Well Told Grants

Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

Cancer Cause and Prevention Research (93.393)

Cancer Cause and Prevention Research (Assistance Listing 93.393) is run by the National Institutes of Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It awarded $3.6 billion in 2,517 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.4 million per award on average. 60 funding opportunities are open or forecast now.

The typical award was $1.1 million. Half of the 2,517 awards fell between $407,581 and $2.0 million, and they ranged from $0 to $15.4 million.

Key findings

What the program funds

To identify cancer risks and risk reduction strategies, to identify factors that cause cancer in humans, and to discover and develop mechanisms for cancer prevention and preventive interventions in humans. Research programs include: (1) chemical, physical and molecular carcinogenesis; (2) screening, early detection and risk assessment, including biomarker discovery, development and validation; (3) epidemiology; (4) nutrition and bioactive food components; (5) immunology and vaccines; (6) field studies and statistics; (7) cancer chemoprevention and interception; (8) pre-clinical and clinical agent development; (9) organ site studies and clinical trials; (10) health-related quality of life and patient-centered outcomes; and (11) supportive care and management of symptoms and toxicities. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program: To expand and improve the SBIR program; to stimulate technical innovation; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding; to increase small business participation in Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially/economically disadvantaged persons. Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program: To stimulate and foster scientific and technological innovation through cooperative research and development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions; to foster technology transfer through cooperative research and development between small business concerns and research institutions; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding, and foster participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially/economically disadvantaged persons.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

35 more opportunities are listed with all open grants from Department of Health and Human Services.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

The awardee will be a university, college, hospital, public agency, nonprofit research institution or for-profit organization that submits an application and receives a grant or cooperative agreement for support of research by a named principal investigator. SBIR grants can be awarded only to domestic small businesses (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed, and have no more than 500 employees). Primary employment (more than one- half time) of the principal investigator must be with the small business at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project. In both Phase I and Phase II, the research must be performed in the U.S. and its possessions. To be eligible for funding, a grant application must be approved for scientific merit and program relevance by a scientific review group and a national advisory council. STTR grants can be awarded only to domestic small business concern (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed and have no more than 500 employees) which "partner" with a research institution in cooperative research and development. At least 40 percent of the project is to be performed by the small business concern and at least 30 percent by the research institution. In both Phase I and Phase II, the research must be performed in the U.S. and its possessions.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

What the money can and cannot pay for

Grants and cooperative agreements may be made to eligible institutions for the support of cancer research projects. The grants and cooperative agreements may be used for personnel, consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel, patient costs, animals, alterations and renovations, miscellaneous items, and indirect costs. Restrictions are imposed against the use of funds for entertainment, foreign travel (unless specifically authorized), office equipment, and other items not normally necessary for the effective prosecution of such research. SBIR Phase I grants (of approximately 6-months' duration) are to establish the technical merit and feasibility of a proposed research effort that may lead to a commercial product or process. Phase II grants are for the continuation of the research initiated in Phase I, and that are likely to result in commercial products or processes. Only Phase I awardees are eligible to receive Phase II support. STTR Phase I grants (normally of 1-year duration) are to determine the scientific, technical, and commercial merit and feasibility of the proposed cooperative effort that has potential for commercial application. Phase II funding is based on results of research initiated in Phase I and scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of Phase II application.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range: $927 to $3,046,580 Average: $568,686

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Funding history and past recipients

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Cancer Cause and Prevention Research (93.393) awarded$3.6 billion across 2,517 grant awards, an average of $1.4 million per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
The Univeristy of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterTexas81$107 million
Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer ResearchNew York65$99.1 million
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York48$85.3 million
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc.Massachusetts51$83.1 million
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina49$76.1 million
Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterWashington45$75.6 million
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterTennessee31$74.0 million
Kaiser Foundation HospitalsCalifornia28$66.2 million
The Regents of the University of California, San FranciscoCalifornia36$64.1 million
Mayo ClinicMinnesota37$63.9 million
Regents of the University of MinnesotaMinnesota39$60.9 million
Baylor College of MedicineTexas33$60.3 million
The Ohio State UniversityOhio38$59.6 million
The Trustees of the University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania44$57.2 million
The General Hospital CorporationMassachusetts40$57.1 million
University of UtahUtah36$57.0 million
St Jude Children's Research Hospital IncTennessee33$56.2 million
Regents of the University of MichiganMichigan43$55.9 million
The Washington UniversityMissouri38$55.3 million
University of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia30$53.2 million

Top states: California ($465 million), New York ($445 million), Massachusetts ($351 million), Texas ($270 million), Pennsylvania ($175 million), Tennessee ($151 million), North Carolina ($149 million), Minnesota ($138 million), Washington ($123 million), Ohio ($105 million).

Who usually wins

Colleges and universities received 66% of the money, nonprofits 28% and small businesses 1.8%.

Recipient typeAwardsAmountShare
Colleges and universities1,691$2.4 billion66%
Nonprofits655$1.0 billion28%
Other100$143 million4.0%
Small businesses62$65.9 million1.8%
Tribal governments and organizations4$5.5 million0.1%
State and local governments5$4.8 million0.1%

By state

46 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Grants by recipient's state, fiscal 2021 to 2025
StateAwardsAmount
California273$465 million
New York295$445 million
Massachusetts220$351 million
Texas206$270 million
Pennsylvania133$175 million
Tennessee84$151 million
North Carolina116$149 million
Minnesota81$138 million
Washington84$123 million
Ohio72$105 million
Florida72$99.7 million
Michigan65$89.5 million
Illinois71$87.0 million
Georgia50$61.3 million
District of Columbia45$61.2 million
Missouri47$60.9 million
Wisconsin30$60.6 million
Utah37$57.4 million
South Carolina39$54.8 million
New Jersey38$54.2 million
Connecticut51$53.8 million
Virginia49$50.3 million
Maryland51$47.6 million
Colorado39$46.2 million
Alabama30$40.9 million
Arizona25$36.8 million
Hawaii10$33.9 million
Indiana18$24.0 million
Vermont10$22.4 million
Kansas11$21.4 million
Oregon19$20.8 million
Iowa10$17.4 million
Oklahoma14$14.2 million
New Hampshire11$14.0 million
Kentucky19$12.0 million
Rhode Island23$9.1 million
Nebraska9$8.4 million
New Mexico5$8.3 million
Louisiana9$7.0 million
Delaware3$6.0 million
Maine3$4.0 million
Alaska3$3.7 million
South Dakota3$3.1 million
Puerto Rico2$2.9 million
Mississippi3$2.4 million
Arkansas3$2.3 million
Montana1$355,259
West Virginia3$244,264

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.