NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Community Sites (UG1 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA CA 18 016

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 18 016

The NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Community Sites funding opportunity (RFA-CA-18-016) is a National Cancer Institute cooperative agreement (UG1) meant to support institutions and organizations that can function as community-based clinical research hubs. The central purpose is to expand the reach of NCI-supported research beyond large academic cancer centers and into real-world community settings where many patients actually receive care. Under this program, selected awardees serve as "Community Sites" within the broader NCORP network and are expected to enroll, or accrue, a diverse mix of patients and participants into NCI-approved studies. Because the mechanism is a cooperative agreement, recipients do not operate in isolation; they work closely with NCI and NCORP leadership, following program standards and participating in coordinated network activities.

NCORP itself is described as a community-based research network that designs and conducts clinical trials and other human subjects studies across the cancer continuum. The research portfolio emphasized in this announcement includes cancer control, prevention, screening, and care delivery research, along with quality-of-life studies that may be embedded within treatment trials. A key theme is practical, patient-centered research that can be conducted where patients live and receive routine care, improving both the relevance of findings and the ability to translate results into everyday practice. In addition to these non-treatment domains, NCORP Community Sites also help broaden access to treatment and imaging trials conducted through the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), which is the NCI-supported national system for large, multi-site oncology treatment trials.

A major priority of the opportunity is equitable participation and intentional inclusion of populations that have historically been underrepresented in clinical research. The FOA highlights the need to incorporate the needs of children, adolescents and young adults (AYAs), and older adults, as well as racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, and rural residents. Community Sites are expected not only to enroll participants from these groups, but also to take concrete steps that enhance participation, which implies having recruitment strategies, community partnerships, culturally competent processes, and operational practices that reduce barriers to enrollment and retention. Another explicit emphasis is integrating cancer disparities research within the community network, meaning the program is not only focused on who gets enrolled, but also on generating knowledge about disparities and testing interventions that can narrow gaps in prevention, care delivery, outcomes, and survivorship.

Structurally, this FOA covers only one part of a three-part NCORP ecosystem. NCORP is organized into (1) NCORP Research Bases, which design and lead studies; (2) NCORP Community Sites, which are the primary community enrollment and implementation arm covered here; and (3) NCORP Minority/Underserved Community Sites, which are supported under a separate FOA and are tailored to communities with substantial minority and underserved populations. Under this Community Sites announcement, the role is largely to implement and accrue participants to studies that are designed by NCORP Research Bases, as well as to enroll patients onto appropriate NCTN treatment and imaging trials. In practice, this means Community Sites must maintain the staff, regulatory readiness, clinical workflow integration, and data quality capabilities required to open trials, consent participants, deliver protocol-directed care or interventions, and report study data reliably.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations capable of operating clinical research programs in community settings. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities as permitted by the FOA’s additional eligibility language. The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Cancer Institute. The FOA anticipated about 40 awards. An "Award Ceiling" value is shown as 0 in the provided data, which typically indicates the ceiling was not specified in that summary field rather than implying no funding; applicants generally must consult the full FOA text for budget expectations, allowable costs, and any limits or justifications required.

Finally, the timing details in the provided record show the opportunity was created on June 13, 2018, with an original closing date of August 31, 2018. Overall, the announcement is aimed at building and sustaining a nationwide community-based oncology research infrastructure that can run high-quality, NCI-aligned studies, increase access to trials and evidence generation in everyday care settings, and directly address participation gaps and cancer disparities through intentional, network-driven community research.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Community Sites (UG1 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 13, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
• 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RFA CA 18 016

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