Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 27 025
The Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (PCACO) is an NIH-funded K12 institutional career development program designed to grow the pipeline of clinician-scientists who can build long-term careers in clinical and translational cancer research. The core idea is that an eligible U.S.-based institution applies for the K12 grant and then uses that support to recruit, train, and mentor "Scholars" (typically early-career clinician-investigators) as they develop the skills, research experience, and professional trajectory needed to become independent cancer researchers. The program is structured around protected time for research, strong mentorship, and a deliberate career development environment that helps Scholars move from clinical training into productive research careers focused on oncology.
A key feature of this specific NOFO is its clinical trial restriction: Scholars are not permitted to propose or lead an independent clinical trial as part of their K12-supported activities. In other words, a Scholar cannot be the person responsible for designing and running their own stand-alone clinical trial under this award. However, the NOFO does allow Scholars to gain meaningful clinical trial experience when the trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor. That means Scholars can be embedded in an existing mentor-led clinical trial, contribute to trial-related research and translational questions, and build competency in the clinical trial ecosystem (such as protocol development, regulatory considerations, recruitment, data collection, correlative science, and interpretation), without serving as the independent trial leader. The intent is to ensure Scholars get real exposure to clinical research while keeping the K12 experience focused on mentored career development rather than independent trial leadership.
In terms of who can apply, this is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the National Institutes of Health, listed under CFDA 93.398, and it is broadly open to a range of U.S. domestic applicant organizations. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, certain public housing authorities, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those categories as specified), and also for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits, except where otherwise restricted by NIH policy). The award is an institutional K12 mechanism rather than an individual fellowship, meaning the applying organization is responsible for building the program structure and selecting Scholars in accordance with the NOFO.
On the foreign eligibility side, the boundaries are straightforward: non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply as components of the applicant organization. At the same time, "foreign components" are allowed as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means the program can include certain international elements (for example, specific collaborations, resources, or research activities occurring outside the U.S.) when they meet NIH requirements and are properly justified, even though the applicant and the primary institutional base must remain domestic.
Administratively, the opportunity number is PAR-27-025, the funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category falls under health. The opportunity was created on 2026-06-03, and the original closing date listed is 2029-03-12. The public listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided source data, so those details would need to be confirmed directly in the NOFO text or NIH budget tables if an applicant needs precise expectations around funding level or competition size.
Overall, PCACO (K12) is aimed at institutions that can credibly deliver a high-quality mentored oncology research training environment and that want to systematically develop clinicians into cancer-focused investigators. The defining compliance point for program design is ensuring that Scholar projects fit the clinical trial policy: no independent Scholar-led trials, but mentor-led trial participation and trial-related research experiences are explicitly allowed, making it a practical fit for institutions with active oncology research programs and robust mentorship capacity.Apply for PAR 27 025
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (K12 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.398.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-06-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2029-03-12.
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (PCACO) - K12 (PAR-27-025)
What is the PCACO (K12) program?
The Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (PCACO) is an NIH-funded K12 institutional career development program intended to grow the pipeline of clinician-scientists who will build long-term careers in clinical and translational cancer research. A U.S.-based institution applies for the K12 award and then uses the funding to recruit, train, and mentor Scholars (typically early-career clinician-investigators).
Is this an institutional award or an individual award?
This is an institutional K12 mechanism, not an individual fellowship. The applicant organization is responsible for designing the program structure and selecting Scholars in accordance with the NOFO.
Who applies for PAR-27-025: the institution or the Scholar?
The institution applies. The K12 is awarded to an eligible U.S.-based organization, which then recruits and supports Scholars through the institution-run program.
What is the overall goal of the program?
The program is designed to help clinicians transition from clinical training into productive research careers in oncology by providing protected time for research, strong mentorship, and a structured career development environment aimed at preparing Scholars to become independent cancer researchers.
What does the program emphasize for Scholar development?
Based on the provided description, the program is structured around protected research time, strong mentorship (including mentor or co-mentor involvement), and deliberate career development activities that build research skills, experience, and a trajectory toward independence in clinical and translational cancer research.
Are Scholars allowed to lead an independent clinical trial under this K12?
No. A key feature of this NOFO is a clinical trial restriction: Scholars are not permitted to propose or lead an independent clinical trial as part of their K12-supported activities. Scholars cannot be the person responsible for designing and running their own stand-alone clinical trial under this award.
Can Scholars still get clinical trial experience through the program?
Yes. Scholars may gain meaningful clinical trial experience when the clinical trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor. The NOFO allows Scholars to be embedded in an existing mentor-led clinical trial and contribute to trial-related research and translational questions.
What kinds of clinical trial activities can Scholars participate in (if mentor-led)?
Scholars can build competency in the clinical trial ecosystem through activities such as protocol development, regulatory considerations, recruitment, data collection, correlative science, and interpretation, as long as the trial leadership is held by a mentor or co-mentor rather than the Scholar independently.
Why does the NOFO restrict Scholar-led independent clinical trials?
The stated intent is to keep the K12 experience focused on mentored career development rather than independent trial leadership, while still ensuring Scholars receive real exposure to clinical research through mentor-led trials.
What type of grant is PAR-27-025?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is health.
What is the opportunity number for this NOFO?
The opportunity number is PAR-27-025.
What is the CFDA (Assistance Listing) number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.398.
Which organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include a broad range of U.S. domestic organizations, including public and private institutions of higher education; state and local governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; certain public housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as specified); and for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits, except where otherwise restricted by NIH policy).
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
No. Non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component as part of the application?
No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as components of the applicant organization.
Are any international elements allowed at all?
Yes, "foreign components" are allowed as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This generally means the program can include certain international elements (such as specific collaborations, resources, or research activities occurring outside the U.S.) when they meet NIH requirements and are properly justified, even though the applicant and the primary institutional base must remain domestic.
Does the public listing include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
Not in the provided source data. The public listing does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so those details would need to be confirmed directly in the NOFO text or NIH budget tables.
When was this opportunity created and what is the listed closing date?
The opportunity was created on 2026-06-03, and the original closing date listed is 2029-03-12.
What kind of institution is this program a practical fit for?
Based on the description, it is a practical fit for institutions that can credibly deliver a high-quality mentored oncology research training environment, have robust mentorship capacity, and have active oncology research programs where Scholars can participate in mentor-led clinical trials without serving as the independent trial leader.
What is the main compliance point institutions should design around?
The defining compliance point described is ensuring Scholar projects fit the clinical trial policy: no independent Scholar-led trials, but mentor-led trial participation and trial-related research experiences are explicitly allowed.
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