The Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) are issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to support NCI-designated Cancer Centers. These centers act as epicenters for cancer research and innovation, playing a crucial role in discovery, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The grants aim to integrate diverse scientific disciplines into a cohesive research enterprise. Three types of Cancer Centers may be supported through this funding opportunity: Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Clinical Cancer Centers, and Basic Cancer Centers. Each center type has specific focus areas and research responsibilities.

The primary objective of the CCSGs is to foster interactive and high-impact cancer research through multiple initiatives including formal research programs, centralized shared resources, strategic planning, developmental funding, and coordination of cancer education and clinical trials. These centers are also tasked with community engagement and outreach, integrating local and regional populations into research efforts. Comprehensive Centers, in particular, are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to translational and transdisciplinary research across all scientific areas.

Funding supports are intended to enhance collaborative research productivity through centralized administrative and scientific support structures. The CCSGs fund a variety of components such as cancer research training and education, shared resource management, clinical protocol data oversight, and community outreach. Although CCSGs do not directly finance all cancer center activities, they play a foundational role in supporting infrastructure necessary for high-level cancer research and its application.

Eligibility for funding depends on the applicant institution’s existing cancer-focused funding base, as measured by NIH's Research Condition and Disease Categorization (RCDC) system. For new applicants, the funding thresholds are $6 million for Basic Cancer Centers and $10 million for Clinical Cancer Centers. Renewal applications require at least $10 million in annual direct peer-reviewed cancer-related funding. Consortium arrangements are permitted only for renewal applications, and they must meet strict integration, collaboration, and governance criteria.

Applications must be submitted following the SF424 (R&R) guidelines, specifically the Multi-Project (M) instructions. Required components for submission include detailed data tables, descriptions of administrative cores, research programs, training efforts, and clinical data systems. Applications are reviewed for scientific merit, organizational capability, institutional commitment, cancer focus, collaborative strategies, and leadership. The CCSG provides funding for five years, with the possibility of a two-year extension based on exceptional performance.

Key deadlines follow NIH standard submission dates, with the earliest submission allowed from December 25, 2021, and the current expiration date set for January 8, 2026. Updates to this opportunity have included removal of the previously required Plan to Enhance Diversity (PED) core and changes to application review protocols. Applicants must use the NIH ASSIST system or approved system-to-system solutions to apply. Institutions must be registered with DUNS, SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov before applying.