← Back to search

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health

21st Century Cures Act - Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot

Federal program · program number 93.353 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · also called “moonshot”

Key facts

Open now
2 grants
Type of help
Project grant
Typical award
Range: $226,154 to $3,109,346 Average $1,162,016

Open now

What it pays for

To provide support for initiatives funded under the 21st Century Cures Act to support cancer research, such as the development of cancer vaccines, the development of more sensitive diagnostic tests for cancer, immunotherapy and the development of combination therapies, and research that has the potential to transform the scientific field, that has inherently higher risk, and that seeks to address major challenges related to cancer.

Who can apply

The awardee will be a university, college, hospital, public agency, nonprofit research institution or for-profit organization that applies and receives a grant for support of research by a named principal investigator. To be eligible for funding, a grant application must be approved for scientific merit and program relevance by a scientific review group and a national advisory council.

How applications are judged

Funding decisions are based on scientific merit (42 CFR 52h) and program relevance. Scientific merit review encompasses: the peer review criteria detailed in the specific funding announcement, as well as the significance, approach, and innovation of the proposed research; the competency of the principal investigator; the adequacy of the resources and environment; the proposed budget and requested period of support; and, where applicable, the adequacy of the measures for protecting against adverse effects upon humans, animals, or the environment.

Match

None required (federal program listing).

Who in Tennessee has won this program

12 awards to Tennessee groups since 1997 · 0 in Hamilton County. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winnerWhereAmountFiscal year
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$130.1M1997
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$12.2M2018
St Jude Children's Research Hospital IncMemphis, Shelby County$10.5M2019
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$5.4M2019
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$5.2M2024
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$4M2020
St Jude Children's Research Hospital IncMemphis, Shelby County$3.2M2023
University of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby County$3.2M2020
St Jude Children's Research Hospital IncMemphis, Shelby County$2.8M2023
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Inc.Memphis, Shelby County$1.5M spent that year2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$743K spent that year2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville$627K spent that year2025

Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization

This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 22 pass-through grants on file · 0 in Hamilton County. Largest shown:

Tennessee pass-through grant winners
Past winnerWhereThroughAmountFiscal year
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University$714K2026
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyThe Univeristy of Texas M.d. Anderson Cancer Center$334K2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleVumc$292K spent that year2024
Baptist Memorial Health Care CorporationMemphis, Shelby CountyDana-Farber Cancer Institute$233K spent that year2023
Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, Davidson CountyVumc$210K spent that year2023
Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University Medical Center$202K2024
Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University Medical Center$202K2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University$178K2025
Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University Medical Center$173K spent that year2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyWashington University, the$147K2026
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University$119K spent that year2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyVanderbilt University Medical Center$119K2026

Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).

Official program listing (SAM.gov) Program website