The funding opportunity Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data to Elucidate Cancer Risk and Related Outcomes (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed), issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and supported by NIH partner institutes, provides funding for exploratory research projects. Its primary objective is to support innovative analyses of existing datasets to advance understanding of cancer risk and related outcomes, including risk prediction, survival, and treatment response. The grant encourages proposals that integrate multiple types of existing data—such as clinical, genomic, behavioral, and environmental—to address new scientific questions. This initiative is part of a broader NIH effort to enhance the reuse of data and foster novel discoveries in cancer research.

The main purpose of this initiative is to fund secondary data analysis and integration projects that focus on elucidating cancer etiology and outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to develop new research aims using existing datasets and to employ novel or advanced data analysis methods. Projects should align with the priorities of the participating NIH Institutes: NCI, National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). This grant mechanism does not allow for clinical trials and limits new data collection to validation purposes only (no more than 10% of the budget).

Funding may support studies that apply systems epidemiology to link multi-level data, promote the use of updated genomic tools or informatics, assess behavioral and environmental factors relevant to cancer, or develop strategies for cancer surveillance and healthcare delivery improvements. Emphasis is placed on addressing health disparities and incorporating underrepresented populations. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S. and non-U.S. institutions, including public and private universities, nonprofits, small businesses, state and local governments, tribal entities, and foreign institutions.

Applications must follow NIH’s standard electronic submission protocols using ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions. Required registrations include SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. A detailed research strategy is required, including dataset descriptions, sample sizes, methodological plans, and strategies to handle health disparities and data harmonization. The grant mandates a Data Management and Sharing Plan and encourages broad dissemination of datasets and tools resulting from the research.

Review criteria include significance, innovation, investigators’ qualifications, and the strength of the proposed methodology. Additional considerations include the project’s feasibility within the two-year timeframe and its relevance to participating NIH Institutes. Applications will undergo NIH’s dual peer review process, including a scientific merit review and a second-level advisory council review.

Applications are accepted on NIH’s standard due dates for R21 grants, with deadlines recurring three times per year: February 16, June 16, and October 16. The earliest start date is typically about six months after each deadline. This opportunity remains open through September 8, 2026. The maximum budget is $275,000 in direct costs over two years, with a limit of $200,000 in any single year.