Funding Overview

The Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program, which is aimed at the development and integration of novel and emerging technologies in the support of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment, now encompasses an array of 4 closely related Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs).

Funding Opportunities for the Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program have been issued. Please note the revised page limits which apply to all of IMAT’s solicitations. Receipt dates are as follows: February 20, 2013; May 20, 2013, and September 20, 2013.

The IMAT Program comprises the following three related thematic components:

Innovative Molecular Analysis Technology Development for Cancer Research, intended to support research projects that are centered on the inception and preliminary development of highly innovative molecular analysis technologies with potentially high impact on cancer research;
Emerging Molecular Analysis Technology Development for Cancer Research, to support further development (beyond the initial phase) of emerging molecular analysis technologies that have the potential to be transformative when used for cancer research and/or in cancer-relevant clinical care; and
Innovative and Applied Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science is centered on the development and validation of novel technologies to improve or assess the quality of cancer-relevant biospecimens for research or clinical care. The emphasis is on issues related to pre-analytical variations in the collection, processing, handling, and preservation of cancer-relevant biospecimens or their derivatives to improve their quality and utility for cancer research or patient clinical care.

The individual IMAT FOAs are Requests for Applications (RFAs) that focus on:

Conduct of high-risk exploratory research with an emphasis on innovation and demonstration of technical feasibility (R21)
Advanced development and validation of a technology/application for which proof of concept has been achieved (R33)

All IMAT Research Project Grants (RPGs) are open to investigators from both academia and industry, and applications representing multiple principal investigators are welcome.

The complete matrix of 4 IMAT FOAs is provided below along with basic requirements and total amount of set-aside funds for each them for Fiscal Year 2013. Please note that for comprehensive information on all the submission requirements (including page limits and special sections), set-aside funds for each FOA, and the anticipated number of awards, it is absolutely essential that every applicant read and utilize the selected individual IMAT FOA page before preparing and submitting an application in response to the selected FOA. Nonetheless, potential applicants who are interested in the IMAT Program may use this table and the links to respective individual FOAs that are contained within it as a quick “switchboard” to initially identify which of the closely related active FOAs might be most appropriate. Please note that all IMAT applications must be submitted electronically using Standard Form 424.

Note on Other Related Programs: Researchers who emphasize the assessment ofin vivoimaging technologies as the primary focus of their grant applications should contact the Cancer Imaging Program for information on appropriate funding opportunities. Researchers focusing on applying new bioinformatics or statistical techniques as the primary focus of their applications should consider one of the Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research (ITCR) opportunities.

Matrix of IMAT RFAs and Outline of their Characteristics

Mechanism	Theme	Innovative Technology	Emerging Technology	Biospecimen Science
Mechanism	Total Set-Aside Funds (per Fiscal Year)	$5,000,000	$3,500,000	$1,500,000
R21	Project type: Exploratory-pilot Required: Innovative technology/approach^a; Quantitative milestones^b; Not required (but allowed): Preliminary data.	RFA-CA13-001		RFA-CA13-003
R33	Project type: Developmental Required:Feasibility data^c		RFA-CA13-002	RFA-CA13-004

^aWhile no preliminary data are necessary, the applicants must demonstrate the innovative nature of the particular technology and/or approach proposed for development.

^bQuantitative milestones for each specific aim must be provided as a way of determining during the project and at its completion, whether an applicant has successfully reached the specified goal. Milestones should be clearly stated as numerical (i.e., quantitative) specifications for relevant measures/properties.

^cDetailed preliminary data must be provided in support of the feasibility of the technology or approach that is proposed for development. Such data may reflect successful completion of a previous R21 grant and associated milestones.