Academic-Industrial Partnerships (AIP) to Translate and Validate In Vivo Imaging Systems (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for academic and industry partners seeking to develop, translate, and validate in vivo imaging systems through collaborative research. Eligible applicants include academic research institutions, NIH-designated research centers, and private industry partners who can demonstrate complementary expertise and resources. The grant supports translational research aimed at moving imaging technologies from bench to clinical application, with geographic scope limited to the United States. Funded activities include technology development, preclinical and clinical validation studies, partnering mechanisms between academia and industry, and activities that advance imaging system performance and clinical utility. Applicants must have appropriate infrastructure, regulatory compliance capacity, and clearly defined roles for academic and industrial partners.
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Program description
Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to stimulate translation of scientific discoveries and engineering developments in imaging, data science and/or spectroscopic technologies into methods or tools that address contemporary problems in understanding the fundamental biology, potential risk of development, diagnosis, treatment, and/or disease status for cancer or other disease.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- Colleges (all higher ed)
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Researcher (independent)
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- NIH Form SF-424 (R&R)
- Project narrative (typically 15 pages)
- Specific aims and significance section
- Innovation and approach section
- Preliminary data and feasibility documentation
- Detailed budget with justification (Modular or R&R budget form)
- Biosketches for key personnel (both academic and industry)
- Institutional commitment and support letters
- Letters of collaboration/partnership from industry partners
- CITI or equivalent compliance training documentation
- IRB approval or IND application status (if clinical trial component included)
- Device regulatory strategy documentation (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.395 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$353,109,533
-
$226,323,195
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$180,463,644
-
$148,820,579
-
$143,093,026
-
$125,672,442
-
$124,513,663
-
$112,462,142
-
$109,067,856
-
$104,790,648
Top States by Funding
- CA 10 awards $871.7M
- PA 5 awards $513.3M
- NY 7 awards $462.6M
- MA 7 awards $282.7M
- IL 3 awards $274.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.395). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,298,551,504 | |
| 2025 | $1,414,965,434 | |
| 2026 est. | $926,626,977 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Academic research institutions, NIH research centers, and private industry organizations can apply, typically as collaborative partnerships. Individual researchers must have appropriate institutional affiliations and access to necessary facilities.
What is the deadline and when can I apply?
The application deadline is January 7, 2027. The application window opened November 6, 2024, so you have several months to prepare your submission through the NIH ASSIST portal.
What activities and expenses are supported?
This grant supports translational research on in vivo imaging systems, including technology development, validation studies, regulatory pathway planning, and partnership infrastructure. Budget typically supports personnel, equipment, supplies, and travel essential to the research.
How competitive is this program and what is the funding range?
This is a moderately competitive NIH R01 mechanism. Typical awards range from $200,000–$400,000 per year, though clinical trials or substantial imaging development may receive higher amounts. Funding depends on scientific merit and budget justification.
What is the clinical trial optional component?
The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation means applications may or may not include clinical trial components. If your research plan includes human subjects testing, you must meet all applicable regulatory and clinical trial requirements.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize the academic-industry partnership model and demonstrate how each partner brings unique, complementary expertise and resources that would be difficult for either to achieve alone.
- Focus on the translational trajectory: show clear evidence that your imaging system has solved a technical barrier and is ready to move toward clinical validation or market application.
- Include a detailed regulatory and commercialization plan, especially for biomedical imaging devices; reviewers want confidence that the path from research to clinical use is realistic.
- Build strong preliminary data demonstrating proof-of-concept in relevant animal models or early human feasibility work; vague claims about imaging potential will not be competitive.
- Clearly delineate roles and funding split between academic and industry partners; NIH expects true collaboration, not simply hiring a vendor.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak academic-industry partnerships where roles are poorly defined or where one partner is treated as a subcontractor rather than a true collaborator. Applications often fail because the translational rationale is unclear—reviewers need to see both what problem the imaging system solves clinically and why this partnership is the right vehicle to solve it. Insufficient preliminary data or unrealistic timelines for moving an imaging technology from concept to clinical validation are frequent reasons for rejection.
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