Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Cancer Health Disparities and Minority Health (CHD-MH) (U54 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 24 020

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the CHD-MH SPORE program?

The Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Cancer Health Disparities and Minority Health (CHD-MH) program is an NIH funding opportunity that supports large, team-based cancer research centers focused on moving discoveries toward real-world impact in historically underserved populations. It is designed to build a coordinated network of centers working on translational cancer research with a direct emphasis on reducing cancer inequities.

What does SPORE mean in this context?

SPORE refers to a research model known for emphasizing translational research. In practice, this means projects are expected to be positioned along a pipeline that can include mechanistic understanding, biomarker development, prevention strategies, improvements in diagnosis, treatment approaches, and implementation efforts that can be applied in real-world settings.

What makes this SPORE initiative different from other SPORE opportunities?

This initiative explicitly requires that the science be centered on cancer health disparities and/or minority health. It must directly support the development of novel, cancer-relevant interventions for people with cancer or people at elevated risk for cancer in underserved communities, rather than treating equity as an add-on.

What is the main goal of the CHD-MH SPORE program?

The goal is to drive actionable advances that reduce inequities in cancer burden. This includes inequities reflected in incidence, stage at diagnosis, access to quality care, response to therapy, survivorship outcomes, or mortality. The intent is not only to generate knowledge, but to produce results that can lead to measurable improvements for underserved populations.

What kind of research does the program expect to support?

The program supports translational cancer research that can move from laboratory and early clinical insights toward interventions and approaches with real-world impact. Examples described in the opportunity include work that addresses structural barriers to screening or treatment, improves diagnostic pathways, tests novel therapeutics or supportive care approaches in populations underrepresented in research, or develops prevention strategies for high-risk groups.

Do proposed projects need to include a clinical trial?

No. The notice is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which means applicants may propose studies that do or do not include clinical trials, depending on what fits their translational aims.

What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?

This opportunity is offered as a U54 cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement generally involves substantial NIH programmatic involvement compared to a typical research project grant.

What does "cooperative agreement" mean for applicants?

Because this is a U54 cooperative agreement, applicants should expect structured coordination, NIH input on the overall network direction, and an emphasis on collaboration across institutions and disciplines.

Is this program intended for individual investigators or team-based centers?

It is designed for large, team-based cancer research centers and encourages multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional teams. The opportunity is framed around building a coordinated network of centers rather than supporting isolated projects.

Why does the program emphasize multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional teams?

Disparity-focused cancer research often requires integrated expertise to address biological, clinical, behavioral, structural, and implementation challenges. The opportunity notes that competitive SPORE-style applications typically draw on multiple fields and encourages collaboration across institutions and disciplines.

What disciplines or areas of expertise are commonly relevant for competitive applications?

The opportunity notes that competitive teams often include expertise in oncology, epidemiology, behavioral science, implementation science, biostatistics, genomics, health services research, community engagement, and clinical specialties, among others.

How should health equity considerations be integrated into the research?

In the CHD-MH context, the translational pipeline is expected to be designed with underserved populations in mind from the start, rather than adding equity considerations later. This includes ensuring interventions and research outputs are relevant and tailored to the needs and realities of underserved communities.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. The opportunity permits for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses, as well as other applicant types noted by NIH.

Are minority-serving institutions specifically encouraged or included?

Yes. The announcement highlights inclusion of institution types often central to minority health work, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs).

Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations are explicitly listed as eligible applicants, reflecting the importance of trusted local partners for recruitment, intervention delivery, and sustained impact.

Can a non-U.S. organization apply as the main applicant?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply.

Is any international participation allowed?

Yes, in a limited way. "Foreign components" (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed when they are scientifically necessary and compliant with NIH policy, even though the main applicant organization must be domestic.

Are U.S. territories or regional organizations included in eligibility?

Yes. The announcement notes eligibility for U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations.

What is the funding opportunity number for this announcement?

The funding opportunity number is RFA-CA-24-020.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.395.

Which agency is sponsoring the opportunity?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What is the activity category and instrument type?

The activity category is listed as Education/Health, and the instrument type is a cooperative agreement (U54).

What is the application closing date provided in the notice?

The original closing date listed is 2024-09-26.

What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is shown as $1,600,000. This indicates the upper limit noted in the announcement and suggests applicants should propose a scope that is credible and achievable within that budget framework while meeting SPORE expectations for integrated translational work.

When was this announcement created?

The announcement creation date is 2024-03-27, placing it in the FY2024 cycle of NIH cancer funding opportunities.

What types of cancer inequities does the program aim to address?

The program’s stated focus includes inequities in incidence, stage at diagnosis, access to quality care, response to therapy, survivorship outcomes, and mortality.

What does "moving discoveries toward real-world impact" mean in this funding opportunity?

It refers to research that does not stop at generating findings, but is structured to support interventions and approaches that can be tested, implemented, and used to improve cancer outcomes in underserved populations.

Is collaboration across institutions and disciplines emphasized?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes collaboration across institutions and disciplines, consistent with its goal of building a coordinated network of translational cancer research centers.