Limited Competition: Biospecimen Banks to support NCI National Clinical Trials Network Biospecimen Banks (NCTN Biobanks) and the NCI Early-Phase and Experimental Clinical Trials Biospecimen Bank (EET
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations seeking to establish or continue biospecimen banking operations supporting NCI-funded clinical trials. Eligible applicants must have the infrastructure, expertise, and partnerships to collect, process, store, and distribute high-quality, clinically annotated biospecimens from cancer trial participants. Two distinct resources are supported: NCTN Biospecimen Banks (supporting NCTN and NCORP trials) and the EET Biobank (supporting early-phase and experimental clinical trials through ETCTN).
Organizations must demonstrate capacity to implement harmonized biobanking protocols across multiple clinical trial sites and maintain long-term follow-up data. This is a limited competition NOFO requiring demonstrated experience in biospecimen management and cancer research support.
Geographic scope is national, with operations supporting NCI-funded clinical trials across the United States.
Key dates
- Jan 13, 2026 Applications open
- Jul 14, 2026 Application deadline in 29 days
- Apr 1, 2027 Award announced
- Apr 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
Through this limited competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicits applications to support continuation of the two distinct biospecimen banking resources:
- The National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) Biospecimen Banks (NCTN Biobanks) support the NCI-funded NCTN and the Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), and
- The Early-Phase and Experimental Clinical Trials Biospecimen Bank (EET Biobank) support the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN) and NCI-supported other early phase and experimental clinical trials.
The objective is to maintain these robust national resources for continuing the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of high-quality, clinically annotated human biospecimens. The goal of these resources is to ensure availability of biospecimens from participants in NCI-funded clinical trials focused on treatment, prevention, and cancer control studies to enable translational cancer research. NCTN Biobanks support the biobanking operations of the NCTN funded through the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) and NCORP funded through the Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP). The clinical trials conducted through NCTN and NCORP enroll thousands of patients with adult and childhood cancers each year. NCTN Biobank operations aim to facilitate hypothesis-driven biomarker development and validation, secondary research studies, and broader scientific discovery. Biospecimens collected through harmonized protocols and long-term follow-up across large multi-site clinical trials provide valuable resources for studying disease mechanisms, therapeutic response, and clinical outcomes in different types of cancers.
This NOFO will also support the continuation of the EET Biobank, a dedicated resource with a primary focus on meeting the biospecimen banking needs of the ETCTN and other early-phase and experimental clinical trials involving investigational new drugs (INDs). Biospecimens collected from the early phase clinical trials enable validated biomarker assay development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies, investigation of drug action and resistance mechanisms, improved patient stratification, and broader scientific discovery. Unlike the NCTN Biobank, the EET Biobank bridges basic science and clinical applications that enable acceleration of NCI’s IND development efforts for effective cancer treatments. This is a forecast for a limited competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that will invite application(s) from eligible organizations to apply. Application(s) will be peer-reviewed and only funded if meritorious.
Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Biographical sketches of key personnel
- Project narrative describing biobanking operations and infrastructure
- Letters of commitment from NCTN/NCORP/ETCTN partners
- Budget and budget justification
- Organizational capability/facilities documentation
- Quality assurance and specimen management protocols
Program contact
- 👤 NCI DCTD CDP PIRB NOFO
- 📧 NCICDPNOFO@mail.nih.gov
- 📞 Phone: 240-276-7782
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.394 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$67,679,289
-
$42,479,238
-
$38,139,324
-
$37,524,148
-
$36,939,788
-
$35,037,695
-
$30,393,940
-
$30,179,102
-
$18,143,614
-
$16,667,828
Top States by Funding
- PA 9 awards $127.6M
- WA 6 awards $109.7M
- CA 11 awards $101.7M
- TX 8 awards $91.8M
- OH 5 awards $73.1M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.394). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $540,918,671 | |
| 2025 | $602,293,691 | |
| 2026 est. | $716,748,079 |
FAQ
What types of organizations can apply for this grant?
Eligible organizations must have biobanking infrastructure, expertise in clinical specimen management, and established partnerships with NCI-funded clinical trial networks. Typically universities, cancer centers, and medical institutions with strong research infrastructure apply.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline is July 14, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not a rolling submission cycle.
What activities are supported by this funding?
Funding supports collection, processing, storage, and distribution of biospecimens from NCI clinical trial participants. Activities include specimen management, protocol harmonization, data annotation, and enabling translational cancer research.
How competitive is this grant?
This is a limited competition NOFO, meaning applications are invited from pre-identified eligible entities. All meritorious applications will undergo peer review and may be funded based on scientific quality.
What is the funding mechanism and amount?
Awards are provided as Cooperative Agreements. The total funding pool is $19.1 million; individual award amounts are not specified in the NOFO.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Start now: Develop meaningful collaborations with NCTN, NCORP, and ETCTN clinical trial groups well before the July 2026 deadline.
- Emphasize harmonization: Clearly describe how your biobanking protocols align with multi-site clinical trial requirements and existing NCI standards.
- Demonstrate capacity: Document your current infrastructure, quality assurance processes, specimen tracking systems, and long-term storage capabilities.
- Plan for sustainability: Explain how your organization will maintain operations and adapt to evolving biomarker and translational research needs.
- Address both tracks: If applying to support multiple resources (NCTN and EET), clearly distinguish operational requirements and governance structures for each.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often underestimate the complexity of multi-site specimen harmonization and regulatory compliance across different trial protocols. Weak collaborations with NCTN/NCORP sites or unclear governance structures weaken competitiveness. Insufficient detail on quality assurance, long-term sustainability, and integration with existing NCI infrastructure commonly leads to weak scores.
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