The "Pragmatic Trials across the Cancer Control Continuum (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required)" grant, issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports the development of evidence-based cancer-related interventions through pragmatic clinical trials. This reissued funding opportunity (PAR-25-072) emphasizes inclusivity and contextual relevance by targeting diverse populations, settings, and healthcare systems across the United States. The overarching aim is to ensure that effective interventions resonate with real-world populations and healthcare environments.

This opportunity involves a two-phased cooperative agreement: a UG3 phase (up to two years) focused on refining interventions and preparing for trial execution, and a UH3 phase (up to four years) for conducting the full pragmatic trial. Pragmatic trials are structured to reflect "usual" care conditions and are intended to guide decision-making across a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, policymakers, and community organizations. Proposed trials must test interventions that address at least one stage in the cancer control continuum and demonstrate potential for meaningful impact on cancer-related outcomes such as survivorship, quality of care, or health behaviors.

Funding may support a wide variety of interventions, including behavioral, technological, healthcare delivery, multilevel, and implementation strategies. Projects are especially encouraged to address gaps in the existing evidence base by focusing on populations experiencing health disparities, such as racial and ethnic minorities, those in rural or low-resource settings, and communities with socioeconomic disadvantages. Interventions that explore economic hardship, telehealth delivery, or shared decision-making in cancer care are also encouraged.

Applicants may include a range of organizations, including institutions of higher education, local and state governments, tribal organizations, nonprofits, and for-profit entities. While foreign organizations may not apply, foreign components are permitted as part of U.S. applicants’ work. The opportunity mandates a clinical trial design that includes both intervention and control or comparison groups. Only applications that meet this and other core eligibility requirements—such as milestone documentation and study feasibility—will proceed through review.

Applications must be submitted electronically and follow detailed NIH submission requirements. Letters of Intent are encouraged but not required and should be submitted 30 days prior to the application due date. The next submission windows are February 14, 2025; June 14, 2025; and October 17, 2025. Final submissions are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization on those dates. Applications will be evaluated based on scientific merit, feasibility, innovation, investigator expertise, and the quality of the proposed milestones and trial design.

Key points of contact for specific areas of interest include NIH staff across health disparities, behavioral research, healthcare delivery, survivorship, and clinical trial management. The opportunity underscores the NIH’s commitment to health equity and the translation of research into practice to improve cancer outcomes in real-world settings.