Changing Health Systems Using Evidence-based interventions to increase Colorectal Cancer Screening | CDC RFA DP 25 0012

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA DP 25 0012

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through NCCDPHP, is offering a cooperative agreement funding opportunity called "Changing Health Systems Using Evidence-based Interventions to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening" (CDC RFA DP 25 0012; CFDA 93.800). The purpose of the program is to raise colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates among adults ages 45 to 75 by working directly with health systems and primary care clinics where screening prevalence is demonstrably low. To qualify as a partner site, a clinic must have CRC screening prevalence below the national, regional, or local average. The overall emphasis is on reaching populations with lower screening rates and addressing real-world barriers that keep people from starting or completing the screening process, including sub-populations within clinics that may need extra navigation and support.

The core strategy is health-systems change using evidence-based interventions (EBIs), specifically multicomponent interventions recommended in The Community Guide. Funded recipients are expected to build and manage partnerships with health systems and primary care clinics and help those partners implement at least three EBIs, with the interventions chosen so they affect different parts of the clinical system. In practical terms, the EBIs should not all focus on the same lever; the program expects a mix that increases demand (for example, patient reminders or small media), improves access (for example, reducing structural barriers, streamlining ways to obtain tests, or supporting alternative screening modalities), and strengthens delivery of screening recommendations in clinical care (for example, provider reminders, provider assessment and feedback, or workflow redesign). The intent is to move beyond one-off outreach and instead embed sustainable screening practices into routine clinic operations.

Because data and workflow capacity are often the difference between short-term improvement and lasting change, the announcement also requires recipients to partner with organizations that can support implementation, improve data collection, and strengthen how clinics use electronic health records (EHRs) to manage screening. Recipients must conduct a formal readiness assessment for each partner clinic to gauge capacity for adopting EBIs (such as leadership engagement, staffing, workflow maturity, data quality, and ability to track patients across the screening continuum). The readiness assessment is not just a planning exercise; it is meant to guide which EBIs are selected and how implementation support is tailored so each clinic can realistically improve screening rates.

The program places strong expectations on internal clinic leadership and accountability. Each partner clinic must have a CRC screening champion who helps drive the work on the ground, keeps teams aligned, and helps solve operational issues that come up during implementation. In addition, while the award is mainly for systems-change work, recipients are allowed to use a limited portion of funds to pay for stool-based CRC screening tests in partner clinics and to ensure follow-up colonoscopies occur after a positive or abnormal screening test. This financial support is specifically described as a "payor of last resort," meaning it is intended to fill gaps when no other coverage or payment option is available, with a clear goal of preventing patients from falling out of the screening process due to cost barriers, especially at the critical follow-up stage after an abnormal result.

Reporting and performance measurement are central to this opportunity. Recipients must submit high-quality clinic-level data that includes baseline and annual CRC screening prevalence, aggregate counts of stool-based tests provided and returned, and aggregate data on follow-up colonoscopies, including those paid for with program funds. Beyond submitting numbers, recipients are expected to build clinic and health system capacity to collect reliable data and to track the entire CRC screening process end-to-end, from identifying eligible patients to test completion and diagnostic follow-up after abnormal findings. This reflects a focus on closing the loop, not simply distributing tests or generating referrals.

The opportunity also requires narrative and evaluation deliverables to document what is working and why. Recipients must submit one success story every six months, helping CDC capture implementation lessons, barriers encountered, and approaches that improved uptake or completion. They must also plan and carry out an evaluation of program activities and submit an annual evaluation report, indicating that CDC expects structured assessment of implementation progress and outcomes, not just informal updates.

Administratively, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning recipients can expect substantial federal involvement compared with a standard grant. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and local governments; tribal governments and tribal organizations; public housing authorities; K-12 independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; and for-profit organizations (including small businesses), with eligibility listed as unrestricted. The opportunity was created on 2024-12-18, has an original closing date of 2025-02-20, anticipates up to 38 awards, and lists an award ceiling of $900,000. Overall, the announcement is designed for organizations that can coordinate multiple clinic partnerships, implement several complementary EBIs at once, strengthen EHR-enabled screening workflows, and produce credible data showing sustained increases in CRC screening in settings where rates have historically lagged.

• The Centers for Disease Control - NCCDPHP in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Changing Health Systems Using Evidence-based interventions to increase Colorectal Cancer Screening" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.800.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-20. (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 $900,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 38 candidate(s).
• 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, Unrestricted.

Apply for CDC RFA DP 25 0012

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