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

The NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award (R50 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a forecasted federal funding opportunity issued by the National Institutes of Health through the National Cancer Institute for Fiscal Year 2027. The opportunity is intended to support exceptional clinician scientists who play critical operational and leadership roles within NCI-funded clinical trials research networks but who are not serving as principal investigators on research project grants. The award is specifically designed to strengthen the national cancer clinical trials infrastructure by providing stable career support for clinician scientists whose work is essential to the continuity and quality of clinical research activities. The opportunity recognizes that these professionals contribute substantially to clinical trial development, implementation, and national scientific service functions that are necessary for sustaining the NCI-funded cancer clinical trials enterprise. The Research Specialist Award mechanism focuses on clinician scientists who contribute leadership in the development of national clinical trials, implementation of NCI clinical trials at their institutions, and participation in scientific review committees, monitoring committees, and related national service activities connected to NCI clinical trials networks. The NOFO emphasizes that recipients are expected to remain engaged in collaborative clinical research activities rather than pursuing independent principal investigator-led research programs. The award is intended to provide salary support and professional stability so that highly skilled clinician scientists are not solely dependent on the grant funding of other investigators or temporary institutional support. Through this mechanism, the National Cancer Institute aims to preserve institutional expertise and maintain continuity across cancer clinical trials operations. The opportunity is categorized under Health funding activities and aligns with multiple Assistance Listings related to cancer biology, cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, control, research manpower, and cancer centers support. The program is expected to make approximately 18 awards. Although the forecast notice does not specify award ceilings, award floors, total program funding, or project period length, the opportunity indicates an estimated award date and project start date of July 1, 2027. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching contributions from applicants. Funding instrument type is listed as a grant. Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity, meaning applicants may support clinical trials infrastructure and operations but may not independently conduct a clinical trial through the award mechanism itself. Eligibility for the program is broad and inclusive. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, public and private institutions of higher education, county governments, city or township governments, state governments, special district governments, independent school districts, small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, Native American tribal governments and organizations, public housing authorities, faith-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, eligible federal agencies, and non-domestic foreign institutions. The broad eligibility language indicates that the opportunity is national in scope and open to a wide range of domestic and international institutional applicants capable of supporting clinician scientists participating in NCI clinical trials networks. The notice also references additional eligibility clarification in supplemental information sections for specialized applicant categories. The forecast notice indicates that the estimated posting date for the full opportunity announcement is August 25, 2026, with an estimated application due date of November 2, 2026. Because the notice is currently forecasted, applications are not yet open for submission. No pre-application requirements such as letters of intent, concept papers, or preliminary proposals are identified in the forecast notice. The opportunity is therefore currently in an early engagement phase intended to provide advance awareness to potential applicants before release of the complete NOFO. The notice does not identify recurring annual issuance; however, the use of a PAR-series announcement and NIH program structure suggests that future cycles may occur, although recurrence is not explicitly confirmed in the source material. The agency contact identified in the notice is the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials at the National Cancer Institute. Applicants are instructed to contact the program through the NCI R50 mailbox via email. No direct phone number or named individual contact is provided in the forecast announcement. The notice does not include a downloadable PDF link, detailed review criteria, application forms, or submission component requirements at this stage. Additional application instructions, required forms, review considerations, budget guidance, and submission procedures are expected to be released with the full NOFO publication on or around August 25, 2026. Applicants interested in participating should monitor Grants.gov and National Cancer Institute funding announcements for the final published opportunity and associated submission materials.

Emphasize sustained leadership in NCI-funded clinical trials networks institutional implementation capabilities and national scientific service contributions.