Proteogenomic Translational Research for Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (U01) | RFA CA 15 022

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Proteogenomic Translational Research for Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (U01) funding opportunity (RFA-CA-15-022) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is a cooperative agreement designed to support the next phase of the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC).

What is the main purpose of the program?

The program aims to capitalize on rapid improvements in cancer proteomics and cancer genomics to better understand how tumors function across multiple biological levels. A major goal is to generate datasets, methods, and other research resources and make them broadly available to the scientific community.

What does “proteogenomic” mean in the context of this FOA?

In this FOA, proteogenomic research means integrating tumor genomics (DNA and RNA alterations) with large-scale measurements of proteins and protein modifications, then linking protein-level patterns back to genomic abnormalities. The intent is to understand how genomic changes are expressed through protein networks, pathways, and tumor biology.

How is this different from a standard research grant?

This is a U01 cooperative agreement, not a standard research grant. The cooperative agreement structure indicates that awardees should expect substantial scientific involvement from NIH/NCI staff, including coordination and collaboration across the consortium.

What kinds of research does the FOA emphasize?

The FOA emphasizes integrated proteomic and proteogenomic research across several cancer types. It focuses on mapping tumor proteome complexity, connecting genomic alterations to protein networks and pathways, and identifying mechanisms that may not be apparent from sequencing alone.

Does the FOA focus on one cancer type or multiple?

The FOA is framed around multi-cancer efforts. By supporting work across several cancer types, it aims to reveal both shared biology across tumors and cancer-type-specific biology.

What is the translational (clinical) emphasis of this opportunity?

A highlighted thrust is translational research aimed at clinically relevant questions. The FOA points to the potential for proteomic and proteogenomic approaches to improve decision-making in real-world settings, such as predicting which therapies are most likely to work for a specific tumor.

What kinds of clinically relevant outputs are implied by the FOA?

The description points to work that bridges discovery and clinical application, including developing or refining predictive signatures, identifying therapy-responsive pathways, clarifying resistance mechanisms, and improving how tumor molecular profiles are interpreted in ways that could ultimately inform treatment selection.

What expectations are implied by the consortium structure?

Because this is a consortium-based program with NIH/NCI involvement, the description implies expectations around coordination and collaboration. It also suggests that outputs should be standardized, reproducible, and shared in formats that other researchers can reuse and build upon.

Will datasets and methods need to be shared?

Yes. A central goal described in the opportunity is to make resulting datasets, methods, and other research resources broadly available to the wider scientific community.

Which federal agencies are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What is the funding instrument?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement (U01).

Is this a discretionary federal opportunity?

Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary federal opportunity using the cooperative agreement funding instrument (U01).

What activity categories are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed within health and education-related activity categories.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this program?

The listed CFDA numbers are 93.393, 93.394, and 93.396.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated about three awards.

What is the award ceiling?

The award ceiling listed is $910,000.

When was the opportunity record created?

The opportunity record was created on November 2, 2015.

What was the closing date for this opportunity?

The original closing date shown is May 11, 2016, indicating this was tied to a specific cycle or reissuance during that time period.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. The listed 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; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.

Are minority-serving institutions included in eligibility?

Yes. The FOA explicitly notes additional eligible applicant categories such as 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly included among additional eligible applicant categories.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among additional eligible applicant categories.

Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible federal agencies are explicitly mentioned among additional eligible applicant categories.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply.

Can a U.S. organization apply if it has non-U.S. components?

Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, the opportunity notes that foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning certain types of foreign involvement may be included consistent with NIH policy even though the applicant organization must be domestic.

What is meant by “foreign components are allowed”?

The opportunity states that foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Based on the text provided, this means a U.S. applicant may include certain types of foreign involvement that meet NIH policy definitions, while still following the rule that non-U.S. institutions themselves cannot be the applicant and non-domestic components are not eligible to apply.

What is the overall takeaway for prospective applicants?

This is best understood as a coordinated, consortium-based investment in large-scale proteogenomic cancer research. It supports teams that can generate robust proteomic and proteogenomic data, connect those data to genomic alterations, collaborate under NIH/NCI involvement, and produce shared community resources while also pushing toward clinically meaningful translation.