Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (U34 Clinical Trials Optional)
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-04-29. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If you have a cancer prevention or control trial concept but need to validate design and feasibility before committing to a full trial, this planning grant de-risks your approach with NIH funding.
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What this is
The Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant (U34) helps researchers and organizations conduct small-scale feasibility and planning studies to address gaps in knowledge about study populations, intervention design, accrual challenges, and operational risks before launching full clinical trials. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, small businesses, for-profits, government entities, and academic institutions. This mechanism is ideal for teams that have preliminary data or scientific rationale for a clinical trial but need to test design assumptions, streamline protocols, and reduce future costs and delays.
Who can apply
Nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, for-profits, universities, government entities (state, county, city), Native American tribes, and independent school districts are all eligible. No geographic restrictions.
Eligible applicant types
- County governments
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- State governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Small businesses
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Independent school districts
- City or township governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Full description — from the agency
The purpose of this NOFO is to facilitate well planned clinical trials across the cancer prevention and control spectrum aimed at improving prevention/ interception, cancer-related health behaviors, screening, early detection, healthcare delivery, management of treatment-related symptoms, supportive care, and the long-term outcomes of cancer survivors. Although the scientific literature or preliminary data may provide the rationale for conducting a clinical trial, investigators often lack critical information about the study population, accrual challenges, intervention, outcome/ endpoints, data/statistical challenges or operational risks necessary to finalize the trial protocol completely. These information gaps can result in multiple protocol changes before and after trial start-up, leading to the need for additional time and expenses that may prevent study completion. Further, the suitability and feasibility of new trial designs, which minimize infrastructure and reduce costs may need to be tested in the context of a particular intervention, at-risk group, symptom or venue. Preparatory studies may fill information gaps and address unknowns, improving trial design and knowledge of trial feasibility and thus saving NCI time and money.
Topics: cancer clinical trials planning · cancer prevention feasibility studies · clinical trial protocol development · cancer control research · cancer screening trials · cancer survivorship outcomes
Public-source funding discovery only. This summary is generated from public agency data and may be incomplete or stale. NonDilute is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government agency. Official notices and agency instructions control. NonDilute does not determine eligibility, provide grant-writing advice, or guarantee funding.