, data/science support cores, or other central scientific resources). The scope is broad in terms of scientific topic area, as applications may be proposed in any area of cancer research that aligns with NCI priorities and funding, but the defining feature is the applicant scientist's role as a core-based or shared-resource specialist rather than as a traditional independent principal investigator leading a stand-alone research lab.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant mechanism (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) under the NIH activity category areas of Education and Health, and it is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.393 through 93.399), reflecting the range of NCI program authorities that may be relevant depending on the specific research context. The official opportunity identifier is PAR 17 050, and the record provided lists an original closing date of 2017-02-02, with a creation date of 2016-11-04. While the source text does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the intent is clearly focused on sustaining and enhancing specialized scientific expertise embedded in core/shared resource environments that enable cancer research to move faster, be more rigorous, and reach more investigators across an institution or network.

Eligibility is relatively expansive across U.S.-based organization types, including state, county, city/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; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; 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 applicant types as allowed by NIH policy. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis signals an interest in broad participation across institutional settings, including organizations that may serve diverse or historically underrepresented communities, as long as the proposed role fits the core/shared resource scientific support focus.

At the same time, the FOA places clear restrictions on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In other words, applications must be fully U.S.-based without foreign components, which narrows the institutional footprint to domestic organizations even if the science itself has international relevance.

Overall, the R50 mechanism here is meant to recognize and fund the kind of specialized, career-level scientific work that often sits at the center of modern cancer research operations: maintaining and improving shared technologies, ensuring high-quality and reproducible methods, training and advising users of core resources, and providing continuity of expertise that outlasts any single project or grant. The opportunity is best suited for institutions that rely on core facilities or centralized scientific support structures and for scientists whose contributions are measured by enabling and elevating the work of many NCI-aligned cancer research efforts rather than by running an independent research program alone.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Research Specialist (Core-based Scientist) Award (R50)" 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 2016-11-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-02-02. (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 17 050

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