# Forecast to Publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 - Clinical Trial Required)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/not-ca-25-102-forecast-to-publish-a-notice-of-funding-opportunity/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359894

> National Institutes of Health plans to offer grants to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses. It expects to make about 120 awards. It is a forecast: the notice is expected around December 1, 2025, with applications due around February 12, 2026.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | NOT-CA-25-102 |
| Agency | National Institutes of Health |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | expected February 12, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | not stated |
| Award floor | not stated |
| Expected awards | 120 |
| Total funding | not stated |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 93.398 |

## Who can apply

- State governments
- County 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
- Private institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses

## What the grant funds

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), with other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 - Independent Clinical Trial Required) to support rigorous, mentored scientific research and career development for early-stage postdoctoral scholars. With salary and research development funds, the ACE K32 supports up to three years early in the postdoctoral training period and serves as the foundation for an independent career in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research. Preliminary data are not required, emphasizing innovative research ideas and thoughtful plans for career development and mentorship that will support postdoctoral scholars who have the potential to become productive, independent investigators in research fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH ICs. This program encourages applications from candidates who have not yet completed their terminal doctoral degree and expect to do so within one year of the application due date. On the application due date, candidates may not have completed more than two years of postdoctoral training. Resubmission applications are included in the eligibility window. Candidates must have identified a postdoctoral research group and developed a strong research and career development plan prior to, or shortly after, commencing training with that mentor. Applications must be submitted by the institution where the postdoctoral research will be conducted. Following or near the completion of the ACE K32, awardees may apply for a more advanced NIH career development award (e.g., K01, K08, K99/R00) on their path to research independence. The expectation is that, through this sustained period of mentored research career development, postdoctoral scholars will be competitive for the career development awards that will enable them to launch independent research careers and successfully obtain subsequent research project grant (e.g., R01) funding. Awardees who have received a Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00) are not eligible to receive the ACE K32 award. By the time of award, the candidate must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence.

## Questions people ask

### Is NOT-CA-25-102 still open?

Not yet. It is a forecast: expected deadline February 12, 2026.

### Who can apply for Forecast to Publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 - Clinical Trial Required)?

National Institutes of Health accepts applications from nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses and businesses.

### What is the deadline for Forecast to Publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 - Clinical Trial Required)?

Expected deadline February 12, 2026. Confirm the date and time in the official notice on Grants.gov.

### Who has won Cancer Research Manpower grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc., The Univeristy of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The program made 2,913 awards worth $1.0 billion in that time.