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Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs)

In 1992, the NCI established the Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE). Each SPORE focuses on a specific organ site, such as breast or lung cancer, or on a group of highly related cancers, such as gastrointestinal cancers. SPOREs are designed to enable the rapid and efficient movement of basic scientific findings into clinical settings, as well as to determine the biological basis for observations made in individuals with cancer or in populations at risk for cancer. Total funding shown represents the SPORE program using relevant P50s, P20s, and co-funded grants external to NCI.

The Translational Research Program (TRP) is the home of the SPOREs, a cornerstone of NCI’s efforts to promote collaborative, interdisciplinary translational cancer research. SPORE grants involve both basic and clinical/applied scientists, and support projects that will result in new and diverse approaches to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of human cancers. For more information on these SPORE grants and organ sites, please visit the Translational Research Program.

The NCI Funded Research Portfolio (NFRP) web site contains additional information about the SPORE grants listed below that have been funded by NCI. The NFRP provides access to various NCI budget reports that contain information about research funding according to specific research categories. For more detailed information on all SPORE grants, please visit the NCI Funded Research Portfolio.

Download the Data

FY 2021 Funding for SPORE Grants
(Whole Dollars)
Mechanism Site Amount
P50 & P20 SPOREs Bladder 2,138,532
Brain 12,605,338
Breast 11,987,567
Cervical 1,668,414
Epigenetic 2,269,729
Gastrointestinal  2,273,000
GI  9,645,663
Head and Neck 1,640,453
Head and Neck, GI 1,125,482
Hyperactive RAS 2,198,683
Kidney 2,272,484
Leukemia 9,338,627
Liver 5,353,668
Lung 10,576,724
Lung, GI, Breast, H&N 1,067,994
Lymphoma 6,756,476
Multiple Myeloma 4,348,414
Neuroendocrine 500,000
Ovarian 9,734,411
Ovarian, Endometrial  1,023,100
Prostate 9,823,748
Sarcoma 2,126,450
Skin 10,939,837
  Total P50 SPOREs $121,414,794
Co-funded Head & Neck $575,000
  Total Co-funded $575,000
Total Number of SPOREs, Total SPORE Funding $121,989,794
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