Notice Number: NOT-CA-16-064

Key Dates
Release Date: August 11, 2016

Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: Fall 2016
First Estimated Application Due Date: Winter 2017
Earliest Estimated Award Date: Fall 2017
Earliest Estimated Start Date: December 2017

Issued by
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Purpose

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to continue its support for the "Population-based Research Optimizing Screening through Personalized Regimens (PROSPR)" initiative under a current, modified name of "Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process". Through this Notice, the NCI announces the plans to publish a reissuance of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the PROSPR Coordinating Center.

The PROSPR Coordinating Center will be responsible for network activities involving more than one cancer type. The Coordinating Center will closely collaborate with PROSPR Research Centers (to be supported under companion FOA announced by NOT-CA-16-063), each of which will be focused on the screening process for one specific cancer type (cervical, colorectal, and lung). The Coordinating Center will also be responsible for the development and implementation of a process for sharing PROSPR data with qualified collaborators outside of the network.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop collaborations and responsive applications.

The FOA is expected to use the U24 cooperative agreement funding instrument and be published in Fall 2016 with an expected application due date in Winter 2017.

Research Initiative Details

The overall goal for the PROSPR initiative is to enhance understanding of cancer screening as a complex process involving multiple steps that may affect screening quality and outcomes. Steps in the process include determination of eligibility, recruitment for screening, performance of the screening test and interpretation of results, diagnostic follow-up of those with abnormal screening examinations, and referral for treatment. The supported research is expected to help improve the cancer screening process in community settings in the United States.

This Notice encourages investigators with expertise in epidemiology, healthcare delivery, behavioral science, implementation science, bioinformatics, health information technology, and other relevant disciplines to begin to consider applying for this new FOA.

The main role for the PROSPR Coordinating Center will be to lead and coordinate network efforts that involve more than one cancer type. The major roles of the Coordinating Center will include:

• Leading the development of common conceptualizations and measures for 2 aspects of monitoring the cancer screening process: assessing the role of systems-level factors that impact the screening process, and assessing the quality of the screening process;
• Facilitating research that uses the above measures to evaluate the screening processes across multiple cancer types (i.e., via collaborations involving two or three PROSPR Research Centers); and
• Developing and implementing a process to support the sharing of PROSPR data with qualified investigators who are not part of the Research Centers, Coordinating Center, or NCI.

The announced FOA will be open to all qualified applicants with expertise and experience appropriate to coordinate multi-institutional, trans-disciplinary research on cancer screening in community healthcare settings.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

V. Paul Doria-Rose, DVM, PhD
National Cancer Institute
Telephone: 240-276-6904
Email: [email protected]