Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for NCI Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Key Dates

None

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) at NCI is planning to issue two new Notice of Funding Opportunity announcements (NOFO), the NCI Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32), which will be published in two versions: IndependentClinical Trial Required and Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed.

Beginning with the June 12, 2025, due date, the CURE ACE Award will support research training for early postdoctoral fellows in cancer research. The award aims to enhance the pool of qualified individuals for careers that have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the Nation and enrich the scientific cancer research experience of trainees as they transition from predoctoral to postdoctoral training. This Notice is being provided to allow sufficient time for applicants to develop strong applications.

The NCI CURE ACE funding program supports postdoctoral training for candidates from diverse backgrounds in cancer research. It allows them to apply during the late predoctoral or early postdoctoral stages, even without preliminary data. Applicants must identify a postdoctoral research mentor and establish a comprehensive research and training plan before or soon after beginning with the postdoctoral mentor. The program is open to pre- and post-doctoral scientists conducting research across all areas of cancer research. Applicants must identify their postdoctoral mentor and submit their application through the institution where they plan to conduct their postdoctoral research.

The NCI CURE Academic Career Excellence (ACE) funding program supports early postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented backgrounds (NOT-OD-20-031), who bring  life experiences, geographic location, socioeconomic status, academic training, professional experience, disability status, military service, career stage, institutional affiliation, cultural background, and other factors that may contribute unique perspectives to  the research workforce  and who are committed to a career in basic biomedical, clinical, behavioral or translational cancer research, including research on cancer health disparities. 

Eligibility:

For the purpose this funding program eligible candidates must be within 12 months prior to transitioning into a postdoctoral position or within the first two years of their postdoctoral research at the time of submission and/or resubmission of their application. By the time of the award, the applicant must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.

Funding:

The NCI CURE Academic Career Excellence (ACE) funding program provides for up to three years of support, offering a competitive salary and research funding to retain the talents and enhance their training and development in cancer research. Importantly, receiving this award will not affect an applicant’s eligibility for other independent career development programs such as K01, K08, and K22 programs. Indeed, we believe this funding program will equip awardees with the necessary skills and experience to prepare more competitive applications in the future. Therefore, it is expected that awardees begin working on their individual career development applications (e.g. K01/K08/K22) once they secured K32 funding to maximize their potential for future funding.

As this is a pilot program, the number of awards will be determined based on the volume and quality of applications received.

The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) at NCI is committed to fostering diversity in the cancer research workforce through this innovative funding opportunity.

Funding Information

Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
Private Institution of Higher Education
Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)
Small Business
For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
State Government
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)
County governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization (Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
U.S. Territory or Possession
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized)
Regional Organization
Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government

Applications are not being solicited at this time. 

Inquiries

K32 Program Director 
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) 

Email: [email protected]