Quantitative Imaging Tools and Methods for Cancer Therapy Response Assessment (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 248

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 248

The NIH funding opportunity PAR 18 248, titled "Quantitative Imaging Tools and Methods for Cancer Therapy Response Assessment (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)," supports projects focused on building and proving out quantitative imaging tools that can make cancer treatment assessment more objective, reproducible, and clinically useful. The core idea is to move beyond purely qualitative or reader-dependent interpretations of medical images by developing software and analytical methods that can either predict how a patient will respond to a therapy or measure that response accurately over time. A major emphasis is on work that is relevant to clinical trials, where consistent, validated imaging endpoints can directly affect how therapies are evaluated and compared.

The announcement is organized around the UG3/UH3 cooperative agreement structure, which is typically used for phased projects that start with a milestone-driven early stage (UG3) and then transition to a later stage (UH3) once predefined technical and validation goals are met. In practice, this means applicants are expected to propose a clear development and optimization plan up front and pair it with a rigorous validation strategy that demonstrates performance in realistic settings, ideally aligned with how imaging is collected and used in multi-site clinical trials. The "Clinical Trial Optional" label indicates that a clinical trial is not mandatory for every project, but the tools and methods should still be designed with strong clinical translation in mind, and some applicants may choose to embed their work within a clinical trial context when appropriate.

Scientifically, the FOA targets quantitative imaging (QI) software tools and methodological advances that can support two broad use cases. The first is therapy response assessment, meaning methods that quantify changes in tumors or relevant tissues in a way that reflects treatment effect, supports early decision-making, or improves endpoint sensitivity in trials. The second is radiotherapy-focused work, including tools that help plan radiation treatment strategies and methods that can validate whether a radiation therapy approach is achieving the intended biological or anatomical effect. Across both areas, the expectation is that the proposed technology will be more than a conceptual algorithm; it should be developed, optimized, and validated sufficiently to demonstrate reliability, accuracy, and usefulness in clinical research environments.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally implies more programmatic involvement from NIH staff than a standard research project grant. The activity areas are listed under education and health, and the CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.394 and 93.395. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health. The opportunity was created on 2017-11-29, and the original closing date shown in the source is 2020-01-09. The provided listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types that commonly participate in biomedical research and translational software development. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISISs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and non-U.S. (foreign) entities.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at teams that can combine imaging science, software engineering, and clinical relevance to produce quantitative tools that hold up under the pressures of real-world data and trial workflows. The deliverable NIH is effectively looking for is a validated quantitative imaging capability that can be trusted for measuring or predicting cancer therapy response, or for strengthening radiation therapy planning and validation, with the UG3/UH3 structure ensuring that projects demonstrate tangible progress and meet defined milestones before advancing to later-stage support.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Quantitative Imaging Tools and Methods for Cancer Therapy Response Assessment (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for PAR 18 248

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