Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers: 2027 Special Interest Project Supplements (SIPS)

The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers Special Interest Project Supplements opportunity is administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This funding opportunity builds on the existing Prevention Research Centers program, a long-standing federal initiative that supports academic research centers focused on applied public health research. These centers are designed to translate scientific findings into practical interventions that can improve population health outcomes. The supplemental funding mechanism enables the CDC to direct targeted research efforts toward emerging or priority public health issues without establishing entirely new grant programs. The primary purpose of this opportunity is to provide additional funding to currently funded Prevention Research Centers to carry out Special Interest Projects. These projects are intended to generate high-quality applied research in real-world settings that informs public health practice. The focus is on identifying, designing, testing, assessing, evaluating, disseminating, and translating interventions or resources that address leading causes of illness, disability, and death in the United States. The program emphasizes practical implementation and measurable outcomes, ensuring that research findings can be directly applied to improve health systems and community health interventions. Funding under this opportunity supports a defined set of ten specific project areas, each aligned with public health priorities such as cancer prevention, survivorship care, data utilization, behavioral health messaging, and chronic disease prevention. Examples include studies on automating cancer survivorship care plans, analyzing Medicare data for prostate cancer care patterns, improving access to gynecologic oncology services, and developing public health approaches to hereditary cancer prevention. Additional projects focus on enhancing emergency preparedness for weather-related impacts on cancer prevention, improving sunscreen application practices, and advancing chronic disease research. These defined project topics indicate that funding is restricted to targeted research initiatives rather than open-ended proposals. The eligibility for this opportunity is highly restricted. Only institutions that are currently funded under a specific CDC funding announcement for Prevention Research Centers are eligible to apply. These institutions must match exactly the legal and identification information associated with their original award, including entity identifiers. A defined list of twenty universities and research institutions has been pre-approved for participation, which effectively limits eligibility to a closed group of existing awardees. Additional eligibility conditions may apply depending on the specific Special Interest Project being proposed, as detailed in the full funding announcement when released. The application process is expected to follow standard federal grant submission procedures, requiring electronic submission through approved systems. Applications must be submitted by the specified deadline, with strict adherence to submission timing requirements. While the forecast notice does not detail all required components, applicants can reasonably expect to provide project proposals aligned with one of the specified research topics, including methodological approaches, expected outcomes, and implementation plans. Evaluation criteria are likely to focus on scientific merit, feasibility, alignment with public health priorities, and the capacity of the applicant institution to successfully execute the project. The timeline for this opportunity is clearly defined in forecast form. The estimated application posting date is in January, with applications due in March of the same year. Awards are expected to be made in late summer, with project activities beginning shortly thereafter. The total program funding is substantial, supporting multiple awards across the defined project areas. Each award has a defined funding ceiling, indicating a cap on the amount that can be requested for a single project. There is no cost-sharing requirement, simplifying financial planning for eligible applicants. The program appears to be a one-time supplemental funding opportunity rather than a recurring grant cycle, although similar supplemental opportunities may be issued in future years depending on federal priorities. Contact information is provided for a scientific program official within the CDC, offering applicants a direct point of contact for questions related to the funding opportunity. Communication channels include both telephone and email, ensuring accessibility for technical and administrative inquiries. Overall, this opportunity represents a targeted federal investment in applied public health research, leveraging existing institutional capacity to address urgent and emerging health challenges through evidence-based interventions.