Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) for NCI-designated Cancer Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 20 043

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 043

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is soliciting applications under PAR-20-043 for Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs), a P30 mechanism designed to support NCI-designated Cancer Centers. In practical terms, this opportunity is meant to strengthen the institutional backbone that allows a cancer center to function as a unified, high-impact research enterprise rather than a set of separate labs and projects. The CCSG is not simply about funding individual research studies; it is about supporting the infrastructure, shared resources, and coordinated programs that enable a center to generate discoveries, translate them into better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies, and make those advances accessible to the broader community.

The FOA supports two categories of NCI-designated Cancer Centers. First are Comprehensive Cancer Centers, which are expected to show meaningful depth and breadth across three major areas of cancer research: basic laboratory research, clinical research, and prevention/control/population-based research. A defining expectation for comprehensive centers is strong transdisciplinary work that intentionally bridges these areas, showing that discoveries and expertise move across traditional boundaries (for example, integrating basic mechanistic findings with clinical trials and population science to improve outcomes). Second are Cancer Centers (non-comprehensive), which may focus primarily on basic, clinical, and/or prevention/control/population research in various combinations, without necessarily demonstrating the same breadth and cross-cutting integration required for comprehensive designation. In both cases, the central idea is to consolidate and coordinate all of an institution's cancer research capabilities into a single, coherent, transdisciplinary enterprise that crosses departments, schools, and other internal silos.

Centers funded through this CCSG mechanism are expected to function as major engines of cancer discovery and progress. That includes advancing scientific understanding of cancer biology, developing more effective methods for prevention and early detection, improving diagnostic approaches, and strengthening therapeutic strategies. Another major emphasis is building and maintaining shared resources that support research across the center (for example, core facilities, shared services, and other enabling capabilities that multiple investigators and programs rely on). The FOA also stresses collaboration and coordination with other NCI-funded programs and investigators, signaling that cancer centers should not operate in isolation but should connect their work to the broader national research ecosystem. Finally, dissemination is explicitly part of the mission: centers are expected to communicate and spread research findings so that communities can benefit, reinforcing the role of NCI-designated centers as public-facing institutions that translate scientific progress into real-world impact.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities, reflecting the institutional nature of cancer centers and the many organizational structures under which they may operate. Eligible applicants include state, county, 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/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying under those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions related to foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. These limitations underscore that the CCSG is designed to support U.S.-based cancer center infrastructure and NCI designation activities rather than serving as an international institutional award.

Administratively, this is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity under the education and health funding activity category, associated with CFDA number 93.397. The funding instrument is a grant, and the mechanism is P30 with clinical trial optional, meaning the center grant itself is not inherently a clinical trial award but can encompass clinical research infrastructure and activities consistent with NIH policy and the center's research portfolio. The opportunity was created on 2019-11-04, and the listed closing date in the provided data appears far in the future (2121-10-12), which typically indicates an extended or recurring submission structure rather than a single near-term deadline; applicants should still rely on the FOA and NIH submission calendars for the actual applicable receipt dates, cycles, and any renewals or reissues.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) for NCI-designated Cancer Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.397.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-11-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2121-10-12. (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.

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