Request for Information (RFI) Seeking Stakeholder Input on Scientific Gaps and Research Needs to Address Associations Between Environmental Exposures and Cancer Risk

Notice Number: NOT-CA-20-024

Key Dates
Release Date: January 16, 2020
Response Date: March 01, 2020

Related Announcements
None

Issued by
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Purpose

Purpose

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking information on scientific gaps and research needs to address associations between environmental exposures and the risk of cancer.

Background

A variety of study designs and resources have contributed substantially to our understanding of the determinants of cancer incidence. However, new and changing exposures may call for new approaches or other resources to address the potential associations. This RFI seeks information on scientific gaps that need to be addressed and how these may be addressed with existing resources, for example, exiting prospective cohort studies, or what new resources or approaches may be needed to address these gaps.

Existing resources include data from large-scale observational studies such as cancer epidemiology cohort studies, described at the Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database (CEDCD) website (https://cedcd.nci.nih.gov/). In addition, the resources in development by NIH include the NIH’s All of Us program (https://allofus.nih.gov/) and the NCI’s Connect program (https://dceg.cancer.gov/research/who-we-study/cohorts/connect) which are rich resources that may be leveraged in the future for extramural cancer etiology research. In addition, the National Cancer Institute’s National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) Ad Hoc Working Group on Group Strategic Approaches and Opportunities in Population Science, Epidemiology, and Disparities issued a report with recommendations for observational cancer research (https://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/ncab/workgroup/StrategicVisionWG/WGonPopSciEpiDisparities-FinalReport.pdf).

Information Requested

Through this RFI, the NCI seeks information about the following:

  • Scientific gaps relevant to environmental exposures and cancer risk that can be addressed by leveraging existing resources.
  • Scientific gaps (for example, specific exposures, populations studied, cancer sites, etc.) that require new resources or approaches (innovative study designs).
    • Describe the gap to be addressed.
    • Describe resources needed to address the scientific gaps.
    • Describe potential innovative study designs that might be employed to address gaps.
  • Innovative technologies for exposure assessment and data collection.

How to Submit a Response

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically via email to: NCIEnvironmentalExposures@mail.nih.gov.

Each response should include a reference to NOT-CA-20-024.

Responses will be accepted until 5:00 PM Eastern Time on March 1, 2020.

Each responder will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of the submission. However, responders will not receive individualized feedback from NCI on any submitted scientific gap information. A responder need not address all the issues presented in this document and may comment on as few as one issue.

Responses to this RFI (NOT-CA-20-024) are voluntary. Do not include any proprietary, classified, confidential or sensitive information in your response. The Government will use the information submitted in response to this RFI (NOT-CA-20-0XX) at its discretion.

This RFI (NOT-CA-20-024) is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, grant, or cooperative agreement, or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the NIH, or individual NIH Institutes and Centers to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. The Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for the Government’s use of such information. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the Government’s use of such information.

NCI looks forward to your input and we hope that you will share this RFI document (NOT-CA-20-024) with your colleagues.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Somdat Mahabir, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6941
Email: mahabir@mail.nih.gov