The VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (Massey) and Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University (ODU) were awarded an NCI grant in 2024 titled “The Virginia Advancing Cancer Control Engaged Research Through Transformative Solutions (VA-ACCERT) Center”. The VA-ACCERT Center is Co-Led by Drs. Bernard Fuemmeler and Jessica LaRose from VCU and Dr. Brynn Sheehan from ODU. This U19 includes funding to support four Community Responsive Research Projects (CRRP). The following is the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 2026 CRRP.

A. Purpose

• The VA-ACCERT center is part of a consortium of 3 other similar centers across the country (Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Washington University at St. Louis) all focused on advancing multi-level intervention science in cancer prevention by leveraging academic-community partnership models.
• The VA-ACCERT center aims to advance multi-level intervention research designed to improve cancer health promotion and prevention services among those living within Virginia’s Department of Housing and Urban Development-administered income-based housing – communities that experience multiple social drivers of health (SDOH).
• To partner with community members living income-based housing to identify community-grounded strategies

B. Eligibility

• All applications must be led by a CRRP Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) team inclusive of at least one Academic PI(Principal Investigator) and one Community PI from theHousing Collaborative Community Advisory Board (HCCAB). The VA-ACCERT team will identify the Community PI following the Letter of Intent (LOI) approval based on community interests, skills, and availability.
• The Academic PI must be affiliated with Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University. Any Co-Investigators may be from other institutions or community organizations. All Co-Investigators must state their affiliation in the Letter of Intent.
• Priority will be given to Academic PI(s) who are early-stage investigators or new investigators (per the National Institutes of Health (NIH) definition) to promote the development of early career cancer equity scholars.
• Academic PI(s) from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral science are strongly encouraged to apply 
• At least one member of the Project Team must have attended the VA-ACCERT Closing the Gap Summit (Saturday, March 21st, 2026). A potential Community PI in attendance does not satisfy this requirement.

C. Terms of Award

• One (1) CRRP project will be awarded per year. 
• The 2026 award will have a 24-month maximum project period. 
• The pilot will award up to $145,000 over 3 years ($25,000 Y1, $60,000 Y2, $60,000 Y3) in direct cost. Indirect costs will be added to the award at the institution’s IDC rate..
• Projects must be conducted within one or more income-based housing communities, with income-based housing residents as their population of focus.
• Projects must be responsive to the topics and discussions from the March 2026 Closing the Gap Summit: Cancer Risk Reduction. Please note there is currently a five-year VA-ACCERT study targeting social drivers of health across multiple levels of influence to promote nutrition quality and physical activity. This intervention includes an mHealth component, experiential community-based activities, as well as built environment structures to support access to nutritious foods and spaces for safe physical activity. To minimize scientific overlap, applications focused solely on these topics will not be considered responsive.
• Awardees will become full members of the VA-ACCERT Center Team. CRRP PIs and project team will be expected to attend VA-ACCERT meetings and participate in relevant center activities. CRRP PIs will be asked to present at least annually to the VA-ACCERT Executive Steering Committee (ESC) and bimonthly to the HCCAB. CRRP PIs and Co-Is will also have the opportunity to participate in consortium-wide workgroups with the other three ACCERT centers.
• The VA-ACCERT Team will provide technical assistance to all awardees including the following:
• VA-ACCERT Center Leadership will support the project design and methods, and inform best practice for implementation. 1) CRRP PIs will meet bimonthly with the HCCAB for community-based guidance on study activities and incorporate their feedback.  2) The VA-ACCERT Research Methods, Measures, and Data Management (RMMDM) Core will support data collection, management and analysis. The RMMDM Core will hold quarterly Work-in-Progress sessions with the CRRP PIs and project team to provide ongoing feedback.  3) The VA-ACCERT Community Core will facilitate all community connections, including identifying a Community PI, providing community-engagement best practices, identifying and connecting CRRP PIs with Regional Housing Authorities for recruitment and data collection, and scheduling meetings with the HCCAB for CRRP feedback.
• Progress reports are required at six months, one year, and two years and include a narrative of completed aims, satisfactory explanations for changes, progress toward scientific and community dissemination, and future plans.
• Projects are expected to be completed within the specific budget period. No-cost extensions and annual carry over of funds are not permitted due to restrictions on the parent grant award. Projects will be monitored quarterly for scientific progress and expenditures, and the CRRP PIs will be expected to account for any inactivity in any given quarter.
• Projects must have IRB approvals in place within 90 days of receipt of the Notice of Award. The official start date of the award and the release of funding will begin once the compliance approvals have been submitted.
• All awards, publications, and presentations must acknowledge VA-ACCERT (U19CA291433).

D. CRRP 2025 Pilot Deadlines

• NOFO Release - 2/20/2026
• Closing the Gap Summit - 3/21/2026
• NOFO Overview Webinar - 4/7/2026 (1:00pm - 1:45pm) 

                 - Topic: VA-ACCERT NOFO #3 Webinar

                 - Time: Apr 7, 2026 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

                 - WEBINAR LINK

• Letter of Intent due by 5:00pm EST - 5/22/2026
• Selected Applicants invited to submit full application - 6/26/2026
• Full Applications due by 5:00pm EST - 9/18/2026
• Award Notifications - 12/1/2026
• Earliest Start Date - 2/1/2027

E. Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission Guidelines

• Submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) is required. 
• Applicants must submit a maximum two-page concept including the following:

           - Brief overview of rationale 

           - Specific aims and hypotheses 

           - Approach - Must include a description of the study design, sample, outcomes and measures

• NIH biosketch(s) for the academic PI(s)
• Within the project description included on the LOI form, applicants must describe 1) how their project aligns with the VA-ACCERT Center’s goals and principles of Community Engaged Research, 2) utilizes the Center’s theoretical models (collective efficacy and social capital), 3) proposes multi-level intervention strategies, 4) addresses cancer equity, and 5) utilizes the VA-ACCERT Center’s resources including the RMMDM Core and Community Core.
• When relevant, applicants are encouraged to describe ways in which their projects will involve trainees, like graduate students or postdoctoral students.
• Proposed projects must be flexible to include feedback from the VA-ACCERT Leadership and Cores, as well as the Community PI and HCCAB. Due to the flexible nature of this funding notice, applicants should highlight key decision points in the project where they plan to seek VA-ACCERT or community feedback. Applicants should also note how they will incorporate ongoing feedback from VA-ACCERT and the community to guide their work.
• The LOIs will be reviewed by the VA-ACCERT Leadership Committee and the Summit planning committee, which includes HCCAB member representation. Select applicant teams will be invited to submit a full application by 7/2/2026.  No feedback will be provided on the LOIs.

F. Questions:

For any questions regarding the VA-ACCERT CRRP, please contact:

Kassandra Prasanna

Program Administrator, M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University

Email: prasankm@odu.edu

**Phone calls by appointment only. Email for phone consultation**

For any questions regarding Submittable.com, please contact:

Alex Haynes,  Manager for Membership and CCSG Data Analytics, Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center 

Email: haynesa4@vcu.edu

Click below for  aSubmittable.com VA-ACCERT CRRP tutorial

Video Tutorial