Community Networks Program (CNP) Centers for Reducing Cancer Disparities through Outreach, Research and Training (U54) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Community Networks Program (CNP) Centers for Reducing Cancer Disparities through Outreach, Research and Training (U54)?

This opportunity (RFA-CA-09-032) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement (U54) that supports Centers designed to reduce cancer disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups and other underserved populations. The program is organized around Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), where communities are active partners in shaping the work rather than passive recipients of health messaging.

What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?

The overall goal is to lessen cancer burden by improving cancer knowledge and, critically, improving real-world access to and use of effective biomedical and behavioral approaches across the full cancer continuum: prevention, early detection and screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.

What does CBPR mean in the context of this program?

CBPR (Community Based Participatory Research) means community stakeholders are expected to play a substantive role in identifying priorities, shaping culturally and contextually appropriate interventions, guiding recruitment and retention, interpreting findings, and supporting dissemination of results back to the community.

What types of activities must a proposed Center include?

A proposed Center is expected to blend outreach, research, and training into a coordinated effort aimed at clearly defined cancer disparities. The expectation is not that these elements run separately, but that they operate as an integrated Center strategy.

What is especially emphasized in this CNP funding announcement?

While education and outreach are important, this issuance places special weight on high-quality intervention research, including rigorous and controlled studies that can credibly test whether interventions work and can be scaled or adapted for broader impact.

Are observational or descriptive studies sufficient for this program?

Projects are expected to go beyond describing disparities or conducting purely observational work. The emphasis is on well-designed intervention trials or other controlled evaluations that can demonstrate measurable improvements in cancer-related behaviors, service utilization, or outcomes in the populations being served.

Who is the intended population focus for projects funded under this opportunity?

The focus is on reducing cancer disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups and other underserved populations.

What are the partnership expectations for applicants?

Competitiveness depends on demonstrating established partnerships between academic institution(s) and targeted community entities, including community-serving healthcare organizations. Community partners are expected to contribute substantially to Center design and implementation, consistent with CBPR principles.

Are letters of support from community partners enough?

The opportunity indicates community partners should not be limited to providing letters of support. Instead, they should contribute substantially to design and governance and help shape priorities and methods.

What does “shared governance” or “bidirectional decision-making” imply for a Center?

Strong proposals would typically show credible shared decision-making structures where community and academic partners jointly guide priorities, implementation decisions, and dissemination approaches, rather than a one-directional academic-led model.

What is the expected role of community-serving healthcare organizations?

Community-serving healthcare organizations are specifically referenced as part of the targeted community entities. Their involvement supports the program intent of improving access to and use of effective approaches across the cancer continuum and strengthening recruitment, retention, implementation, and dissemination in real-world settings.

Can an application propose a multi-site Center?

Yes. Applications may propose a multi-site Center with a Headquarters and additional locations in defined geographic areas.

What is the difference between a National Center and a Regional Center in this announcement?

A National Center includes a Headquarters site plus at least four additional sites. A Regional Center includes a Headquarters plus two to three additional sites.

Why does the program encourage a multi-site model?

The multi-site model is intended to support broader reach, allow comparisons across settings, and strengthen the evidence base by testing interventions in more than one community context.

What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?

This is a discretionary grant mechanism using a cooperative agreement (U54).

What does a cooperative agreement (U54) generally imply compared to a standard grant?

A U54 cooperative agreement typically implies a more collaborative relationship with NIH program staff than a standard grant, often including substantial NIH involvement in oversight, coordination, or technical assistance.

What is the estimated total funding amount for this opportunity?

The estimated total funding level listed is $23,570,000.

What is the award ceiling?

The award ceiling listed is $900,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

When was this opportunity posted and what were the key dates?

The opportunity was posted October 2, 2009. The application deadline was December 15, 2009. The opportunity was archived January 15, 2010.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligibility pool includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and government entities at multiple levels (city/township, county, state), as well as tribal governments and tribal organizations.

Are specific institution types explicitly encouraged or listed as eligible?

Yes. The announcement explicitly notes additional eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, faith-based and community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, and certain eligible federal agencies.

Can a for-profit organization apply?

Yes, for-profit organizations are eligible, with the stated exception of small businesses.

What makes an application competitive based on the information provided?

Based on the description, competitive applications would demonstrate: (1) established academic-community partnerships with substantial community partner roles; (2) an integrated Center model combining outreach, research, and training; (3) a strong emphasis on rigorous intervention research with controlled evaluation; and (4) an appropriate multi-site structure (Headquarters plus additional sites) aligned with either the National or Regional Center definition.

What types of outcomes is NIH looking for from intervention research?

The program emphasizes interventions that can demonstrate measurable improvements in cancer-related behaviors, service utilization, or outcomes in the populations being served.

What does “across the full cancer continuum” include?

It includes prevention, early detection and screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.

Does the opportunity require capacity-building components?

The description indicates strong proposals would include credible plans for building local capacity through training and infrastructure development, consistent with CBPR and the Center-based model.