Centers on Telehealth Research for Cancer-Related Care (P50 Clinical Trial Required) | RFA CA 21 029

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 21 029

The Centers on Telehealth Research for Cancer-Related Care (P50 Clinical Trial Required) funding opportunity (RFA-CA-21-029) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative designed to build a coordinated, national research effort focused on telehealth in cancer-related care. The program was shaped by stakeholder feedback and a review of the current clinical and research landscape, with the goal of helping the field keep pace with a fast-changing environment that includes shifting healthcare delivery models, evolving policy and reimbursement conditions, and rapidly changing communication technologies. Rather than funding isolated studies, NIH intends to fund a small number of large, well-supported research centers that can set direction for the field and generate evidence that is useful across many real-world settings.

A central feature of the program is that each funded center is expected to carry out one “signature project” that is a large pragmatic trial, meaning it is intended to test telehealth approaches under routine, real-world conditions instead of highly controlled circumstances. The emphasis on pragmatic trials signals a strong interest in results that can translate directly into everyday clinical practice and that reflect the diversity and complexity of actual patient populations, including heterogeneous cancer types, treatment contexts, care settings, and patient needs. Because this is a P50 center mechanism and a “clinical trial required” opportunity, applicants should be prepared to propose a substantial trial that is rigorously designed, operationally feasible, and capable of producing findings that other health systems and cancer programs can apply.

Beyond the signature trial, the initiative also supports the development of shared infrastructure within each center to enable additional pilot studies and rapid-response research on emerging telehealth issues in oncology. This infrastructure focus recognizes that telehealth is not static; new platforms, care models, privacy and security considerations, and policy changes can quickly create new research questions. Centers are therefore expected to function as hubs that can incubate innovative pilot projects, refine methods, and adapt research priorities as the telehealth landscape evolves, while still contributing to a broader, collective agenda across the set of funded centers.

In terms of impact, NIH frames success around advancing the development, evaluation, and dissemination of telehealth approaches that measurably improve cancer-related care. The outcomes of interest include improvements in quality of life and clinical outcomes, better patient-physician communication, progress toward health equity, and enhanced access to high-quality care. The health equity emphasis is especially important in telehealth research because digital access, broadband availability, device ownership, digital literacy, language access, disability accommodations, and trust in technology can vary widely across communities. Strong applications would be expected to consider how telehealth interventions affect different populations and whether they reduce or worsen existing disparities in cancer care.

Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories as specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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, and U.S. territories or possessions. These inclusions align with the program’s interest in equity, access, and the relevance of findings to varied communities and care environments.

At the same time, there are key restrictions related to non-U.S. participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components” are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which typically means that a U.S. applicant may include certain defined international elements or collaborations when justified and compliant with NIH policy, even though the applicant organization must be domestic.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under NIH within the Education and Health activity category, tied to CFDA numbers 93.393, 93.395, and 93.399. The opportunity was created on April 8, 2021, and the original closing date listed is July 20, 2021. The description indicates NIH expects to fund three research centers; specific award ceilings are not provided in the supplied source data. Overall, the opportunity is structured to create a small, high-impact network of cancer telehealth research centers capable of producing practice-changing evidence through pragmatic trials while also maintaining the flexibility and infrastructure needed to study new telehealth questions as technology, policy, and care delivery continue to shift.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers on Telehealth Research for Cancer-Related Care (P50 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.393, 93.395, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-04-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-07-20. (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.

Apply for RFA CA 21 029

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