HDRP Newsletter, July 2025

HDRP Events: Upcoming and Recap

HDRP continues to lead efforts that highlight scientific priorities for healthcare delivery research. Visit our News & Events page for a comprehensive listing of events. A recap of HDRP-led webinars and workshops since our last newsletter are listed below. To view post-meeting materials, visit the HDRP website and relevant event links.

Upcoming

HDRP has launched a new webinar series that integrates “Medicare Advantage and Cancer Care.” Entitled, Advancing Cancer Care Research in Medicare Advantage: Examining the Issues, Data, Measures, and Methods, the purpose of this webinar series is to discuss how dramatic increases in Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment over the past decade have heightened the need to examine cancer-related care quality and access within the MA program. The series is designed to provide researchers with state-of-the-art information regarding:

1. Available data to capture the structures of MA plans and care delivery in MA;
2. Challenges and best practices to using these data; and
3. Analytic approaches used to study how MA enrollment affects cancer-related care.

Registration for each webinar is now open! Below are the webinar titles and dates; all times are from 1pm to 3pm ET:

• August 5, 2025: Using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to measure cancer-related care and outcomes in Medicare Advantage (MA) (webinar 1)
• August 7, 2025: Measurement and assessment of Medicare Advantage (MA) plan types, benefits, networks (webinar 2)
• August 14, 2025: Medicare Advantage enrollment and plan selection behaviors, and causal inference methods to address selection (webinar 3)

Recap

On October 3, 2024, HDRP hosted Area-level and geospatial analyses of patient experiences with healthcare: A SEER-CAHPS webinar. SEER-CAHPS data resource allows for research on patient reported care quality based on a linkage between the NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) patient surveys. This webinar provided a practical introduction to examining geographic and other area-level factors for this linked data resource and discussed various methods for performing descriptive and inferential analyses.

SEER-MHOS Webinar Series

NCI supports a research resource linking Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data with Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. SEER-MHOS offers investigators the opportunity to examine cancer health outcomes, such as health-related quality of life and activities of daily living, along with clinical and epidemiologic information.

• On October 29, 2024, HDRP hosted the last webinar in the 2024 series entitled, Using Medicare Advantage Enrollment Data in SEER-MHOS research projects. This webinar showcased the Medicare enrollment and plan files available in the SEER-MHOS dataset, highlighted the value these files may add to a SEER-MHOS analysis, and described key considerations when using these files.
• On June 24, 2025, HDRP hosted the first of three webinars for the 2025 series entitled, Measuring Prescription Opioid Use Using Medicare Part D Claims Data in SEER-MHOS Research Projects. This webinar described the different ways to measure prescription opioid use for use in SEER-MHOS studies. Medicare Part D claims linked to SEER-MHOS at the patient level allow for a variety of alternative prescription opioid measures to be constructed to support studies of risky prescribing, pain management practices, and the epidemiology of pain. A demonstration of the tools used to identify and classify prescription opioids was also discussed.

Healthcare Teams 2024 Cyber Discussion Series

The goal of the HCT initiative is to advance a program of research that supports the development and implementation of evidence-based strategies that improve healthcare team functioning, care coordination, and cancer-related outcomes. Each year, HDRP hosts the HCT Cyber Discussion Series. Below is a summary of the webinar series and sessions with targeted themes.

2024: Advanced Practice Providers Across the Cancer Continuum: Insight & Opportunities from Healthcare Delivery Research

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) have a critical and still changing role in the ever-evolving landscape of cancer care and research. To address key questions about APP practice regulations, team-based practice models, and high-quality evidence, the NCI developed a two-part webinar series to engage subject matter experts in discussion of opportunities and gaps in healthcare delivery research.

• On November 21, 2024, HDRP hosted session 2 of the series entitled, Advanced Practice Providers' Impact on Cancer Care Delivery: Bridging Research and Practice. This discussion examined the role of APPs in clinical research and explored current research initiatives led by APPs in oncology.

2025: Advancing Team-Based Care Delivery Models & Interventions Across the Cancer Continuum

• This two-part webinar series presents research examining multidisciplinary, interprofessional team-based care delivery models and related interventions to improve care coordination and address care quality and timeliness at multiple points along the cancer continuum. On June 23, 2025, HDRP hosted session 1 of the 2025 series entitled, Advancing Team-Based Care Delivery Models & Interventions Across the Cancer Continuum. This discussion sought to (1) understand teaming and coordination challenges in cancer screening and risk assessment in primary care, (2) discuss approaches used to facilitate these challenges for all American populations, (3) discuss coordination between multidisciplinary teams to strengthen whole person care, and (4) discuss the use of electronic health records to enhance patient-provider decision in team-based care models.

For more information on the current and prior year HCT sessions, visit our News & Events page and filter for “Healthcare Teams Cyber Discussion Series.”

Understanding Cancer Care Delivery through the Medicare Advantage Program

On April 21, 2025, HDRP hosted a webinar designed to highlight the intersection of various features of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and cancer care delivery and outcomes. Under MA, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services contracts with private insurers to provide care for Medicare beneficiaries. This includes coverage of basic and supplemental benefits, benefit designs, provider networks, and care coordination mechanisms may shape beneficiary enrollment decisions and plan choices, and access to specialized cancer care, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes throughout the cancer care journey. Issues, emerging evidence, and the identification of opportunities for future research were examined.

2023-2024 NCI/AcademyHealth Healthcare Delivery Research Visiting Scholar – Dr. Virginia LeBaron

Dr. Virginia LeBaron, Kluge-Schakat Associate Professor of Compassionate Care at the University of Virginia School of Nursing in Charlottesville, VA, was selected as the 2023-2024 NCI/AcademyHealth Visiting Scholar.

Dr. LeBaron, in collaboration with Dr. Sandra Mitchell in the Outcomes Research Branch of HDRP and colleagues from the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch of NCI’s Behavioral Research Program, completed a descriptive and network analysis of inquiries to NCI’s Cancer Information Service (CIS). The CIS is a long-standing resource center, established to provide free, accurate, and confidential information regarding cancer care across the continuum (prevention through end-of-life, EOL) to diverse information seekers including patients, caregivers, health professionals, scientists/researchers, and the media. Dr. LeBaron’s study focused on EOL-related inquiries to the CIS initiated by patients and caregivers between September 2018 to June 2024.

Patients with cancer at the EOL, and informal caregivers who help care for them, experience a multitude of physical, social, emotional, and spiritual information needs as they navigate treatment options and make decisions about goals of care. However, little is known about the specific types of information patients and caregivers seek at the EOL, and how to best translate these information needs into effective models of care delivery. Dr. LeBaron’s study suggested that the top three most frequent inquiries to the CIS pertained to finding healthcare services, questions related to clinical trials, and questions about palliative care and hospice.

Her work underscored: (1) the importance of providing patients and caregivers with information related to finding appropriate healthcare services and resources; (2) the challenges individuals face as they navigate decisions related to curative versus comfort-focused treatment paths; and (3) the urgent need to develop and test innovative models of care delivery that enhance community-based support and leverage technology to identify dynamically evolving information needs and match these needs with personalized support.

Results from her work as the NCI/ AcademyHealth Visiting Scholar were presented at the 2024 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting and the Oncology Nursing Society Congress and are currently being prepared for publication. You can learn more about her study of EOL information needs among cancer survivors and their caregivers by viewing Dr. LeBaron’s webinar.

Research Spotlight

Helping Young Adults with Cancer Navigate Life’s Challenges

A cancer diagnosis can derail the lives of young adults at a particularly vulnerable time — just as they’re launching careers, building relationships, starting families, or becoming financially independent. Compared to older adults, they often report higher levels of emotional distress and poorer quality of life. New findings from an NCI/HDRP-funded study (R37CA240807) were presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting offer a promising solution. Findings were also highlighted in a recent article in Healio. Led by Dr. Katie Devine of Rutgers Cancer Institute, the randomized trial tested a novel intervention called Bright IDEAS-Young Adults (Bright IDEAS-YA). The program teaches practical problem-solving skills through six one-on-one sessions and was shown to significantly reduce depression and anxiety, while also improving overall quality of life.

Dr. Devine tailored the intervention specifically for young adults with cancer. Participants learned to approach challenges using a structured method — Identify the problem, Define the options, Evaluate those options, Act, and See if it worked — helping them reframe problems as manageable instead of overwhelming. Most participants completed the follow-up surveys, and the results showed both statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in emotional well-being. Delivered via telehealth, Bright IDEAS-YA could be scaled to reach more patients, including those in community cancer centers. As Dr. Devine shared in the ASCO Post, “By giving them a set of skills that they can use, I believe we’re empowering them to take on a lot of the challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis and treatment.”

To support this work, Dr. Devine received a prestigious NCI R37 grant, awarded to promising early-career investigators to support long-term, high-impact research. This type of grant is both a mark of distinction and a significant investment in the future of cancer care innovation — offering up to seven years of funding for meritorious projects. Her research aligns with the strong focus at NCI on adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivorship, a population with unique medical and psychosocial needs. This priority is also reflected in national policy, including the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act, which underscores Congress’s commitment to improving outcomes for young cancer survivors.

Policy Updates

Grants-related Information

Funding policy for FY25 and other grant-related policies continue to evolve. Below are links to pages where you can find current information.

• For the most current information on NCI’s funding policy and paylines for FY2025, visit their Funding Policy page.
• NIH has released guidance on salary limitation for FY25; please find more information in NOT-OD-25-085.
• Please find the updated NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards at NOT-OD-25-104.
• Please find more information on the updated NIH Processes for No-Cost Extensions at NOT-OD-25-110.
• Please see NOT-OD-25-114 for more information on a Notice of Short-Term Extension to Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) Eligibility Period for the following investigators:
  • Investigators whose last submission date for a new/resubmission application, based on ESI eligibility, was October/November 2024 will be granted a three-receipt cycle extension (roughly twelve additional months). The last submission as an ESI will be October 2025.
  • Individuals whose last submission date for a new/resubmission application, based on ESI eligibility, was February/March 2025 will be granted a two-receipt cycle extension (roughly eight additional months). The last submission as an ESI will be October 2025.
  • Individuals whose last submission date for a new/resubmission application, based on ESI eligibility, will be June/July 2025 will be granted a one-receipt cycle extension (roughly four additional months). The last submission as an ESI will be October 2025.
• NIH has released a reminder that the Simplified Review Framework will be applied to all relevant applications for August/October 2025 Councils, please find more information in NOT-OD-25-116.

Grantsmanship Resources

HDRP offers a “one-stop-shop” of relevant links to help investigators learn more about NIH and NCI information and policies related to writing and submitting new, resubmission, late, and renewal grant applications. Visit the Grantsmanship Resources page here.

The NIH Grants and Funding site has been redesigned to facilitate the needs of our grants community. Visit the new grants and funding page.

Announcements

DCCPS CONNECTS: Overview

DCCPS’ Committee on NCI Extramural Communications Tools and Support (CONNECTS) promotes investigator engagement and support through grant-related communications, outreach and tools.

CONNECTS recently developed resources that investigators can use to learn more about applying for NIH funding and policies for specific grant mechanisms. Visit the links below to learn more:

• Key Contacts and Steps in the Grant Funding Process (PDF)
• How to Talk to an NCI Program Director to Begin Your Funding Application Preparation
• Program Project Grant (P01) Process
• Awaiting Receipt of Applications (ARAs) for Large-Budget Grant Applications
• Investigator-Initiated or Unsolicited Administrative Supplements

For any questions or feedback about DCCPS CONNECTS, please email the DCCPS CONNECTS Inbox.

Research Career Development (K Award)

NCI/DCCPS has partnered with the Center for Cancer Training (CCT) to promote new Research Career Development (K) funding opportunities for early career researchers who are working in cancer control and population sciences. The NCI invites early career scientists to apply for up to five (5) years of mentored research training aimed at reducing cancer risk, incidence, morbidity, mortality, and improving quality of life.

For more information on this notice of special interest, visit NOT-CA-24-022.

For more information on the NCI-mentored K01 award, visit the CCT webpage.

HDRP Funding Opportunities

Below are notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) that are sponsored or co-sponsored by HDRP. For the most up-to-date list, visit the HDRP funding opportunities webpage. For other NOFOs in cancer control, visit the DCCPS funding webpage.

Data & Other Resources

HDRP supports the development and maintenance of a variety of data and tools that are available for research use. These resources can be used to address research questions at various points across the cancer control continuum. Below, we highlight a subset of the data resources available to the external research community.

SEER-linked Data Updates

SEER-Medicare data reflects the linkage of two large population-based sources of data that provide detailed information about Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. Below are some updates:

• The SEER-Medicare linkage update has been updated to include 2 more years of data. The linkage now includes SEER data for persons diagnosed with cancer from 1999-2021 linked to their Medicare enrollment and claims data from 1999-2022, and encounter data from 1999-2021.
• New! Within the last year, SEER-Medicare now includes encounter data.
  • Historically, only persons enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service (Traditional Medicare) were included in SEER-Medicare analyses because the only source of healthcare utilization were the claims data and only FFS providers submit claims to Medicare for reimbursement.
  • Over the last decade enrollment in Medicare Advantage (Managed Care, HMO/PPOs) has increased dramatically; over 50% of Medicare beneficiaries are now enrolled in Medicare Advantage. This means that healthcare assessments based on claims data only now are excluding more than half of the Medicare population.
  • Medicare Advantage Organizations (e.g., private insurances who manage Medicare Advantage plans) are now required to submit encounter data to Medicare, and so the release of encounter data should allow for insights into the healthcare utilization among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Access this link for more information.
• To make the data more user-friendly, NCI has started to release summarized SEER-Medicare data products.
  • Data are regrouped into outcome specific Condensed Resource (CoRe) files, which are currently available for request.
  • There are separate CoRe files that: (1) summarize the presence of 16 comorbidities prior to- and post-diagnosis and (2) consolidate all claims-level information (e.g., specific procedure codes and dates are retained) on the receipt of systemic therapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.
  • The comorbidities prior to diagnosis data and further summarized treatment data (e.g., yes/no receipt of treatments) within specified time windows are now available in SEER-Medicare Specialized SEER*stat databases through an application process.
  • The SEER-Medicare CoRe files and Specialized SEER*stat databases will be expanded later this year to include parallel, summarized measures based on the Medicare Advantage encounter data.

National Health Interview System (NHIS) Updates

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a large nationwide survey that monitors the health of the U.S. population. In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NCI sponsors an annual Cancer Control Supplement to the NHIS, which focuses on cancer-related health behaviors in adults. Data from the 2024 Cancer Control Supplement are now available for public use. Topics include lung cancer screening, cigarette use, the walking environment, and sun care and protection.

To learn more about other data resources supported by HDRP, visit our data and other resources page.

NIH News You Can Use!

This section of the HDRP newsletter highlights resources from the NIH Office of Extramural Research’s Extramural Nexus. It is the extramural scientific research community’s source for news on grants policies, processes, and more.

See below for some news that may be relevant to you!

• New Home for Research Training and Career Development Information on the NIH Grants and Funding Website
• New FY 2024 NIH Categorical Spending Data Available, Including an Updated Women’s Health Research Category to Improve Accuracy and Consistency
• My First Substantial Independent Research Award Was Terminated Early. Can My ESI Status Be Reinstated?
• NIH is Temporarily Extending Eligibility for Some Mentored Career Development Awards
• Announcing the NIH Autism Data Science Initiative Research Opportunity

To subscribe to the blog, visit the NIH Extramural Nexus homepage.

Stay Connected!