Microbial-based Cancer Imaging and Therapy - Bugs as Drugs (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 22 086

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 086

The National Institutes of Health, through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is offering an exploratory R21 grant opportunity titled "Microbial-based Cancer Imaging and Therapy - Bugs as Drugs (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-22-086). The central idea is to support early-stage, higher-risk research that investigates how microorganisms and their products interact with tumors and the immune system, and how those interactions can be harnessed to create or improve cancer imaging, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches. The program is positioned within NCI's broader interest in microbial-based cancer therapy, and it is aimed at generating new concepts, proof-of-feasibility data, and mechanistic insight that could open up new directions for the field.

A key emphasis of the FOA is the use of bacteria, archaebacteria, bacteriophages, and other non-oncolytic viruses, as well as their natural products. Applicants can propose studies where microbes act directly as anti-tumor agents, function as stimulators or modulators of anti-tumor immune responses, or serve as delivery vehicles that carry therapeutic payloads, imaging agents, or diagnostic tools to tumors. The opportunity explicitly encourages projects that complement or synergize with existing cancer tools and approaches, rather than requiring applicants to replace current modalities. It also highlights the importance of considering both sides of the interaction: the microbial characteristics (such as colonization, persistence, immunogenicity, and metabolite production) and the tumor context (including tumor microenvironment, immune suppression, spatial heterogeneity, and tissue-specific factors). Research relevant to oral cancer is specifically called out as within scope.

This FOA supports basic mechanistic and preclinical research only. That means proposed work should be conducted in cell culture systems and/or animal models, focusing on foundational biology and preclinical feasibility rather than testing interventions in humans. Consistent with the title, clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement. The expectation is that applicants will use these preclinical platforms to clarify mechanisms of action, identify determinants of tumor targeting or immune activation, and demonstrate the core functional capabilities of a microbial-based imaging, detection, diagnostic, or therapeutic concept. Because it is an R21 mechanism, the program is designed for projects that may still be at an early conceptual stage, including inception through preliminary development, and it explicitly allows for considerable risk if the potential payoff is a meaningful breakthrough.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary NIH grant. The listed award ceiling is $200,000. The original closing date is May 7, 2025, and the FOA was created on February 18, 2022. The CFDA (Assistance Listing) numbers associated with this program include 93.121, 93.395, and 93.396, reflecting its placement within NIH and NCI funding portfolios related to cancer research and training/education categories. While the announcement does not emphasize a specific cancer type beyond including oral cancer as an example, it is broadly oriented toward tumor biology, immunology, microbial science, and technology development for imaging and diagnostics.

Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types. Eligible applicants include 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; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other categories. The FOA also specifically highlights additional eligible groups 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. (foreign) organizations. In practice, that breadth is intended to attract multidisciplinary teams across microbiology, immunology, oncology, bioengineering, imaging sciences, and translational research, including institutions that serve historically underrepresented communities.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a push to expand the scientific foundation for "bugs as drugs" in oncology: not by funding human testing, but by enabling inventive preclinical studies that explain how microbes and microbial products behave in tumors, how they shape immune responses, and how those properties can be engineered or leveraged for better tumor visualization, detection, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. The goal is to generate the kind of convincing mechanistic and feasibility data that can justify larger, more advanced follow-on studies in the future.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Microbial-based Cancer Imaging and Therapy - Bugs as Drugs (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.395, 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-02-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

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