Program Project (P01) Grant Development Guidance for Investigators Interested in DCTD Research Areas

The goal of this guidance is to help investigators navigate through the P01 (Program Project Grant) pre-application process in the cancer research areas that DCTD supports.

See information about Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) Programs with P01 activity:

• Cancer Diagnosis Program (CDP)
• Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP)
• Radiation Research Program (RRP)
• Cancer Imaging Program (CIP)
• Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP)
• Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) 

P01s support broadly based, multidisciplinary, often long-term research programs that have a specific major objective. The P01 contains multiple components and projects packaged in one application, consisting of:

• Research projects (a minimum of 3) that share a central theme, focus, and/or overall objective
• An Administrative Core
• Research Support Cores (as needed)

While each project can stand on its own scientific merit, they must complement or interact with one another. These projects are the building blocks of a highly integrated grant. They support a common theme or scientific objective rather than the individual components.

In addition, P01s have the following features:

• Involve organized efforts of relatively large groups, whose members conduct research projects designed to:
  • elucidate various aspects or components of the objective
  • advance the field
• Directed toward a range of problems having a central focus (in contrast to the narrow plan of a traditional R01).
• Usually have an established investigator (Project Leader) to lead each research project.
• Have individual projects that are clearly interrelated and synergistic (inform the other) so that the research ideas, efforts, and outcomes of the program will collectively offer a distinct advantage over pursuing individual projects separately.

• The page limit and details for preparing P01 applications are found in the NCI Program Project Applications funding announcement (PAR-23-059).
• Investigators should:
  • Submit P01 applications through the NCI Program Project Applications funding announcement (PAR-23-059).
  • Follow the NIH How to Apply - Application Guide.
  • Schedule a pre-submission meeting with the DCTD program of interest (strongly encouraged for principal investigators (PIs) submitting a new P01 application or planning a renewal/continuation of an existing P01).

Please Note: Funding decisions are based on the peer review impact score, programmatic priorities, and the availability of NCI funds.

DCTD recommends that applicants schedule a pre-submission meeting with NCI Program staff 3-6 months prior to the anticipated receipt date (Jan 25, May 25, and Sept 25; see Standard Receipt Dates).
The purpose of this meeting is to:

• Discuss the P01 idea
• Receive feedback from NCI staff on the structure of the proposal, aspects that might raise concern with reviewers, and common flaws in P01 applications

NOTE: Feedback provided to the investigators does not constitute a formal NCI review, and the PI should consider any recommendations to be suggestions. NCI staff will not suggest specific experiments or guide the research in any way. The investigators determine which suggestion(s) to incorporate into their application.

Participants include:

• Investigators
• DCTD program staff
• Representative from the NCI's Division of Extramural Activities (DEA)

Items to Submit (10 working days prior to the pre-submission meeting):

• Brief executive summary (4-5 pages max) of the overall program that includes:
  • Planned coordination and collaboration reflecting interaction and synergy, and hypothesis
  • How the P01 Project will be integrated to enable sharing of data and results across projects for greater productivity and scientific progress
  • Abstracts and Specific Aims of each project
  • A short description of each core with role(s)
  • Investigators' names, affiliations, and emails
  • Investigators' history of working together
• Proposed Budget: A description of the budget costs reflecting the Program Project's goals and research.
• Target submission date

DCTD recommends that  investigators consider the following timeline for preparing and submitting a P01 application.

As of December 3, 2025, NIH no longer requires applicants to submit a LOI or a request from the funding institution for budgets of $500,000 or more in direct costs (excluding consortium F&A costs) before application submission (NIH-OD-26-019). 

NCI staff will support P01 investigators by providing guidance on the pre-application development process as follows:

• Schedule a pre-submission meeting 3-6 months prior to the anticipated receipt date
• Review pre-submission material and the PI's budget summary prior to the meeting and provide feedback at the pre-submission meeting
• Suggest ways to improve the procedural part of the application during the Q&A session at the pre-submission meeting

If you have questions about the information provided on this page, please contact Dr. Aniruddha Ganguly (Cancer Diagnosis Program, DCTD). For questions about a potential submission, or to set up a pre-submission meeting, please contact a Program Officer (PO) in the Program that aligns with your proposed research project. PO contact information is available, by program, from the Staff Directory page.