Limited Competition: Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN; UM1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Background
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is inviting competing continuation applications for cooperative agreement awards from current recipients of the NCI-supported Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN). The CHTN is designed to collect and distribute high-quality human tissue specimens to facilitate basic and translational cancer research. It has provided over 1,350,000 malignant, benign, diseased, and uninvolved high-quality human tissue specimens from a wide variety of organ sites to over four thousand investigators since its establishment by the NCI in 1987.

Grant Details
The major focus of this cooperative biospecimen collection and distribution network will be to continue and improve access to high-quality human tumor tissue with associated histopathologic and demographic data. The Network will provide tumor specimens from a wide variety of cancers, including rare tumor types.

Normal, malignant, and benign human tissue specimens will be collected as well to meet researcher requests. Biospecimens will be excess materials collected during routine medical care or at autopsy. The Network does not generally function as a tumor bank, but it may store biospecimens pending the completion of shipments and may bank rare tumors that would not otherwise be available.

Pre-malignant lesions, when available, can also be stored for future distribution to facilitate early detection research.

Eligibility Requirements
This is a limited competition NOFO. Only current recipients of the NCI-supported Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) are eligible to apply.

Period of Performance
The project period for all applicants must be 5 years.

Grant Value
$6.2 million in FY 2024 to fund six awards. Budget requests must not exceed $800,000 in direct costs per year.