HDRP Newsletter, January 2022

Research Spotlight: Social Risks in Cancer Care

Addressing Social Risks in Cancer Care Delivery Workshop

Social risks contribute to adverse cancer outcomes, including greater rates of treatment nonadherence, treatment delays, and decreased health-related quality of life. Increasingly, healthcare delivery systems are implementing interventions to address patients’ social needs as part of routine clinical practice. However, there is limited evidence to guide the delivery of system-level efforts, especially in varied settings in which cancer care is provided. The National Academies of Sciences has proposed five system-level activities (Awareness, Assistance, Adjustment, Alignment, and Advocacy) to strengthen the integration of services that address social risks and social needs into care delivery.

Recognizing the significant barriers that social risks pose to the equitable delivery and utilization of cancer care, HDRP held a 3-day virtual workshop on Addressing Social Risks in Cancer Care Delivery. The workshop, held on October 14-18, 2021, focused on research needs and priorities for addressing social risks among diverse cancer patient and survivor populations, specifically food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers. Over 455 individuals attended the workshop, including clinicians, researchers, community leaders, cancer patients, survivors, and advocates, representing a broad range of experiences and expertise. Using the National Academies of Sciences’ Social and Healthcare Integration Framework, the workshop featured panel presentations and participatory discussions that highlighted examples of effective and promising approaches for addressing social risks among diverse cancer populations, and discussed research gaps, challenges, and opportunities to advance social risk research in diverse cancer settings. More information about the workshop, including meeting materials will be available soon on our News & Events webpage. Recordings from the meeting will be made available soon.

Announcements

HDRP FY 2021 Grant Portfolio

In FY 2021, HDRP funded 49 new grants, totaling over $29 million. These grants supported research across the cancer continuum to improve cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care.

For a complete listing of all grants currently funded by HDRP, visit our funding grants page.

Policy Updates

NCI is currently operating under an FY 2022 continuing resolution (CR) that funds the government at FY 2021 levels. The interim CR NCI funding policies for FY 2022 are available on the Division of Extramural Activitieswebsite.

Additionally, interim paylines for several frequently used funding mechanisms are as follows:

Call for Papers!

JCO Oncology Practice (JCO OP) is now accepting manuscripts for a special issue on teams in cancer care delivery, led by guest editors Michael Kosty, John Cox, Sallie Weaver, and Veronica Chollette. This special issue will focus on the principles and structures that underpin effective and high-performing teams in cancer care delivery. JCO OP invites submissions that illustrate the intentional organization and practical application of teams and teamwork principles in oncology practice. Ideal papers will provide evidence for strategies that improve team-based cancer care delivery, strengthen workforce relationships, evaluate well-designed quality improvement projects, address policy, or outline the business case for oncology team care. Submissions are requested by May 1, 2022, for publication in the October 2022 issue. Please email Sallie Weaver or Veronica Chollette with questions.

Policy Updates

NIH Expanding Usage of Notices of Special Interest (NOT-OD-19-107)

This notice informs the extramural community that NIH is expanding and formalizing the use of Notices of Special Interest (NOSI) posted in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts to announce interest in specific scientific research topics.

How Does a NOSI Work?

A NOSI is a standard, formal format for NIH institutes to share and update their research priorities. A NOSI describes specific topics of interest and will direct applicants to one or more active notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for application submission. A NOSI is not a NOFO and is listed as a notice in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. Applicants should read NOSIs carefully for any special requirements related to that specific announcement.

For more information about NOSIs sponsored by HDRP, visit the funding opportunities page of our website and read more in our Funding Opportunities section of this newsletter.

COVID-19 Updates and Funding Opportunities

NIH is working to accelerate the development and delivery of therapeutic interventions, vaccines, and diagnostics for COVID-19. For more information, visit the latest research information from NIH.

NCI is mobilizing its scientific experts and cutting-edge resources to conduct research on COVID-19. For information about ongoing research initiatives, visit NCI COVID-19 Research Initiatives.

NCI COVID-19 Funding Opportunities and Policy

Click the links below for more information.

• PA-20-172 — Long-term Effects of Disasters on Health Care Systems Serving Health Disparity Populations (R01- Clinical Trial Optional)
• NOT-OD-21-180 — Clarification and Guidance for Applicants Preparing Applications for the Fall 2021 Due Dates During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• NOT-OD-21-179 — Extending the Special Exception to the NIH/AHRQ/NIOSH Post-submission Material Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: May 2022 Council

For information about other funding opportunities for COVID-19 research at NCI, visit NCI Funding Announcements and Notices for COVID-19.

For information about funding opportunities sponsored by other institutes and centers at NIH, visit the latest research information from NIH.

COVID-19 Information for NIH Applicants and Grant Recipients

NIH is deeply concerned for the health and safety of people involved in NIH research, and about the effects on the biomedical enterprise in the areas affected by the HHS-declared public health emergency for COVID-19. Due to the potential exceptional impact, we want to assure our grant recipient community that NIH will be doing its part to help you continue your research.

For up-to-date information, guidance, and resources, visit the NIH Applicant/Recipient COVID-19 Update History webpage.

COVID-19 is an evolving situation and NIH/NCI is committed to keeping you informed.

• What people with cancer should know: Coronavirus: What People with Cancer Should Know
• The latest public health information from CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Guidance for cancer researchers: COVID-19 Information for Cancer Researchers
• Get the Latest research information from NIH: NIH COVID-19 Research

Requests for Applications (RFAs)

There are currently no new RFAs for healthcare delivery research since the last edition of this newsletter. For a complete list of RFAs, visit our funding opportunities webpage.

HDRP Funding Announcements

This section includes links to new NOFOs for healthcare delivery research published since the last edition of this newsletter. For a complete list of NOFOs, visit our funding opportunities webpage.

Funding Opportunities

Surgical Disparities Research, PAR-20-079 (R01)

Contact: Brenda Adjei
Expiration Date: July 6, 2022

Measures and Methods to Advance Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities-Related Constructs PAR-22-072 (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Contact: Roxanne Jensen and Janeth Sanchez
Expiration Date: May 8, 2024

Health Care Models for Persons with Multiple Chronic Conditions from Populations that Experience Health Disparities: Advancing Health Care towards Health Equity PAR-22-092 (R01)

Contact: Sallie Weaver
Expiration Date: September 8, 2024

Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (Reissue of PAR-19-277) PAR-21-341 (R01)

Contact: Mukesh Verma
Expiration Date: October 9, 2024

Notices of Special Interest (NOSI)

NOSI: Research on Interprofessional Teamwork and Coordination During Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, NOT-CA-22-014

Contact: Sallie Weaver and Veronica Chollette
Expiration Date: October 9, 2024

For more information about funding including additional notice of funding opportunities, please visit our Funding page.

HDRP Workshops

Workshop on Advancing Rapid-cycle Research to Improve Cancer Care Delivery

HDRP and the DCCPS Implementation Science Team will hold a workshop on Advancing Rapid-Cycle Research to Improve Cancer Care Delivery on February 16-17, 2022, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (virtual). The goals of this workshop are to bring together researchers, clinicians, patients, survivors, advocates, administrators, and payors representing a broad range of expertise to describe key features, identify barriers, and discuss opportunities for advancing rapid-cycle research to optimize cancer care delivery. Register here. A recent Fireside Chat about rapid-cycle research by the workshop co-leads can be viewed on our website.

Short Course: Cluster Randomized Designs in Cancer Care Delivery Research

HDRP will hold a short course, Cluster Randomized Designs in Cancer Care Delivery Research May 3-5, from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. This short course will provide training in the design, conduct, and analysis of cluster randomized trials and stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials. These trials are increasingly used to evaluate interventions that improve care delivery and study strategies for implementing efficacious interventions in routine clinical practice. They require specific methods of design and statistical analysis.

This course will include the rationale for using these designs, specific design issues, the randomization process, sample size calculations, analytical methods, ethical considerations, practical issues in managing these trials, and trial reporting and interpretation. Principles will be illustrated using case studies of stepped-wedge and cluster randomized trials across the cancer control continuum (prevention, treatment, survivorship, and at end-of-life). The intended audience includes PhD-prepared cancer care delivery or implementation science researchers (including statisticians) and post-doctoral fellows (both at NIH and in the international academic community), other trainees, NIH Program Directors, NIH CSR Staff, and other NCI program staff. Dates and registration information is available on our News & Events webpage.

For information and archived recordings of HDRP’s previous events, visit the Events webpage.

Upcoming Webinars

Cancer Caregiving Webinar Series

This five-part webinar series will invite NCI-funded grantees to describe their accomplishments, challenges, and next steps in cancer caregiving research. Each session will have dedicated presentations from each of the funded grantees. This webinar series will conclude in May with an NCI-led discussion of themes among the funded grants and key opportunities for future research to support cancer caregiving. Register here.

• February 23, 2022 – 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
• March 17, 2022 – 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
• April 19, 2022 – 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
• May 18, 2022 – 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Addressing Social Risks in Cancer Care Delivery Webinar Series

Dates and registration information coming soon to our News & Events webpage. The webinars will cover the following topics:

• Summary of Addressing Social Risks in Cancer Care Delivery Workshop
• A Decade of Social Risk Research in Cancer: A systematic review of the literature on food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers among cancer patients and survivors
• A survey of diverse cancer settings and their experiences addressing social risk
• Small Business Innovation Research Program: Software to address social determinants of health in oncology practices

For other upcoming events please check our News & Events page. Events are updated regularly. To view our archived events, check our Events page.

Data and Resources

This section features information about a select number of HDRP’s data resources. A complete list of HDRP’s data and resources is available on our Data & Tools webpage.

SEER-Medicare, SEER-Medicaid, SEER-CAHPS, SEER-MHOS

SEER-CAHPS: We have recently updated the years of data in our data resource. SEER-CAHPS now includes the following years of data:

• SEER cancer registry data 1999-2017
• Medicare CAHPS surveys 1997-2019
• Medicare Claims data 1999-2019

SEER-Medicaid: We are in process of updating the SEER-Medicaid linkage. This update will expand the included cancer diagnosis years to 1999-2019 and the Medicaid enrollment data to 1999-2018. The updated linkage is anticipated to be released by the end of 2022.

SEER-Medicare: We are in process of updating the SEER-Medicare linkage. This update will include 2 more recent years of cancer diagnosis data, covering 1999-2019, and Medicare data from 1999-2019. The updated linkage is anticipated to be released by the end of 2022.

SEER-MHOS: We have recently updated the years of data in this data resource. SEER-MHOS now includes the following years of data:

• SEER Cancer Registry Data 1973-2017
• Medicare Health Outcome Survey Cohorts (1-20) 1997-2019
• Medicare Part D (Medication) Claims Data 2007-2019

To learn more about the SEER linkages, visit SEER-Medicare, SEER-Medicaid, SEER-CAHPS, and SEER-MHOS.

MEPS Experiences with Cancer Survivorship Supplement

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) cancer working group continues to prepare for a new Experience with Cancer supplemental questionnaire to accompany a future MEPS. New questions on this supplement may include survivorship care, social determinants of health, chronic/long-term symptoms, social isolation/social support, and conversations with health care providers about clinical trial participation. For more information, visit MEPS.

POC*Explorer

The NCI Patterns of Care (POC) studies are congressionally mandated initiatives to evaluate the dissemination of state-of-the-art cancer therapy and diagnostics into community oncology practice and identify patient-, provider-, and system-level factors associated with cancer care. POC has been conducted in collaboration with SEER registries since 1987 and has included 32 different types of cancer. Because POC includes very detailed (although de-identified) patient-level information, access to POC data are restricted. To provide increased access to POC data, HDRP is creating POC*Explorer, an online tool providing public access to aggregate data from select POC studies. Modeled on SEER*Explorer, POC*Explorer will provide free access to some of the unique data elements collected by POC, including insurance coverage, clinical trial participation, tumor mutation testing, and use of systemic cancer therapies. The initial version of POC*Explorer will present both unweighted counts and weighted (to the overall SEER population) percents from the 2010 and 2015 POC colorectal cancer study populations. This online resource will expand over time based on user interest and feedback. POC*Explorer will be available in early 2022. For more information, visit POC.

National Health Interview Survey

NHIS 2020 data are available at the National Center for Health Statistics website. These data include sun safety/skin cancer, physical activity, and the walking environment, and several questions on COVID-related delays in cancer care.

HDRP Employment and Training Opportunities

HDRP is excited to announce that we are recruiting for the following employment opportunity:

• Cancer Research Training Award, Office of the Associate Director: This fellowship opportunity includes helping to coordinate, evaluate, and manage highly visible programmatic projects in the Office of the Associate Director and across HDRP. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following: managing planning activities for major funded research initiatives in HDRP; supporting strategic planning efforts; maintaining project databases and preparing summary reports; promoting HDRP activities through health communication and social media; and contributing to specific areas of scientific research within HDRP. The Fellow would also help manage, coordinate, and plan special projects with HDRP’s Associate Director, Deputy Associate Director, and Program Directors, including preparing and organizing presentations and proposals, conducting literature searches, and coordinating the evaluation of the HDRP grant portfolio. Additional duties include participating in and assisting with HDRP-supported scientific meetings, webinars, and other project management tasks.

Visit the Employment and Training webpage to learn more about HDRP Employment and Training opportunities.