Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 21 058
The NIH funding opportunity RFA-CA-21-058 supports a single Data, Evaluation and Coordinating Center (DECC) for the CUSP2CT program, short for "A Multilevel Approach to Connecting Underrepresented Populations to Clinical Trials." This is a cooperative agreement (U24), meaning the awardee is expected to work closely with NIH staff in a more collaborative, guided relationship than a typical research grant. The DECC is designed to serve as the central hub that helps the overall CUSP2CT initiative function smoothly by standardizing data-related work, carrying out cross-site evaluation, and coordinating shared learning across the program. The FOA is explicitly "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," so the DECC is not meant to conduct or lead clinical trials; instead, it provides infrastructure, analytics, and coordination that support the companion CUSP2CT intervention projects funded under the related announcement (RFA-CA-21-057).
At its core, this opportunity is about improving how underrepresented populations connect to and participate in clinical trials by strengthening the program-level backbone that enables consistent measurement, accountability, and continuous improvement. The DECC role typically includes developing common data elements and reporting structures, ensuring data quality and harmonization across multiple projects, establishing secure and efficient data workflows, and producing analyses that allow NIH and participating sites to understand what is working, for whom, and under what conditions. In addition, the DECC is expected to run or support a learning collaborative, which is essentially an organized structure for funded sites and stakeholders to share experiences, troubleshoot barriers, exchange tools, and spread effective strategies across the network. The emphasis on evaluation and coordination signals that NIH wants comparable metrics and a coherent story of impact across the CUSP2CT portfolio, rather than isolated results from individual sites.
The applicant pool is broad and includes many common U.S. organizational types: state, county, city, and special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant categories often connected to serving historically underrepresented communities, such as 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 (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the FOA clearly restricts foreign involvement: non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) may not apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by NIH policy are not allowed.
Administratively, the opportunity is issued by the National Institutes of Health and falls under the broad Education and Health activity area, with CFDA listings including 93.353 and multiple NCI-related lines (93.393 through 93.397). The original closing date listed is November 19, 2021, and the award ceiling shown is $350,000. While the notice does not specify the exact number of awards in the provided text, the DECC concept generally implies a centralized center supporting a broader set of companion awards, rather than multiple separate DECC awards.
In practical terms, a competitive DECC proposal for a program like CUSP2CT would usually be expected to demonstrate strong capabilities in multi-site coordination, implementation-focused evaluation, data governance, privacy and security planning, equitable stakeholder engagement, and communications that help sites learn from each other quickly. The key deliverable is not a clinical intervention itself, but the shared measurement and coordination infrastructure that enables the overall CUSP2CT program to generate credible, comparable evidence and to accelerate adoption of effective approaches for connecting underrepresented populations to clinical trials.Apply for RFA CA 21 058
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Data, Evaluation and Coordinating Center for: A Multilevel Approach to Connecting Underrepresented Populations to Clinical Trials (CUSP2CT) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.353, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.397.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2021-09-01.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-11-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $350,000.00 in funding.
- 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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FAQs: NIH RFA-CA-21-058 (CUSP2CT Data, Evaluation and Coordinating Center - DECC)
What is RFA-CA-21-058 funding?
RFA-CA-21-058 is an NIH funding opportunity to support a single Data, Evaluation and Coordinating Center (DECC) for the CUSP2CT program, which stands for "A Multilevel Approach to Connecting Underrepresented Populations to Clinical Trials."
What does DECC stand for, and what is its purpose in CUSP2CT?
DECC stands for Data, Evaluation and Coordinating Center. Its purpose is to act as the central hub for the CUSP2CT initiative by standardizing data-related work, conducting cross-site evaluation, and coordinating shared learning so the overall program runs smoothly and produces comparable evidence across sites.
Is this a clinical trial grant?
No. The funding opportunity is explicitly designated as "Clinical Trial Not Allowed." The DECC is not meant to conduct or lead clinical trials; it provides infrastructure, analytics, evaluation, and coordination to support other funded CUSP2CT projects.
What type of NIH award mechanism is used?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U24). Under a cooperative agreement, the awardee is expected to work closely with NIH staff in a more collaborative and guided relationship than a typical research project grant.
How does a cooperative agreement (U24) differ from a typical research grant?
A U24 cooperative agreement generally involves substantial NIH program staff involvement, meaning the DECC awardee and NIH are expected to collaborate actively on program execution, coordination, and oversight compared with a more investigator-driven approach typical of many standard research grants.
What program does this DECC support?
The DECC supports the CUSP2CT initiative, which focuses on improving how underrepresented populations connect to and participate in clinical trials by strengthening the program-level backbone for consistent measurement, accountability, and continuous improvement across projects.
How is this opportunity related to RFA-CA-21-057?
RFA-CA-21-058 funds the DECC that supports companion CUSP2CT intervention projects funded under the related announcement RFA-CA-21-057. The DECC is intended to provide shared infrastructure and cross-site evaluation that benefits those intervention awards.
How many DECC awards will NIH make under this opportunity?
The information provided indicates support for a single DECC, which typically implies one centralized center that supports the broader network of companion awards rather than multiple DECC awards.
What kinds of activities would the DECC be expected to carry out?
Based on the description provided, typical DECC activities include developing common data elements and reporting structures; ensuring data quality and harmonization across multiple projects; establishing secure and efficient data workflows; producing analyses to assess what is working, for whom, and under what conditions; and coordinating shared learning across the program.
What are "common data elements" and why are they important here?
Common data elements are standardized measures and definitions used across multiple projects. In CUSP2CT, they help ensure that sites are measuring similar concepts in similar ways, enabling cross-site comparisons and a coherent, program-level evaluation story rather than isolated site-specific results.
What does "cross-site evaluation" mean in the context of the DECC?
Cross-site evaluation refers to assessing outcomes and processes across multiple funded projects using comparable metrics and coordinated analytic approaches, allowing NIH and participating sites to understand overall performance and differences in what works across settings and populations.
What is meant by "data harmonization" across projects?
Data harmonization means aligning data formats, definitions, and workflows so that information from different projects can be combined or compared reliably. The DECC is expected to support consistent, high-quality data that can be analyzed across the CUSP2CT portfolio.
Does the DECC provide an intervention to participants?
The DECC is not described as delivering a clinical intervention. Its key deliverables are the shared measurement, analytics, evaluation, and coordination infrastructure that supports the overall CUSP2CT program and enables credible, comparable evidence generation.
What is a "learning collaborative" and what role does the DECC play?
A learning collaborative is an organized structure for funded sites and stakeholders to share experiences, troubleshoot barriers, exchange tools, and spread effective strategies across the network. The DECC is expected to run or support this collaborative to accelerate shared learning and continuous improvement.
What does the FOA emphasize about program impact?
The emphasis on evaluation and coordination indicates NIH wants comparable metrics and a coherent program-level story of impact across the CUSP2CT portfolio, rather than only isolated results from individual sites.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant pool described is broad and includes many U.S. organization types such as state, county, city, and special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; public and private higher education institutions; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations.
Are community-serving institutions like HBCUs and Hispanic-serving Institutions eligible?
Yes. The opportunity specifically highlights eligible applicant categories often connected to serving historically underrepresented communities, 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 (AANAPISIs).
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly mentioned among eligible applicant categories in the provided information.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are included in the highlighted eligible applicant categories.
Can a non-U.S. organization apply?
No. Non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) may not apply under this opportunity.
Can a U.S. organization apply if it has a non-U.S. component?
No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed.
What is the awarding agency?
The awarding agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What activity area does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is described as falling under the broad Education and Health activity area.
What CFDA listings are associated with this opportunity?
The information provided lists CFDA 93.353 and multiple NCI-related lines, including 93.393 through 93.397.
What is the closing date listed for this opportunity?
The original closing date shown is November 19, 2021.
What is the award ceiling listed?
The award ceiling shown in the provided information is $350,000.
What capabilities would typically make a DECC proposal competitive for CUSP2CT?
The description suggests that a competitive DECC proposal would typically demonstrate strengths in multi-site coordination; implementation-focused evaluation; data governance; privacy and security planning; equitable stakeholder engagement; and communications that help sites learn from each other quickly.
What is the main deliverable expected from the DECC?
The main deliverable is the shared measurement, evaluation, analytics, and coordination infrastructure that enables the CUSP2CT program to produce credible, comparable evidence and accelerate adoption of effective approaches for connecting underrepresented populations to clinical trials.
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