Understanding Expectancies in Cancer Symptom Management (R01 Clinical Trial Required)

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has reissued a funding opportunity titled "Understanding Expectancies in Cancer Symptom Management (R01 Clinical Trial Required)", identified by the Funding Opportunity Number PAR-25-254. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports mechanistic research to understand expectancy effects in a cancer care context. Expectancies are beliefs about future outcomes that may be influenced by psychological, social, environmental, or systemic factors. The NOFO aims to explore how these beliefs affect cognitive, behavioral, and biological responses related to cancer symptom management, with a particular interest in underserved populations. The primary objective of this funding opportunity is to reduce cancer-related morbidity, mortality, and improve the quality of life for cancer survivors. The initiative encourages research that identifies mechanisms and moderators of expectancy effects and develops interventions to harness these effects to enhance symptom management outcomes. Applications must utilize the experimental medicine approach and focus on clearly defined patient populations and cancer care contexts. This includes identifying expectancy-generating factors, assessing validated expectancy measures, and linking these to symptom outcomes. The funding supports research that is deeply rooted in behavioral science and necessitates interdisciplinary collaboration among oncology specialists, psychological scientists, and disparities researchers. Applicants are expected to include validated, multilevel measurements of expectancy and symptom outcomes, and to consider disparities in symptom burden among populations historically excluded or underrepresented in biomedical research. Projects must also plan for ethical, non-deceptive methods to explore expectancy interventions. Eligibility for this opportunity includes a wide array of applicants: higher education institutions (both public and private), nonprofit and for-profit organizations, various levels of government (state, local, tribal), school districts, housing authorities, regional organizations, and foreign entities. Applications must adhere to NIH application standards, including SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov registrations. Although a letter of intent is not required, it is encouraged to help NIH estimate review workloads. The application must follow the NIH R01 guidelines and use standard forms via ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions. Applicants must provide detailed descriptions of their methodological approach, emphasizing innovation, significance, and the feasibility of translating research to clinical contexts. Review criteria will evaluate the scientific merit based on three primary factors: Importance of the Research, Rigor and Feasibility, and Expertise and Resources. Key deadlines are aligned with NIH standard submission dates for R01 opportunities: February 5, June 5, and October 5 annually through February 2026. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM local time. The funding amount is not capped, but budgets must match the scope of proposed work. The maximum project period is five years, and applicants requesting over $500,000 in direct costs must consult NIH program staff beforehand. Grantees must attend annual NIH meetings and comply with NIH data sharing and research ethics policies.