Cooperative Agreements for State-Based Comprehensive Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Programs

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds state-based and tribal colorectal cancer screening programs through Cooperative Agreements (CFDA 93.919), with the most recent award disbursed on August 30, 2025.

The program funds implementation of evidence-based interventions to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in federally qualified health centers, community health centers, and tribal health systems, targeting adults aged 45–75, particularly those with low income, no or inadequate insurance, and those residing in rural areas. Recent awards prioritize populations with historically lower screening rates and high disease burden, with recipients such as Vermont, West Virginia, Utah, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Alaska establishing partnerships with primary care clinics to deploy screening strategies including patient and provider reminders, patient navigation, provider feedback, and structural barrier reduction. Examples include Vermont's program aiming for at least 5 percent increases in stool test returns and colonoscopy completion; West Virginia University targeting 15 percent improvement over baseline screening rates; and the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest expanding colorectal cancer screening among American Indian and Alaska Native populations with tribal health systems.

The portfolio contains 421 awards totaling $2.13 billion in combined federal dollars obligated since 2001, with recent activity concentrated in 2022 (70 awards) and fluctuating thereafter (2023: 39 awards; 2024: 11 awards; 2025: 27 awards). The assistance-type mix is evenly split between Cooperative Agreements (52 percent, 217 awards) and Project Grants (48 percent, 203 awards), with one Block Grant. All five distinct funding agencies in the portfolio are components of the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicating complete funding concentration. The portfolio reflects a shift in program scope: while the Assistance Listing describes breast and cervical cancer early detection programs, recent awards overwhelmingly fund colorectal cancer screening expansion, suggesting the program has evolved or been redirected to address rising colorectal cancer incidence and mortality disparities.

Individual award magnitudes typically range from $850,000 to $2.17 million. Recent opportunities for this program cycle were not identified in the source material; the most recent posted opportunity dates to 2015–2016 as continuation funding.