NCI Cancer Screening Research Network: ACCrual, Enrollment, and Screening Sites (ACCESS) Hub (UG1 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA CA 23 020

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 23 020

The NCI Cancer Screening Research Network: ACCrual, Enrollment, and Screening Sites (ACCESS) Hub (UG1 Clinical Trial Required) funding opportunity (RFA-CA-23-020) is a National Cancer Institute cooperative agreement meant to build practical, on-the-ground infrastructure for running large, multi-center cancer screening clinical trials and related studies. It is one of three coordinated FOAs that together form the Cancer Screening Research Network (CSRN), an initiative designed to make it easier to launch and execute national screening research by relying on real-world healthcare settings and routine care populations. The core idea is to strengthen the country s ability to enroll and follow large and diverse groups of participants so researchers can rigorously evaluate screening approaches, improve early detection, and ultimately reduce cancer incidence as well as cancer-related illness and deaths.

The ACCESS Hub concept focuses on the parts of screening research that often determine whether a trial succeeds or fails: accrual and enrollment of participants, and the availability and performance of screening sites. In practice, this means creating or expanding a network of clinical and community-connected sites that can identify eligible participants, support informed consent, deliver screening interventions or procedures, and collect high-quality data in a consistent way across locations. Because this is a UG1 cooperative agreement, the work is expected to be done in close partnership with NCI, with substantial programmatic involvement from the funder to coordinate activities across the broader CSRN and to ensure that trials are implemented efficiently and with consistent standards.

The CSRN is explicitly designed to take advantage of large, heterogeneous populations who are already receiving routine care across many types of healthcare environments. That emphasis reflects a push toward studies that are more representative of the U.S. population and that can be carried out in settings where screening actually happens, rather than only in highly specialized research centers. The network is intended to support studies that test and compare cancer screening strategies, including evaluation of emerging screening modalities, with the overall goal of improving the effectiveness, reach, and equity of cancer screening. By creating a durable infrastructure for multi-center work, the program aims to shorten the time it takes to initiate trials, increase enrollment capacity, and improve the reliability and generalizability of results.

Eligible applicants are broad and include many types of public and private organizations. Standard eligibility categories listed 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant types that align with the goal of reaching diverse populations and community-based care settings, 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as applicants, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based awardee could potentially include certain foreign activities or collaborations if they meet NIH policy definitions and are justified within the project.

Administratively, the opportunity is issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under CFDA numbers 93.393, 93.394, and 93.399, and it falls under the education and health funding activity category. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, reflecting a model where NCI is actively involved in the conduct and coordination of the program rather than acting solely as a passive funder. The original application due date listed is February 28, 2023, and the award ceiling shown is $750,000. Overall, the ACCESS Hub FOA is best understood as an infrastructure-building award focused on participant accrual and screening site readiness so that the CSRN can reliably conduct national, multi-site cancer screening trials that are faster to launch, more diverse in enrollment, and better positioned to test both established and emerging screening approaches.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Cancer Screening Research Network: ACCrual, Enrollment, and Screening Sites (ACCESS) Hub (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, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-11-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-02-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA CA 23 020

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