Perception and Cognition Research to Inform Cancer Image Interpretation (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 640

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 640

This grant opportunity, titled "Perception and Cognition Research to Inform Cancer Image Interpretation (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)," is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement designed to support research that explains how people interpret cancer-related medical images and how those human factors affect diagnostic performance. The central goal is to improve the accuracy of cancer detection and diagnosis by studying the perceptual and cognitive processes involved when image observers, especially professionals in radiology and pathology, review and interpret images. In practical terms, the FOA is interested in research that digs into how clinicians see, attend to, recognize, remember, judge, and decide based on visual information in cancer imaging, and how those processes can be improved to reduce missed cancers, false alarms, and other interpretive errors.

The announcement uses the R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for full-scale, hypothesis-driven research projects rather than small pilots. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation indicates that applicants may propose a study that includes a clinical trial if it fits the scientific aims, but a clinical trial is not required. This flexibility allows projects ranging from foundational cognitive and perceptual studies (for example, experiments on visual search, pattern recognition, or decision thresholds in image reading) to applied evaluations that test interventions, training methods, workflow changes, or decision-support approaches aimed at improving observer performance in real or simulated clinical contexts.

The scientific scope centers on the human observer as a key component of cancer image interpretation. That includes radiology (such as screening or diagnostic imaging where subtle lesions must be detected and characterized) and pathology (such as microscopic slide interpretation where cellular features must be recognized and classified). The underlying idea is that even with high-quality imaging technologies, the final diagnostic outcome still depends heavily on how the observer perceives and interprets the visual data. By funding research into these mechanisms, NIH is encouraging projects that could lead to evidence-based strategies for improving interpretation, potentially through better training, optimized presentation of images, improved interfaces, reduced cognitive bias, better management of fatigue and workload, and other methods that directly target how people process visual and diagnostic information.

From an eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is broadly open across the usual spectrum of U.S. and certain non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying in that category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types as well, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal government agencies, regional organizations, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth signals an intent to encourage wide participation and to support research capacity across diverse institutional settings.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant under NIH, with an original closing date of September 26, 2019, and a creation date of February 7, 2018. It is associated with CFDA numbers 93.286, 93.394, and 93.395, which correspond to NIH program areas related to cancer research and related health research activities. While the provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the use of an NIH R01 mechanism generally implies competitive, peer-reviewed awards sized to the needs of the proposed project and consistent with NIH policies and institute-specific budget norms.

Overall, the FOA is aimed at advancing cancer diagnosis by funding rigorous research on the human side of image interpretation: how observers perceive and think, why errors happen, and what interventions can measurably improve accuracy and reliability in radiology and pathology image reading. The expected impact is better-informed approaches to training, tools, and workflows that support clinicians and ultimately improve patient outcomes through earlier and more accurate cancer detection and diagnosis.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Perception and Cognition Research to Inform Cancer Image Interpretation (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.286, 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-02-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for PAR 18 640

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: