The program, first released in October 2002, seeks to fund exploratory research to evaluate new molecular or cellular characteristics of pre-malignant cells or tumors or to develop assays that will be useful for cancer detection, diagnosis, or prognosis. It is sponsored by the NCI's Cancer Diagnosis Program, the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, and the Cancer Biomarkers Research Group.
Funding will be available through the R21 award mechanism, which allows up to $275,000 in direct costs over two years. The total amount awarded and number of awards are not predetermined.