Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) for NCI-designated Cancer Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers the Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) to support NCI-designated Cancer Centers through a reissue of FOA PAR-20-043. This funding opportunity supports three distinct types of centers: Comprehensive, Clinical, and Basic Cancer Centers. Each type is required to demonstrate cancer research strength in specific domains—ranging from basic laboratory work to clinical and population-based studies—with Comprehensive Centers requiring excellence in all three areas. The CCSG funding mechanism is aimed at fostering a collaborative and transdisciplinary research environment that enhances discovery and accelerates the translation of scientific knowledge into clinical applications. The CCSG program provides support for key structural elements of a Cancer Center’s research infrastructure. These include formal research programs, centralized shared resources, strategic planning and evaluation, developmental funding for new or underserved scientific areas, community engagement, coordination of training and education, and centralized management of cancer clinical trials. While CCSGs do not fund all Center activities directly, they play a vital role in aligning institutional research capabilities and improving public health outcomes. Funded Cancer Centers are expected to contribute significantly to the broader cancer research ecosystem, collaborating with other NCI-funded programs and disseminating findings to diverse communities. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based entities, including public and private higher education institutions, state and local governments, tribal organizations, nonprofits, and others. New applicants must demonstrate a minimum level of NIH cancer-focused funding to qualify, and foreign institutions are ineligible. Renewal applications may include formal consortia, subject to rigorous requirements including institutional integration and shared governance. The FOA allows for optional inclusion of clinical trials, with application budgets uncapped but required to be fully justified. Applications follow a multi-project format and must adhere strictly to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, as well as FOA-specific requirements. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis according to standard NIH dates, with the first eligible submission date having been January 25, 2022. Applications must be submitted through NIH ASSIST or an approved system-to-system solution. While no letter of intent is required, all application components and data tables must be carefully prepared, including documentation of research programs, shared resources, and clinical trials. The performance period is five years, with the possibility of a two-year extension based on exceptional merit and sustained progress. Applications are evaluated by peer review panels on criteria including scientific merit, institutional commitment, research integration, and leadership quality. As of April 2025, the Plan to Enhance Diversity (PED) core is no longer required and will not be reviewed if included. Other recent changes affecting submission procedures and requirements are outlined in related NIH notices. The current opportunity is valid through January 8, 2026.

Ensure consortia are fully integrated before applying; do not include PED core; adhere strictly to FORMS-H; use correct page limits and NIH data table formats.