New Informatics Tools and Methods to Enhance U.S. Cancer Surveillance Research (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 20 170

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 170

New Informatics Tools and Methods to Enhance U.S. Cancer Surveillance Research (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement funding opportunity (PAR-20-170) focused on strengthening the nation s cancer surveillance system by modernizing how cancer registry data are collected, integrated, and expanded. The core aim is to advance surveillance science by backing practical, innovative informatics tools and methods that help population-based cancer registries capture information more efficiently and with better detail, accuracy, and timeliness. The emphasis is not just on research in the abstract, but on building or improving real-world registry infrastructure so the resulting data are more useful for high-quality cancer research across the U.S.

The FOA specifically supports projects that develop, adapt, apply, scale up, and validate tools and methods that improve cancer registry operations and outputs. In plain terms, the work should make it easier for registries to gather core cancer data and to bring in additional data elements that are increasingly important for modern cancer research. That can include better approaches for data collection workflows, improved integration of data from multiple sources, and methods that increase the breadth of what registries can reliably capture. A key expectation is that the proposed tools or methods will be tested and validated in ways that demonstrate they can work in practice, at scale, within registry environments, rather than remaining as small pilot concepts.

A central requirement is partnership with U.S. population-based central cancer registries, and the partnership must involve at least two different registries. This means applicants need to build proposals around active collaboration with multiple registries to ensure the tools and methods are relevant, implementable, and generalizable across more than one setting. The partnership requirement also signals that NIH is looking for projects that can move the field forward broadly, not solutions tailored to a single registry s unique constraints. Because the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement (U01), recipients should expect substantial involvement from the funding agency during the project, with closer coordination and shared stewardship than is typical for a standard research grant.

The opportunity is categorized under the broad activity areas of education and health, and it is associated with CFDA numbers 93.394, 93.395, and 93.399. The closing date listed for the opportunity is 2023-06-06, and the FOA record shows a creation date of 2020-04-15. While the excerpt does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the intent is clearly oriented toward enabling registry-focused informatics advancements that can materially improve the national cancer surveillance enterprise.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear limits related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations and foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, the FOA notes that foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, which typically means certain project elements may involve foreign collaboration or resources under NIH rules even though the applicant organization itself must be eligible and U.S.-based.

Overall, this FOA is aimed at teams that can combine informatics, cancer surveillance expertise, and strong multi-registry partnerships to deliver tools and methods that materially upgrade the cancer registry ecosystem. The intended payoff is better registry infrastructure and richer, more integrated registry data that can support more timely and rigorous cancer surveillance and research across the United States.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New Informatics Tools and Methods to Enhance U.S. Cancer Surveillance Research (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394, 93.395, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-04-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-06-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for PAR 20 170

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