EGRP Cancer Epidemiology News

June 2026

• The NCI Cohort Consortium Expands Opportunities for Cancer Researchers
• Funding Announcements
• NIH Highlighted Topics
• Grants Policy Notices
• Requests for Information
• Training Opportunities
• NCI & NIH News

The NCI Cohort Consortium Expands Opportunities for Cancer Researchers

The NCI Cohort Consortium promotes large-scale collaborations that pool prospective longitudinal data and biospecimens in order to conduct a wide range of cancer studies. It supports cancer epidemiology research in multiple ways, including:

• Promoting and fostering scientific collaborations among investigators working with epidemiological cohort studies focused on cancer etiology, survivorship, and other cancer-related outcomes.
• Providing a scientific forum where investigators can discuss shared challenges, exchange best practices, and address methodological issues in cohort research.
• Developing the next generation of investigators by offering networking and educational opportunities for trainees and early career researchers.

Within NCI, the Cohort Consortium is jointly coordinated by the Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP) in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) and by the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG).

Welcoming New Cohorts: Membership Opportunities Expanded

The Consortium has expanded its eligibility criteria to include a broader range of cohorts:

• Cancer incidence cohorts with baseline risk factor data that have enrollment (or target enrollment) of at least 10,000 participants.
• Cancer-related outcomes cohorts (e.g., survivorship) with baseline risk factor data that have at least 400 participants diagnosed with cancer.

Prospective member cohorts must demonstrate willingness to share data and actively participate in Consortium activities. The Consortium membership page provides details about applying for membership.

Even without formal membership, investigators and cohorts can still participate in Consortium activities, contribute data to project analyses, attend the Annual Meeting and scientific webinars, and join project groups. Learn more about participating in the NCI Cohort Consortium.

Supporting the Next Generation: The Associate Member Council

An important dimension of the Consortium is its formal commitment to early career investigators through the Associate Member Council (AMC). The AMC is the representative body of early career investigators within the Consortium, and its mission is to engage and support post-doctoral fellows and researchers — generally those within 10 years of their terminal degree — through professional development, career networking, and research collaborations. The AMC also aims to position the next generation of investigators for leadership roles within the Consortium. Membership is voluntary and open to anyone on the research team of a participating cohort or leading epidemiologic projects based primarily on Consortium data.

Valuable Collaboration Tools for Cohort Studies

EGRP supports the Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database (CEDCD), a publicly available, searchable database containing descriptive information for cohort studies that examine cancer incidence, mortality, and other health outcomes. Information collected on outcomes includes eligibility criteria, study size, types of data and biospecimens collected at baseline, numbers of participants diagnosed with cancer by site, and key contacts. Whether you are planning a new pooling project and need to identify cohorts with the variables and sample sizes you need, or you are a cohort looking to raise your profile and attract new collaborators, the CEDCD can be an invaluable resource.

DCCPS and NCI’s Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT) led a cross-NCI collaboration to launch the Population Science Data Commons (PSDC)—a repository within the Cancer Research Data Commons (CRDC)—for population science data from NCI-supported studies. The PSDC aims to broaden access to these valuable research assets by making data available through both open and controlled access. Data can be submitted to the PSDC through the CRDC submission portal. Investigators can send questions to Dr. Erin Siegel and Heather Creasy or their NCI program officer.

Mark Your Calendar: 2026 Annual Meeting

The 2026 Annual Meeting of the NCI Cohort Consortium will be held on September 24–25, 2026, both in person and virtually. The meeting is open to all and brings together Consortium researchers to discuss emerging science, project progress, collaboration opportunities, and ideas for new scientific initiatives. Key deadlines include:

• Abstract submissions: July 10
• In-person registration: August 21
• Virtual registration: September 25

Getting Involved with the Cohort Consortium

To date, NCI Cohort Consortium members have launched more than 80 scientific collaborations, and more than 280 publications have resulted from Consortium projects. The Consortium's Project Hub provides a searchable list of these active and completed projects. The Hub is open to all interested researchers, and anyone can propose a potential project. Learn more about submitting a project application.

Whether you are looking to join an existing project, propose new research, apply for membership, connect with early career colleagues via the AMC, or simply explore what the Consortium has to offer, there are many ways to get involved. Visit the NCI Cohort Consortium website for a full overview of resources.

Funding Announcements

NIH Highlighted Topics

Grants Policy Notices

Requests for Information

Training Opportunities

NCI & NIH News