Consortium on Translational Research in Early Detection of Liver Cancer (Clinical and Research Centers (U01) | RFA CA 17 025

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 17 025

This funding opportunity, RFA-CA-17-025, is a National Institutes of Health cooperative agreement (U01) under the Department of Health and Human Services that aims to build a multi-site Liver Cancer Consortium focused on translational research for the early detection of liver cancer. The core idea is to bring together several Translational Research Centers (TRCs) funded through this U01 mechanism and pair them with a separate Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) funded through a companion U24 announcement (RFA-CA-17-028). Instead of isolated projects, the program is structured as a coordinated network where participating centers carry out aligned studies, share data and samples, and work toward common deliverables that can move promising early detection approaches closer to real-world clinical use.

The TRCs are expected to run research programs that directly address practical gaps in liver cancer surveillance and early diagnosis, particularly in populations at high risk. The FOA highlights three main objectives: improving surveillance approaches for people who are most likely to develop liver cancer, increasing the proportion of liver cancers found at an early stage (when treatment options and outcomes are generally better), and improving risk stratification so clinicians can better identify which patients are most likely to progress to cancer and may benefit from more intensive monitoring. In other words, the work is meant to bridge the space between basic biomarker discovery and clinical application by testing, refining, and validating methods that could realistically strengthen early detection pathways.

A central scientific requirement is that the TRCs base their studies on an appropriate range of biospecimens drawn from cohorts focused on cirrhotic patients, reflecting the real-world clinical context in which hepatocellular carcinoma often arises. The FOA makes clear that biospecimens are not an optional add-on but a foundational element of the research strategy. These specimens can include blood and other body fluids, and when feasible, liver tissue. The samples may already exist within established cohorts or may be collected prospectively moving forward, giving centers flexibility as long as the overall collection is fit for purpose for translational early detection research.

A major consortium-wide deliverable is the creation of a well-annotated repository of biospecimens. This implies that participating centers will not only gather samples but also ensure they are accompanied by high-quality clinical and research metadata that make them usable for validating biomarkers and surveillance tools across sites. In practice, that kind of repository supports reproducibility and cross-validation, allowing findings from one center to be tested in independent sample sets and helping the consortium converge on biomarkers, algorithms, or surveillance strategies with the strongest evidence.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity using the cooperative agreement model, which typically indicates substantial NIH programmatic involvement and an expectation of active collaboration across awardees. The opportunity lists a broad range of eligible applicants, including various levels of government, public and private institutions of higher education, tribal governments and organizations, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and other entities as described in the eligibility details. The program was created on August 21, 2017, with an original closing date of October 24, 2017. The award ceiling is stated as $550,000, and the announcement anticipated making about five awards, indicating a relatively small, focused network designed to function as an integrated consortium rather than a large, loosely connected set of projects.

Overall, the FOA is designed to accelerate progress in liver cancer early detection by funding a coordinated set of clinical and translational research centers that can access and build robust cirrhosis-focused cohorts, generate and share high-value biospecimens, and collaborate through a dedicated data coordinating infrastructure. The emphasis on surveillance improvement, early-stage detection gains, and risk stratification, combined with shared repositories and coordinated data management, signals a clear intention to produce tools and evidence that can translate into more effective clinical monitoring strategies for people at highest risk of liver cancer.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Consortium on Translational Research in Early Detection of Liver Cancer (Clinical and Research Centers (U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 21, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 24, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $550,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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