The Tumor Microenvironment initiative focuses on expanding our understanding of the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer initiation, progression and metastases. Through this initiative, NCI intends to generate a more comprehensive understanding of the composition of the stroma in normal tissues, with the goal of delineating the mechanisms of tumor-stromal interactions in human cancer.

Ten funded programs form the Tumor Microenvironment Network (TMEN), an infrastructure intended to establish repositories of critical reagents, resources and information as well as promote and facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations and progress in understanding the role of host stroma in tumorigenesis.

New visitors are encouraged to visit About TMEN to learn more about the initiative and network.

TMEN Collaborative Research Funding Opportunity

The funding opportunity "Collaborative Research in Integrative Cancer Biology and the Tumor Microenvironment" will encourage new collaborative projects between investigators associated with the Integrative Cancer Biology Program (ICBP) or Tumor Microenvironment Network (TMEN) and researchers who are not involved in either of these two programs. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed to facilitate new projects in integrative cancer biology and/or tumor microenvironment research and to extend current research conducted in the ICBP and TMEN programs through collaborations with a broader research community. Research projects proposed in response to this FOA should be collaborative and aligned with the missions of the ICBP or TMEN programs. Projects must propose one TMEN or ICBP affiliated PI and one PI not currently affiliated with the program. In addition to proposing new research, these projects should leverage the resources and expertise currently available within the ICBP and TMEN communities, in order to extend and enhance the program with new ideas, methods, expertise and resources.