This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) announces an opportunity for supplemental funding to active, eligible NCI-funded grants and cooperative agreements to support integrative oncology research. These administrative supplements are intended to support NCI-funded investigators to leverage existing relationships/partnerships with investigators in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to conduct research that will enhance understanding of the intersection of standard biomedical approaches and traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM) for cancer control in LMIC settings.
Cancer incidence and mortality are increasing in LMICs. To mitigate this growing challenge, continued efforts to implement evidence-based cancer prevention, treatment, and palliative and survivorship care using innovative and culturally appropriate solutions are needed. One potentially promising approach is to leverage TCAM with standard biomedical approaches. TCAM is used worldwide, often embedded in centuries of local traditions and culture. Leveraging TCAM alongside standard biomedical approaches can help increase the adoption and acceptability of cancer control interventions that are evidence-informed and patient-centered. This growing field of research, often referred to as ‘whole person research’, is leading to a better understanding of the important psychological and physical benefits of lifestyle interventions and mind/body therapies (e.g., acupuncture, massage, meditation, and yoga) on cancer prevention and treatment. Similarly, research on the molecular properties and psychological benefits of natural products used in TCAM can lead to the discovery of evidence-based, low-cost, and culturally acceptable methods for symptom management and quality of life improvement in cancer patients. Integrative oncology research seeks to understand how TCAM advances can be combined with standard biomedical approaches to systemically strengthen the efficacy, acceptability, and sustainability of cancer care worldwide. This NOSI focuses on research pertaining to the integration of TCAM with standard biomedical approaches to benefit cancer control in LMICs. Moreover, rigorous integrative oncology research can provide cancer patients in LMICs with access to safe, effective, evidence-informed, and culturally sensitive cancer care that is highly adapted to their local contexts.
- Submissions must be received by May 14, 2022 at 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization for FY 2022 funding.
NOT-CA-22-054
- Administrative supplement applications from PDs/PIs are limited to currently funded and active R01, R21, R25, R33, R37, P01, P20, P30, P50, U19, U01, UH2, UG3, UH3, U54, or UM1 awards from NCI -- no other grant or cooperative agreement activity codes or mechanisms are eligible for this program.
- For supplements to parent awards that include multiple PDs/PIs, the supplement may be requested by any or all the PDs/PIs (in accordance with the existing leadership plan) and submitted by the awardee institution of the parent award.
- NCI grants in an extension (or needing an extension to be eligible) at the time the award is made in FY22 are not eligible for this supplement. In other words, requests for no-cost extensions on the parent grant or cooperative agreement to accommodate a supplement will not be permitted.
- Only one supplement application per grant or cooperative agreement award will be accepted for consideration through this Notice.
- Only electronic submissions will be accepted for this funding opportunity. Use one of the methods described in PA-20-272. Paper submissions and applications submitted as email attachments will be rejected without review.