NCI-designated Cancer Center

Program

Designation process

The NIH funds cancer centers through a P30 Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) mechanism. Cancer centers must renew their status with the NIH every 5 years.

The NCI considers the certain characteristics essential to a cancer center, and requires that applications address the institutions' resources in the areas of: Physical Space, Organizational Capabilities, Transdisciplinary Collaboration and Coordination, Cancer Focus, Institutional Commitment, Center Director.

Independent or freestanding cancer centers are entities unto themselves and are not considered to be part of a larger institution or university. The center’s administration controls all space, appointments and budgets. These institutions may have university affiliations, but they remain administratively and financially distinct.

The NCI also supports Consortium Centers, wherein scientists and clinicians from multiple institutions enter into formal agreements to expand cancer research programs. Importantly, Consortium Partners are not themselves considered NCI-designated. The NCI has strict guidelines on how Consortium Partners can refer to their relationship with their parent Consortium Center.

Designations

Comprehensive Cancer Center

The standards for Comprehensive Cancer Centers are the most restrictive. These facilities must demonstrate expertise in each of three areas: laboratory, clinical and behavioral and population-based research. Comprehensive Cancer Centers are expected to initiate and conduct early phase, innovative clinical trials and to participate in the NCI's cooperative groups by providing leadership and recruiting patients for trials. Comprehensive Cancer Centers must also conduct activities in outreach and education, and provide information on advances in healthcare for both healthcare professionals and the public. Comprehensive cancer centers may apply for up to $1.5 million per year from the Department of Health and Human Services.

These grants fund shared resources to further the goals of the National Cancer Institute. Some of these include the administration of cancer research programs, training activities, core facilities with technology shared by investigators and clinical trial management services.

Clinical Cancer Center

Clinical Cancer Centers generally conduct a combination of basic, population sciences and clinical research, and are encouraged to stimulate collaborative research involving more than one field of study. Clinical cancer centers may apply for up to $1.4 million per year.

Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers

Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers conduct only laboratory research and do not provide patient treatment. Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers are more often affiliated with research institutes rather than universities. They are eligible to apply for up to $1.2 million per year.

List of centers

References

References

1. (19 March 2025). "NCI-Designated Cancer Centers".
2. (31 May 2024). "NCI-Designated Cancer Centers".
3. (5 June 2025). "Newly Registered Patients: Data Table 3".
4. "treat the immune system, attack the cancer".
5. Simone, Joseph V.. (1 December 2002). "Understanding Cancer Centers". Journal of Clinical Oncology.
6. "PAR-17-095: Cancer Center Support Grants (CCSGs) for NCI-designated Cancer Centers (P30)".
7. (19 March 2025). "Find a Cancer Center".
8. "O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center".
9. "Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center".
10. "University of Arizona Cancer Center".
11. "Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center".
12. "City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center".
13. "UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center".
14. "UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center".
15. "Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center".
16. "Salk Institute Cancer Center".
17. "Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute".
18. "Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI)".
19. "About Us".
20. "UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center".
21. "USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center".
22. "University of Colorado Cancer Center".
23. "Yale Cancer Center".
24. "Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center".
25. "About Our NCI Designation".
26. "Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center".
27. "Moffitt Cancer Center".
28. "Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center".
29. "University of Florida Health Cancer Center".
30. "Winship Cancer Institute".
31. "University of Hawai'i Cancer Center".
32. "Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center".
33. "The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center".
34. "Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center".
35. "Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research".
36. "Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center".
37. "The University of Kansas Cancer Center".
38. "University of Kansas Cancer Center - NCI Designation".
39. "Markey Cancer Center".
40. "The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center".
41. "Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center".
42. "University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center".
43. "Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC)".
44. "David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT".
45. "The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute".
46. "University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center".
47. "Masonic Cancer Center".
48. "Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center".
49. "Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center".
50. "Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center".
51. "Dartmouth".
52. "Rutgers Cancer Institute".
53. "University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center".
54. "Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center".
55. "Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center".
56. "Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health".
57. "Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)".
58. "Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center".
59. "Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center".
60. "Hospital and Institute Affiliation".
61. "Tisch Cancer Institute".
62. "Wilmot Cancer Institute".
63. "Duke Cancer Institute".
64. "UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center".
65. "Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center".
66. "Case Comprehensive Cancer Center".
67. "The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center".
68. "Stephenson Cancer Center".
69. "OHSU Knight Cancer Institute".
70. "Abramson Cancer Center".
71. "Fox Chase Cancer Center".
72. "Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health".
73. "UPMC Hillman Cancer Center".
74. "Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute".
75. "Hollings Cancer Center".
76. "St. Jude Children's Research Hospital".
77. "Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center".
78. "Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center".
79. "Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center".
80. "Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio".
81. "The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center".
82. "Huntsman Cancer Institute".
83. "VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center".
84. "University of Virginia Cancer Center".
85. "Fred Hutch / University of Washington / Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium".
86. "University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center".