ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity PAR-27-089

NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a forecasted federal grant opportunity from the National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of November 2, 2026; forecast dates can change. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 10 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.393 (Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) and 6 other listings.

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

May 6, 2026Forecast posted
Aug 25, 2026 (est.)Full notice expected
Nov 2, 2026 (est.)Application deadlinenext date
Jul 1, 2027 (est.)Est. award date

Posted: May 6, 2026
Est. close date: Nov 2, 2026
Est. award date: Jul 1, 2027
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: Not specified
Expected awards: 18
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2027

Typical awards for this program (SAM.gov listing for ALN 93.393, not this notice): Range: $927 to $3,046,580 Average: $568,686

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Public & Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Other Eligible ApplicantsIndian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized);Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government;U.S. Territory or Possession;Faith-based or Community-based Organizations;Regional Organizations;Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions).

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) invites grant applications for the Research Specialist Award (R50) specifically for clinician scientists supporting NCI-funded clinical trials research. The Research Specialist Award is designed to encourage the development of stable research career opportunities for exceptional clinician scientists who want to continue to participate in the NCI clinical trials networks through leadership in the 1) development of national clinical trials, 2) implementation of NCI clinical trials in their institutions, and 3) national service to the NCI clinical trials networks through participation in the scientific review committees, monitoring committees and other activities, but not serve as principal investigators of research project grants. These clinician scientists are vital to sustaining the NCI-funded clinical trials enterprise. The Research Specialist Award is intended to provide salary support and sufficient autonomy so that individuals are not solely dependent on NCI grants held by others or other sources of support for cancer research career continuity.

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Watch for the full noticeThe agency estimates posting it around August 25, 2026. Save this grant to track changes.
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyCoordinating Center for Clinical Trials, National Cancer Institute (NCI) · ncir50@mail.nih.gov Open ↗
Submit before November 2, 2026Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listings

What is an ALN?

Reported obligations under ALN 93.393

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$755M

FY25

$835M

FY26

$520M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.393. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 93.393

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 3,097 grant awards had funding actions under Cancer Cause and Prevention Research, with 3,423 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

THE UNIVERISTY OF TEXAS M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER$87.6M
DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE, INC.$68.4M
SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH$57M
THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK$52.3M
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL$49.4M

Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, National Cancer Institute (NCI)
ncir50@mail.nih.gov
Please contact via email

Quick answers

Is “NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)” open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around August 25, 2026. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)”?

The official notice names these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities and 3 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How do I apply for “NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity PAR-27-089), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

ForecastedResearchALN 93.393, 93.394…