HC2 logo

Issue Date: June 8, 2026
Letter of Intent (required): Due August 3, 2026, by 5 p.m. Mountain Time
Full Proposals (by invitation based on LOI): Due October 2, 2026
Award Amounts: Up to $100,000 (direct costs)
Duration: 12 months
Anticipated Funding Start Date: May 1, 2027

 

HOPE & CAIRHE 2gether (HC2), funded by the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Cancer Control Research in Persistent Poverty Initiative (PPI), is a cross-institutional center for cancer prevention research. The long-term goal of HC2 is to increase the reach of evidence-based cancer prevention and control interventions in areas and populations characterized by persistent poverty (PP). HC2 brings together the expertise, infrastructure, partnerships, and resources of the Center for HOPE, the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), and the University of Utah (U of U), with the Center for American Indian and Rural Health Excellence (CAIRHE) and Montana State University (MSU).

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Pilot Project Award Program include:

  1. Foster a community of researchers committed to advancing cancer prevention research in populations living in persistent poverty (PP) areas across the Mountain West.
  2. Provide seed funding to enhance investigators' long-term capacity to develop competitive, independently funded research that addresses cancer prevention in underserved and PP communities.
  3. Catalyze innovative research projects that have the potential to promote cancer prevention in PP areas and inform scalable solutions in the Mountain West region and beyond.

Successful projects must broadly focus on cancer prevention and control in PP census tract areas. In the project’s primary aims, only within-group comparisons are permitted. This means the project may compare subgroups within the same PP census tract (e.g., by age or rural vs. urban residence) or compare different PP census tracts. Comparisons between PP census tracts and non-PP census tracts are not allowed.

Examples of successful projects may include, but are not limited to:

  • Identifying pathways by which the effects of place on health can be elucidated, such as the interactions of neighborhoods and people, health care or public health systems, and their social and physical environments;
  • Characterizing differentials in income and wealth accumulation for subpopulations (e.g., the elderly, rural residents) and identifying the sources of these differentials and their impacts on cancer health status;
  • Designing and implementing community-based participatory prevention strategies to promote aggregate-level health by changing social, structural, institutional, and community environments (e.g., tobacco-free policies);
  • Conducting intervention research focusing on the prevention of cancer that incorporates risk and resilience factors such as health care access, housing, and criminal justice practices;
  • Identifying and characterizing the environmental toxicity factors that interact with chronic stress and genetic susceptibility/risk factors for cancer and factors that contribute to variation in the prevalence and incidence of cancer;
  • Investigating issues related to cancer survivorship (e.g., mental health, social support, caregiving);
  • Conducting research focused on improving cancer screening rates and screening guidelines;
  • Examining health behaviors linked to cancer, such as sexual risk-taking, alcohol/tobacco use, diet/exercise, and sun exposure;
  • Developing interventions for primary, secondary, or tertiary cancer prevention;
  • Conducting basic science research relevant to cancer detection, prevention, or control.

Projects are funded for a 1-year period, with total direct costs of up to $100,000. We welcome applications of various budget sizes (e.g., $25,000, $50,000, or up to the maximum of $100,000). Investigators must also include additional Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs (i.e., indirect costs) calculated using their institution’s current rate as negotiated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Current or former recipients of the HC2 Pilot Project Award Program may apply for additional funding in future cycles, provided they have successfully completed their previously funded projects. Applicants who submitted proposals to prior cycles but did not receive funding are encouraged to resubmit a new or revised proposal.

KEY TERMS FOR THIS RFA

Persistent Poverty Areas are defined as geographic locations with a poverty rate of 20% or higher across four consecutive measurement periods, spanning approximately 30 years. For this funding announcement,persistent poverty is defined at the census tract level – small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county or equivalententity (see the U.S. Census Bureau’s glossary for more information: Census Glossary).

Acensus tract is designated as experiencing persistent poverty if 20% or more of its population lived below thefederal poverty line in each of the following periods: the 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses, or the 2007-11 and 2015-19 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-yearestimates. By using the census tract, rather than the county, as the unit of analysis, this definition allows for greater geographical precision and coverage, enabling representation of communities experiencing high poverty across all U.S. states and Puerto Rico. A list of census tracts in persistent poverty areas can be foundat this NCI website.

HOW WE CAN HELP

HC2 will host one or more informational webinars open to eligible investigators and community partners interested in applying (see below for details).

Applicants of selected Letters of Intent (LOIs) are required to work with the HC2 leadership as they develop their full applications. If appropriate, the HC2 Research and Methods Core will provide study design and biostatistics consultation. Additionally, projects involving tribal communities must consult with the HC2 Community Engagement Team before submitting a full application. Projects involving other PP communities may also benefit from consultation with the HC2 Community Engagement Team.

If you are uncertain whether your proposal aligns with the terms of the RFA, please contact Dr. Cho Lam (cho.lam@hci.utah.edu) for further information.

ELIGIBILITY FOR THE AWARD

  • Projects must demonstrate alignment with the HC2 foci (i.e., cancer prevention and control).
  • Projects must work with populations living in persistent poverty census tracts.
  • Applicants must be investigators at the U of U or MSU. Applicants from other institutions and community partners, such as community health centers, primary care associations, and Tribal College and Extension faculty, are also eligible to apply in collaboration with a primary researcher applicant at the U of U or MSU.
  • Early-Stage Investigators (ESI) are highly encouraged to apply. HC2 is focused on supporting ESI and will facilitate collaboration with senior faculty who can guide the project. ESIs are identified per the definition provided by the NIH (see What is an ESI?). If you are an ESI who would like to apply but do not have a senior faculty mentor with whom you can collaborate, please contact Dr. Cho Lam to discuss partnering with a senior faculty member from HC2.
  • All proposed projects must identify persistent poverty census tractsfrom the official list at the NCI Geographically Underserved Areas Website.
  • For applications that partner with community organizations, applicants must:
    • Demonstrate sufficient community engagement experience to accomplish aims.
    • Describe how engagement activities are feasible and appropriate.
    • Identify community partners.
    • Include letters of support.

TERMS OF FUNDING

  • It is anticipated that funding will begin May 1, 2027.
  • HC2 pilot projects must be completed within the period specified in the proposed application.
  • IRB protocol approvals must be in place before funds for human subjects or vertebrate animal research are released (see below for details).
  • Awardees must submit a mid-year progress report and a final report to the Developmental Core co-leads at the end of the project.
  • A mid-year meeting with the Pilot Project Program Review Committee may be required to discuss the project's progress and address any concerns.
  • Awardees who are ESIs are required to join HC2’s Career Enhancement Core as HC2 Scholars.
  • The HC2 Developmental Core retains the right to cancel an award for noncompliance or nonperformance.

KEY DATES

Zoom Webinar (optional; designed to answer any questions applicants may have. Registration not required)

 

July 9, 2026, at 1 PM Mountain Time

Zoom Meeting:
https://utah.zoom.us/j/82777518947

Meeting ID: 827 7751 8947;
Passcode: 285744

 

Letter of Intent (LOI) Due Date

August 3, 2026, by 5 pm Mountain Time

Invitation to submit a full application

August 14, 2026

Full Application preparation, including consultation with Research and Methods Core and Community Engagement Team

August 14 to October 2, 2026

Full Application Due Date

October 2, 2026, by 5 pm Mountain Time

Notice of Intent to Fund

November 13, 2026

The date by which the selected project must submit its proposal to the IRB for approval

January 11, 2027

 

 

External review by the NCI Persistent Poverty Initiative Steering Committee

February 2027

Anticipated Start Date

May 1, 2027

Award Budget

Up to $100,000

ALLOWABLE COSTS

Awards are intended to support research activities. HC2 staff will collaborate with applicants to finalize budget items during the application process. Faculty salary support may be allowed, subject to approval by the NCI Persistent Poverty Initiative Steering Committee during the final review process. Buyout of teaching responsibilities is permitted. Funding may be used for the salaries and fringe benefits of postdoctoral fellows, students, technicians, and other project personnel. Research-related non-personnel research expenses, such as laboratory supplies, are also allowed. However, funds may not be used for office furniture, equipment (including computers), or student tuition.

LOI COMPONENTS

Please submit a 1-page LOI that includes:

  1. Project title, a brief description, and Specific Aims;
  2. How the proposed project aligns with HC2;
  3. How the proposed approach addresses cancer control and prevention among populations living in areas of persistent poverty;
  4. Project duration;
  5. Estimated total amount of funding to be requested (direct costs).

LOI FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

  1. LOIs must include all components listed in the “LOI Components” section above. Also:
    • The required font for the LOI is 11-point Arial.
    • Margins must be at least 0.5 inches on all four page sides.
  2. Incomplete LOIs or those that exceed the 1-page limit will not be considered.
  3. LOI must be submitted in PDF format via email to Dr. Cho Lam at cho.lam@hci.utah.eduno later than 5 pm Mountain Time, August 3, 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted.

LOI REVIEW PROCESS

The HC2 Developmental Core Co-Leads will review LOIs for alignment with HC2. Selected projects will be invited to submit a full application and referred to the Research and Methods Core and the Community Engagement Team for consultation before submitting their full application.

FULL PROPOSALS

Complete applications will use the typical NIH Administrative Supplement format, which includes the following sections: Specific Aims and Research Strategy (5 pages total), Budget and Budget Justification, Biographical Sketch(es), Human Subjects Study Record, and Letters of Support, as applicable. Those selected to submit a full application will receive specific instructions on the format.

SELECTION OF AWARDEES

The HC2 Developmental Core Review Committee will review full proposals and select the most meritorious for funding. Two to three reviewers will score each application. The NIH 9-point rating scale will be used to evaluate applications. In addition to the standard NIH review criteria of Significance, Innovation, and Approach, review criteria will include candidates’ track record or promise for success in research and alignment with HC2. All projects will receive a written review summary, including reviewers’ critiques. Scores will be presented at a meeting of the Developmental Core Review Committee, with final selections presented to the NCI Persistent Poverty Initiative Steering Committee for external review and funding recommendations. Our approval timeline will ensure that Pilot Project budgets can be included in HC2’s budget for the following year.

More Information:

For inquiries, please contact:
Cho Lam, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Huntsman Cancer Institute
E-mail: cho.lam@hci.utah.edu

or

James Burroughs
Program Coordinator
CAIRHE/MSU
Email: jburroughs@montana.edu 

RELATED SEPARATE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Previously funded HC2 investigators or cancer researchers seeking collaborators at other institutions may be interested in a new Request for Applications issued by the PPI Network, a group of five NCI-funded centers (including HC2) located across the country. That separate RFA seeks pilot project applications involving investigators at two or more of the PPI Network centers. Eligibility criteria and due dates are the same as those for this RFA, and HC2 staff will assist in making connections with researchers at other centers. Details can be found in the separate RFA, "The Persistent Poverty Initiative Request for Applications for Collaborative Studies," found where this RFA is posted or upon request to Dr. Cho Lam, cho.lam@hci.utah.edu.

HC2 logo

Issue Date: June 8, 2026
Letter of Intent (required): Due August 3, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time
Full Proposals (by invitation based on LOI): Due October 2, 2026
Award Amounts: Up to $100,000 (direct costs)
Duration: 12 months
Anticipated Funding Start Date: May 1, 2027

 

The Persistent Poverty Initiative (PPI) sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (of which HC2/CAIRHE is one part) is pleased to release a request for cross-PPI center collaborative pilot proposals to catalyze solution-focused health disparity research aimed at reducing cancer burden in areas of the country affected by persistent poverty.

REQUIRED ELEMENTS

  • Projects must describe proposed cancer research for/with individuals and communities in counties or Census tracts with persistent poverty areas.
  • Project teams must comprise investigators associated with two or more PPI centers who should collaborate to share the work and build synergies leveraging unique expertise, resources, and settings across sites.
    • PPI Network centers are:
      • Cancer Awarenes, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Center – The University of Alabama at Birmingham
      • UPSTREAM - Stanford University, Universities of California at San Francisco and Davis
      • SOCA - New York
      • Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration, UT MD Anderson – Texas
      • HC2 Utah/Montana - five states in the Mountain West

Pilots are expected to have a deliverable, which could be a presentation, publication, poster, report of preliminary results, or collaborative grant application within one year of project completion.

Awardees will be required to present their work in progress to the Community Advisory Boards and meetings of the center they are affiliated with, and at the PPIN annual meeting (Fall 2027).  

AREAS OF INTEREST

We welcome a broad range of topics related to upstream drivers of cancer risk and burden in persistent poverty areas. Topic areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

  • Understanding how structural factors (e.g., living contexts, policy, extreme weather) influence risk factor behavior for cancer incidence, survivorship, and mortality (e.g., diet, physical activity, screening).
  • Innovative community-based interventions (e.g., health worker models, pesticide reduction strategies, alleviation of food insecurity) to reduce cancer burden.
  • Methods (e.g., simulation models, quasi-experimental designs) to evaluate the impact of existing policies and programs (e.g., basic income experiments, increasing access to broadband internet coverage, transportation interventions, policies to reduce food insecurity) on cancer incidence, survivorship, and mortality.

Projects focusing on populations in rural areas with persistent poverty are encouraged.

KEY DATES

Informational Webinar (Please complete the required registration. Link will be provided afterward.)

June 29, 2026, 3 pm CDT

Letter of Intent (LOI) Due Date

August 3, 2026, 11:59 pm Mountain Time

Invitation to submit a full application

August 30, 2026

Full Application Due Date

October 2, 2026, 11:59 pm Mountain Time

Notice of Intent to Fund

November 30, 2026

Anticipated Start Date

May 1, 2027

LETTER OF INTENT (LOI)

Please submit a 1-page LOI for the overall project to Lily Neff at  lneff@scgcorp.com

LOI should include:

  1. Project title, a brief description and specific aims;
  2. How the proposed approach addresses cancer control and prevention among populations living in areas of persistent poverty;
  3. Anticipated participating centers;
  4. Project duration; and,
  5. Estimated total and per-center amount of funding (direct costs).

Instructions for the full application will be sent to investigators invited to submit full proposals.

AMOUNT & PERIOD OF FUNDING

Awards will be granted for one year and must be completed within the 12-month award period, May 1, 2027, through April 30, 2028. Carryforward and no-cost extension requests are not allowed.

Proposals should include a PI and a budget up to $50,000 direct costs from each PPI center.  The budget should be appropriate to the work proposed at each center.  For example, a collaboration project from 2 centers may have a total budget of $100,000. Post-review budget discussions and potential adjustments may occur with PIs at PPI centers.

Funds will be disbursed by each collaborating center to their PI.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • Investigators are eligible if they meet the PI requirements defined by their PPI Center. PIs who are early-stage investigators may be asked to include a faculty mentor if one is required by their PPI center.
  • Any early-career scholar whose pilot project is related to a federally funded training grant would need to check with their NIH Program Officer and their institution administrator to see if this is allowed and if there is no overlap with the centers’ grant funding period (May 1, 2027 - April 30, 2028).

 EVALUATION CRITERIA

  1. Quality: The proposed project must advance research at the intersection of persistent poverty and cancer control and meet high standards for scientific rigor and innovation.
  2. Relevance to the mission of the PPI: Proposals will be judged on how well they synergize with the PPI ’s overall mission and responsiveness to PPI priorities (if any specified).
  3. Investigators: Reviewers will be asked to evaluate the qualifications of the PIs and key personnel and the MPI plan that should specify clear roles and responsibilities of all PIs.
  4. Synergy among participating centers: Reviewers will be asked to evaluate whether the collaborative proposal enhances cross-network collaborations and the scientific quality, rigor, and generalizability of the project. Reviewers will evaluate if there is a clear delineation of research aims and coordination of activities across sites.
  5. Capacity building. The proposed research should strengthen the ability for multi-site research projects.
  6. Scope: The proposed research must be completed within the project period and within the budget limit.

More Information:

For answers to questions, please contact:

Cho Lam, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Huntsman Cancer Institute
E-mail: cho.lam@hci.utah.edu

or

James Burroughs
Program Coordinator
CAIRHE/MSU
Email: jburroughs@montana.edu 

RELATED SEPARATE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The eligibility criteria and due dates for this RFA match those of a separate but related RFA issued by HC2 that does not involve collaboration with other centers in the PPI Network. See that RFA, "Pilot Project Applications, Cancer Prevention and Control," posted above.

CAIRHE logo

RFP No.: CAIRHE-04-2027
Issue Date:Early November 2026. Check back for more information.
Deadline:April 2027

Overview

The deadline for CAIRHE's 2026 Request for Proposals was April 1, 2026. Projects are in the process of being selected for funding during the 2026-27 project year (through August 31, 2027).

CAIRHE's 2027 RFP (to be issued in early November 2026) will award funding to selected pilot projects for one grant year (September 1, 2027, through August 31, 2028) with the possibility of competitive renewal in the subsequent year, for up to a maximum of 2 years. 

CAIRHE requests annual proposals for Pilot Projects that address CAIRHE’s mission of promoting health in American Indian and rural communities in Montana. Faculty applicants may develop projects within a single discipline (e.g., social sciences), but CAIRHE also encourages collaborative projects between biomedical and social and behavioral health investigators. As in all CAIRHE-funded research, projects should have a high likelihood of leading to independent funding from external (non-MSU) sponsors, such as the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation. 

The Center may hold informational meetings in Fall 2026 to answer questions and provide information about CAIRHE and its mission. At any time, please also contact James Burroughs for more information at jburroughs@montana.edu or 406-994-4407.

About CAIRHE

Based at Montana State University, CAIRHE is an official state of Montana research center designated by the Montana University System Board of Regents. CAIRHE is supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA)—specifically, a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant—from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (grant number P30GM154593). For more information, see http://www.montana.edu/cairhe/about/. 

Eligibility

Principal investigator applicants must hold a faculty appointment at Montana State University.

One of the main objectives of the COBRE grant program is to enhance the ability of new investigators to compete independently for an NIH individual research grant or other major external peer-reviewed support. For this reason, projects funded by CAIRHE’s NIH grant usually involve new investigators, defined as either (1) an individual who does not have and has not previously had an external, peer-reviewed major research project grant or program project grant from either a federal or non-federal source that names that investigator as the PI; or (2) an established investigator who is making a significant change to her/his research career. Most faculty in category 1 are early-stage investigators. For NIH definitions, see http://grants.nih.gov/policy/new_investigators/index.htm#definition.

All applications should have a strong potential to lead to external (non-MSU) funding.

Faculty in the biomedical and social/behavioral sciences are encouraged to apply. (Please note that salary support for collaborative projects may be limited by overall budget limits.) 

Due to restrictions imposed by the NIH, faculty who are currently funded as an investigator by another IDeA program are not eligible for CAIRHE funding. This includes project leaders for Montana INBRE and the Center for Advanced Molecular Pathogenesis (CAMP). Please contact CAIRHE if you have questions about this rule.

Application Types

For 2027-28, CAIRHE will accept applications for Pilot Research Projects.

Pilot Research Projects

Funded at approximately $30,000 to $40,000 in direct costs per year, pilot research projects are designed for faculty who do not currently have a CAIRHE grant and do not currently have significant preliminary data or fully established community partnerships. (However, having preliminary data and/or community partnerships in place at the time of the application would be considered an advantage.) We require that applicants consult with the CAIRHE Director or Program Coordinator about community engagement plans before making new contacts. They will then arrange a consultation with the Montana IDeA Community Engagement Core at MSU. This rule is designed to ensure your success and safeguard preexisting MSU relationships in those communities.

New pilot research projects may be competitively renewed for a second and final year.

Proposal Requirements

Complete instructions for Pilot Research Project applications will be posted in early November 2026.