National Lupus Outreach and Clinical Trial Education Program

The National Lupus Outreach and Clinical Trial Education Program is a federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of Minority Health within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. This program is authorized under the Public Health Service Act and is designed to address persistent disparities in lupus outcomes by increasing participation of underrepresented populations in clinical trials. The Office of Minority Health focuses on improving the health and well-being of minority populations, and this initiative reflects its broader mission to reduce health inequities through community-based interventions and evidence-informed strategies. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the development and implementation of integrated, community-based models that improve awareness, referral, screening, enrollment, and retention in lupus clinical trials. The program emphasizes moving beyond basic outreach to measurable participation outcomes, particularly among populations disproportionately affected by lupus, including racial and ethnic minorities and women of childbearing age. Projects are expected to reduce barriers across the clinical trial participation pathway and strengthen connections between community outreach efforts and clinical research infrastructure. Funding under this program is structured as grant awards with an estimated total funding pool of 3000000 dollars and approximately six awards anticipated. Each award is expected to be approximately 500000 dollars, with a period of performance of up to 36 months. Funds may be used for outreach, education, partnership development, intervention implementation, evaluation, and dissemination activities. Recipients must implement evidence-informed practices, build and sustain partnerships with healthcare providers and clinical trial sites, and demonstrate measurable increases in clinical trial participation. Cost sharing or matching is not required for this program. Eligible applicants include a wide range of public and private nonprofit entities located in the United States and its territories, including community-based organizations, state and local governments, tribal organizations, and institutions of higher education. Faith-based organizations and nonprofit entities without 501(c)(3) status are also eligible. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and must include a complete project narrative, appendices, and a detailed budget package. Applicants are required to demonstrate organizational capacity, describe a clear project plan, and outline an evaluation strategy capable of measuring statistically significant outcomes. The application process involves strict formatting and submission requirements, including the use of standard federal forms and adherence to page limits. Applications are reviewed through a multi-stage process including eligibility screening, responsiveness review, and merit review by an independent panel. Evaluation criteria include project significance, clarity of goals and outcomes, quality of the project plan, organizational capacity, evaluation rigor, and dissemination strategy. Applicants must also outline how they will track participant outcomes and collaborate with clinical trial sites to validate enrollment data. Key dates include a technical assistance webinar scheduled for June 24, 2026, and a final application deadline of July 10, 2026. Awards are anticipated to be made by September 30, 2026, with projects beginning shortly thereafter. Recipients are required to submit quarterly performance and financial reports and must comply with federal regulations governing grant administration. The program is expected to recur annually, and future funding cycles will depend on appropriations and program priorities. For inquiries, applicants may contact program and grants management staff via the Office of Minority Health.

Focus on measurable outcomes and demonstrated ability to convert outreach into clinical trial enrollment; strong partnerships with clinical trial sites are critical; rigorous evaluation design required