Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 19 041

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 19 041

Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health opportunity (through the National Cancer Institute as part of the Informatics Technology for Cancer Research, or ITCR, program) that funds the ongoing operation and upkeep of proven, widely used informatics tools and resources for cancer research. Rather than paying to invent brand-new software or push an early prototype into a mature product, this announcement is aimed at keeping high-value resources reliable, accessible, and easy to use for the research community that already depends on them. The award mechanism is a Cooperative Agreement (U24), meaning recipients should expect substantial NIH/NCI involvement and collaboration during the project period, with the work carried out in partnership with program staff to meet shared goals.

The core purpose is to strengthen informatics resources that improve how cancer-related data and knowledge are acquired, managed, analyzed, and shared across the entire cancer research continuum. That includes areas such as basic cancer biology, treatment and diagnosis, early detection, risk assessment and prevention, cancer control and epidemiology, and work focused on cancer health disparities. In practical terms, the FOA is about sustaining the kinds of tools, platforms, services, and data/knowledge resources that enable researchers to handle complex datasets, integrate information from multiple sources, apply computational methods, and disseminate results in ways that accelerate discovery and improve outcomes.

A key expectation is a clear sustainment plan that explains why the resource deserves continued support and demonstrates the impact it has already had. Applications are expected to justify the value of the resource to the field, show evidence of adoption and usefulness, and explain how continued operations will keep delivering benefits to cancer researchers. This typically implies describing concrete metrics and evidence (for example, user base, usage levels, scientific outputs enabled, citations, integrations into workflows, community reliance, or other indicators of real-world utility), along with what will be improved during the sustainment period.

The announcement also emphasizes user experience and availability. Applicants are expected not only to keep the resource running, but to improve how people interact with it and how easily they can access and depend on it. That can include efforts like strengthening documentation and training materials, improving interfaces and workflows, enhancing performance and reliability, ensuring interoperability, supporting cloud or scalable deployment where appropriate, tightening security and privacy protections when relevant, and maintaining responsive user support. The overall idea is to reduce friction for researchers and increase the practical, day-to-day value of the tool or resource.

Another central theme is active engagement with the research community the resource serves. The FOA calls for mechanisms to assess and maximize value to users and to support collaboration and deep engagement between the resource team and the targeted community. That means applicants should describe how they will gather feedback, prioritize enhancements, track satisfaction and outcomes, build partnerships, and ensure the resource continues to align with evolving scientific needs. The expectation is not passive maintenance, but a managed, community-facing sustainment effort that keeps the resource relevant and impactful.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and some non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional categories noted in the announcement. The FOA explicitly mentions eligibility for organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, as well as non-domestic (foreign) organizations.

From the listing details provided, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, uses the Cooperative Agreement instrument, falls under education/health activity categories, and is associated with CFDA 93.396. The funding opportunity number is RFA-CA-19-041, with an original closing date of 2019-11-20 and a creation date of 2019-03-28. The FOA is described as "clinical trial optional," indicating that a clinical trial component is not required for all projects, but may be allowed if it fits the proposed work and NIH definitions and policies.

Overall, this announcement is designed for teams that already operate a cancer informatics tool or resource with demonstrated community uptake and scientific value, and that can present a credible plan to keep it healthy and evolving. The strongest proposals are positioned to show real-world adoption, a thoughtful operational and improvement roadmap, and a clear strategy for measuring impact while staying tightly connected to the needs of the cancer research community.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.396.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-03-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-11-20. (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 19 041

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