Radiation Oncology-Biology Integration Network (ROBIN) Centers (U54 Clinical Trial Required)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for established research institutions and cancer centers with strong radiation oncology programs. Applicants must be able to lead a multidisciplinary network center that integrates radiation biology, clinical oncology, imaging, and data science. Institutions should demonstrate capacity to conduct longitudinal translational research on cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and collect biospecimens and multimodal data throughout treatment courses.
The grant supports collaborative centers as part of a national network infrastructure focused on hypothesis-driven translational research. Applicants must have access to patient populations receiving standard-of-care radiation therapy. Institutions should include expertise in biology, oncology, imaging, dosimetry, and omics analysis.
This is a cooperative agreement requiring sustained commitment to the network model. Applicants should demonstrate experience with biospecimen banking, molecular profiling, and team-based research across multiple disciplines.
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Key dates
- Jun 2, 2026 Applications open
- Jan 25, 2027 Application deadline in 193 days
- Sep 1, 2027 Award announced
- Sep 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to continue to support the Radiation Oncology-Biology Integration Network (ROBIN) with applications from both new and renewing investigators. This network model will sustain an agile and effective national radiation oncology infrastructure that collectively addresses critical hypothesis-based translational research on the biological basis of responses in cancer patients who undergo radiation treatments. ROBIN supports a collaborative national research network focused on understanding how tumors and normal tissues change biologically during radiation therapy. Because radiation can dynamically alter molecular targets over the course of treatment, the network seeks to generate foundational knowledge that can improve radiation-based cancer care and identify new opportunities for combining radiation with drugs and other therapies. Through multidisciplinary, longitudinal studies, ROBIN centers collect and analyze biospecimens and multimodal data before, during, and after standard-of-care radiation therapy. This work is designed to reveal mechanisms of response, resistance, and toxicity; identify new therapy-induced targets; and determine whether treatment strategies based on initial tumor profiling remain optimal as therapy progresses. The network also strengthens the radiation oncology workforce by integrating expertise in biology, clinical oncology, imaging, dosimetry, omics, biospecimen science, and data science. By sustaining this research infrastructure, NIH aims to accelerate translational discoveries that can inform future clinical trials and improve outcomes for people with cancer.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) form
- Project Narrative
- Specific Aims
- Research Strategy
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Institutional Support/Commitment Letters
- Biographical Sketches (NIH Form 5)
- Research Plan with preliminary data
- Clinical trial protocol (if applicable)
- Letters of support from multidisciplinary team members
Program contact
- 👤 NCI ROBIN RFA
- 📧 ROBIN_RFA@nih.gov
- 📞 Please contact via e-mail
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
-
$353,109,533
-
$226,323,195
-
$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
What types of institutions can apply for ROBIN funding?
Research-intensive institutions with radiation oncology programs, including academic medical centers, NCI-designated cancer centers, and established research universities. Applicants must demonstrate strong translational research capacity and clinical access.
What is the primary research focus of ROBIN?
Understanding tumor and normal tissue changes during radiation therapy through biospecimen collection and multimodal data analysis. The network generates foundational knowledge about mechanisms of response, resistance, and toxicity to inform future clinical trials.
Does this grant require a clinical trial?
Yes, this U54 mechanism includes a clinical trial component. Applicants must design longitudinal studies that prospectively collect biospecimens and data from cancer patients undergoing standard-of-care radiation therapy.
What funding mechanism is used?
This is a cooperative agreement (U54), which indicates sustained collaboration and coordination with NIH. The funder expects active program involvement and network participation throughout the award period.
How competitive is ROBIN funding?
Highly competitive. Applicants must demonstrate exceptional institutional support, multidisciplinary expertise, patient access, and experience with translational research infrastructure. Strong preliminary data and unique scientific approaches strengthen applications.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your institution's clinical access and ability to enroll cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Strong patient accrual capacity is essential for network success.
- Assemble a multidisciplinary team that includes radiation oncologists, biologists, biostatisticians, imaging specialists, and data scientists. Clearly define each team member's role and commitment.
- Highlight existing infrastructure for biospecimen banking, molecular profiling, and longitudinal data collection. Demonstrate established protocols and quality assurance systems.
- Connect your research to clinical impact. Show how your findings will inform treatment decisions and improve outcomes for radiation oncology patients.
- Address how your center will actively contribute to and benefit from the national network model. Describe collaboration plans with other ROBIN centers.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak clinical infrastructure or unclear patient accrual strategy. Applicants must demonstrate reliable access to adequate patient populations and capacity for longitudinal follow-up. Lack of genuine multidisciplinary team with sustained institutional commitment. The network model requires dedicated personnel from biology, clinical, and data science areas. Insufficient preliminary data or weak scientific rationale for your specific research questions about radiation response mechanisms.
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