Improving Care and Outcomes for Cancer Survivors from Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 292

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the focus of the "Improving Care and Outcomes for Cancer Survivors from Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations" funding opportunity?

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding opportunity supports research focused on the cancer care experiences and outcomes of sexual and gender minority (SGM) cancer survivors. The intent is to strengthen evidence about where, how, and why SGM survivors encounter problems during cancer treatment and follow-up (survivorship) care, and to support studies that test practical ways to reduce those problems in real-world care settings.

What kinds of projects does NCI want to fund under this NOFO?

The opportunity emphasizes well-designed projects that do one or more of the following: (1) carefully document barriers and gaps in cancer care and survivorship care for SGM survivors, (2) evaluate interventions intended to improve quality of care and survivorship outcomes for SGM people, or (3) combine both approaches in a coherent research plan (for example, identifying barriers and then testing a strategy to address them).

Is this grant only for interventions, or can it fund observational research too?

It can fund both. The mechanism is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applications may be purely observational (for example, studies mapping patient, provider, or system-level barriers) or may include an intervention or formal clinical trial, as long as the study design matches the scientific question.

What does "R01" mean for this opportunity?

This is an NIH R01 research project grant. In practical terms, it is intended to support a defined research project that is rigorous and well-justified, aligned with the NOFO's goals related to SGM cancer survivorship care, outcomes, and improvement strategies.

What does "Clinical Trial Optional" mean in this context?

"Clinical Trial Optional" indicates the NOFO allows applications that include a clinical trial or other intervention study, as well as applications that do not include a clinical trial (such as observational studies). Applicants are expected to choose the approach that best fits their aims related to understanding and improving care for SGM cancer survivors.

What populations are the focus of this funding opportunity?

The focus is on cancer survivors from sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. The NOFO centers on their cancer treatment experiences and follow-up/survivorship care, including barriers to guideline-concordant care, patient experience, continuity of care, and health outcomes.

What is the core aim of the NOFO?

The core aim is to generate actionable evidence about barriers and gaps affecting SGM cancer survivors and to support research that can test practical methods to reduce those barriers and improve outcomes. The emphasis is on moving beyond describing disparities and toward understanding mechanisms and implementing measurable improvements.

What types of barriers or gaps in care are relevant to this NOFO?

The NOFO highlights the need to understand where, how, and why SGM survivors encounter problems in cancer treatment and follow-up care. This can include patient-level, provider-level, and system-level barriers to receiving guideline-concordant treatment and survivorship care, as well as gaps in continuity, access, experience, and outcome tracking.

What types of interventions are mentioned as examples?

Examples include clinician training, survivorship care planning tailored to SGM needs, navigation support, workflow changes to improve respectful and accurate sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) documentation, and other models intended to improve access, patient experience, continuity of care, and health outcomes.

Why is SOGI data collection emphasized in this opportunity?

A major emphasis is on interoperable sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection within cancer care settings. The NOFO expects applicants to think carefully about how SOGI information is captured in clinical workflows, stored in electronic systems, and used consistently across settings so the data can support analysis, measure barriers, track outcomes, and evaluate whether care changes are working.

What does "interoperable SOGI data collection" mean for applicants?

Based on the NOFO description, it means planning for SOGI data to be collected in ways that fit clinical workflows, stored in electronic systems, and used consistently across settings. The goal is for SOGI information to be reliable and usable for research and improvement efforts, not just collected inconsistently or in ways that cannot be compared or analyzed across care environments.

Is the NOFO only about describing disparities?

No. The opportunity is designed to go beyond describing disparities "in the abstract" and toward generating actionable evidence. That includes building evidence about specific obstacles to high-quality care, improving systems that collect and use SOGI data, and testing interventions that can measurably improve survivorship care, follow-up, and outcomes.

Which institute is sponsoring and administering this opportunity?

The sponsoring institute is the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the program is administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What is the opportunity number for this NOFO?

The opportunity number is PAR-23-292.

What is the listed closing date for this opportunity?

The original closing date listed is 2027-01-07, indicating a multi-year window during which applications may be accepted according to the NOFO's submission schedule.

What is the CFDA number associated with this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.399.

What is the activity category for this program?

The activity category spans education and health, and it is described as part of NIH's health-related research mission.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S. organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and 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/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses.

Are higher education institutions eligible?

Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status are both listed as eligible.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

Are government entities eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments, as well as independent school districts and other governmental entities described in the NOFO summary.

Are tribal entities eligible to apply?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and the NOFO also includes tribal organizations that are not federally recognized and tribal governments that are not federally recognized among the eligible categories.

Are U.S. territories or possessions included in eligibility?

Yes. The NOFO explicitly highlights U.S. territories or possessions among additional eligible applicant categories.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The NOFO explicitly includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) among the additional eligible applicant categories.

Does the NOFO highlight any institution types or community-based groups specifically?

Yes. It explicitly highlights 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); and faith-based or community-based organizations, among others.

What is the main theme that ties the allowable projects together?

The common thread is a rigorous approach to understanding and improving cancer treatment and follow-up care for SGM survivors. Whether observational, interventional, or mixed, projects should connect to identifying barriers/gaps and/or testing strategies that improve care processes and survivorship outcomes, with strong attention to usable SOGI data in care settings.

What kinds of outcomes or improvements are expected to be addressed?

The NOFO description points to improving access, patient experience, continuity of care, survivorship care and follow-up, and health outcomes for SGM cancer survivors, as well as improving the ability of cancer care environments to reliably identify SGM populations through consistent SOGI documentation.

What setting is most relevant for the proposed research?

The opportunity emphasizes cancer care settings, including clinical workflows and electronic systems used to capture and store SOGI information, and real-world environments where cancer treatment and survivorship follow-up care occur.

What is the overall goal of NCI in offering this funding opportunity?

The overall goal is to support research that produces actionable evidence: identifying specific obstacles to high-quality cancer care for SGM survivors, strengthening the collection and use of interoperable SOGI data in cancer care environments, and testing interventions that can measurably improve survivorship care and outcomes.