Pilot Testing, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Cervical, Breast and Colorectal Cancer Clinical Decision Support Tools

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is advancing national efforts to improve cancer prevention and control through innovative clinical tools. This funding opportunity supports the continued development and implementation of clinical decision support (CDS) systems that integrate evidence-based screening and management guidelines directly into electronic health records. The CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has previously developed computable algorithms for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening, and this initiative builds upon that foundation by moving toward real-world application and evaluation within healthcare systems. The primary purpose of this opportunity is to support pilot testing, implementation, and evaluation of CDS tools designed to improve adherence to cancer screening guidelines and follow-up care. The funding is structured as a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial involvement from the CDC in guiding and supporting the funded projects. The initiative is divided into two main components. Component A focuses on the large-scale implementation and evaluation of a cervical cancer CDS tool within a health system, with the goal of improving screening rates and ensuring appropriate follow-up after abnormal findings. Component B emphasizes pilot testing and technical integration of breast and colorectal cancer CDS tools into electronic health record systems, along with rigorous evaluation of their effectiveness and accuracy. Funding is intended to support activities such as system integration of CDS tools, workflow implementation within healthcare settings, data collection and analysis, and evaluation of clinical outcomes. While specific allowable cost categories are not explicitly detailed in the forecast notice, typical uses under cooperative agreements of this type include personnel, data infrastructure, evaluation activities, and technical support for integration with health IT systems. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which lowers the financial barrier to participation and allows applicants to focus resources on implementation and evaluation efforts. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and inclusive, encompassing a wide range of entity types. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education (both public and private), nonprofit organizations regardless of 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations including small businesses, state and local governments, tribal governments and organizations, school districts, and public housing authorities. This broad eligibility reflects the CDC’s intention to engage diverse healthcare systems and organizational structures capable of implementing CDS tools at scale. Additional eligibility details are referenced in Section III of the full announcement, which is expected upon release. The application process will require electronic submission through established federal grant systems, with a strict deadline of 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the specified due date. While the forecast notice does not yet provide detailed application components, applicants can reasonably expect to submit a comprehensive proposal including project narrative, implementation plan, evaluation framework, budget justification, and organizational capacity documentation. Given the cooperative agreement structure, proposals will likely be evaluated based on technical merit, feasibility of implementation, evaluation rigor, and alignment with CDC priorities for cancer prevention. The timeline for this opportunity indicates that it is currently in a forecast stage, with an estimated posting date in January 2027 and an application deadline in March 2027. Awards are expected to be announced by late August 2027, with project start dates at the end of September 2027. The total estimated program funding is $7,250,000, with approximately two awards anticipated. Although individual award amounts are not specified, applicants should anticipate substantial funding allocations given the limited number of awards and the scale of implementation required. Interested applicants are encouraged to monitor the official posting and prepare in advance for submission. For additional information, applicants may contact the CDC program officer listed in the notice. Direct communication channels include both a phone number and an official email inbox dedicated to research funding opportunities. As this is a forecasted opportunity, prospective applicants should use this time to establish partnerships, assess technical readiness for CDS integration, and prepare for the forthcoming full notice of funding opportunity, which will provide complete application instructions and evaluation criteria.