2023 MN Lung Screening Program Grants

Community Event Awards for up to $5000

Healthcare systems serving Minnesotans are encouraged to apply for up to $5000 to host a Community Lung Screening Patient or Neighborhood Event in 2023 for improved lung screening uptake.

A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation (ABOH) will fund up to six screening awards payable in August and September of 2023 for the sole purpose of supporting a community event focused on lung screening with the LDCT scan. Each award will be up to $5000 depending on the submitted grant budget and the discretion of ABOH. Because ABOH believes early detection is the quickest way to an improved survival rate, this funding is flexible and is meant to support efforts to screen more eligible patients for lung cancer.

The grants are designed to help healthcare systems and screening programs overcome barriers to screening among their eligible patients, and to improve patient screening uptake toward the goal of earlier detection of lung cancer.

This 2023 grant cycle is offered to Minnesota lung cancer screening programs or primary care practices with formal lung screening patient ID practices. Applicants will be clinics or hospitals that currently have a patient lung cancer eligibility identification process in place and/or offer lung screening and treatment for lung cancer patients. Applications require at least one physician’s signature (the physician must be tied to the lung screening ID process or the lung cancer program). 

Grant funds may be used to create marketing materials needed to promote the event in your community or among your patients, advertise in your community, pay for tents/tables, entertainment, swag, and food, and/or purchase gift cards to encourage eligible community members to receive an LDCT scan.

The primary focus of these events is to identify and screen eligible community members, however, other health-related topics/resources can also be included in the event, such as radon awareness, nutrition, tobacco cessation, etc. As needed, ABOH staff will work with you and promote your event to ensure a successful event. Our board screening expert, Dr. Abbie Begnaud (UMN) is available to consult as needed.

Identifying award winners: A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation (ABOH), in collaboration with an outside panel of oncology professionals and patient advocates, will evaluate the merit of proposals submitted in response to the request for proposals (RFP).  

Many studies, such as those below, validate the increase in survivorship through a successful lung screening program, however, lung screening uptake remains low in the U.S.

NLST Study

NELSON Trial

USPSTF Screening Guidelines as of March 2021 

AAFP 2021 Recommendations

Helpful Hints when applying:

• To save your work, please click the "Next" buttons at the bottom of each page
• Please note that there are required questions and you must enter a placeholder if you are not ready to submit the full application.
• If you have technical questions regarding this application form, please email research@abreathofhope.org
• In order to access this application at a future time, you can either bookmark this page or you can use the email you received with your unique application link. 

TIMELINE FOR SUBMISSION AND REVIEW

May 11, 2023	Announcement of screening grants
July 10, 2023	Deadline for submission of full proposals (11:59 p.m. CST)
July 2023	Professional Peer Review
August 2023	Funding notification will be e-mailed and announced on the ABOH website
August 30, 2023	Funds disbursed
February 28, 2024	Semi-annual progress report due
July 30, 2023	Final progress report due

Deadline

Application Submission Deadline: July 10, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. CST. 

Late submissions will not be considered.

Eligibility

Specifically, hospitals/clinics that meet two or more of the following criteria are encouraged to apply:

• The institution diagnoses or is actively involved in identifying patients for lung screening eligibility.
• The institution is actively involved in the diagnosis of or ongoing treatment of at least 50 lung cancer cases per year.
• 20% or more of the total patients seen at the applicant’s institution or living in nearby communities qualify as poverty level (family income is less than twice the 2022 federal poverty guidelines:
  https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines
• The institution is working toward or has committed to a lung cancer screening program on-site with buy-in from administrative leadership and Primary Care departments
• One or more of the project leads must be a physician or advanced practice provider whose work is tied to lung cancer at the institution.

Progress Reports: Two progress reports (one semi-annual and one final) will be required and must include a short narrative, including screening numbers.

Disclaimer: A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, age, or any other factors that are irrelevant to the quality of the research project being accomplished by applicants. 

For questions about the 2023 A Breath of Hope Lung Screening Program Grants - Minnesota and SW Florida, please contact us at: 

research@abreathofhope.org or 952-807-6111  

Communication with ABOH 

1. Identifies a process for reporting progress on a semi-annual basis
2. Specifies outcome measurement and willingness to share with ABOH as part of final report (e.g. # of lung cancers, stage at diagnosis)

Principal Investigator 

1. How well the applicant/project lead demonstrates an understanding of the disease and clearly articulates the potential for changing lung cancer outcomes through screening
2. Potential favorable impact on the lung cancer field statewide and/or nationally
3. Appropriateness of the levels of effort by the PI and other key personnel to ensure the success of this research effort

Impact

1. Demonstrates that institution serves a substantial uninsured or underinsured population and has made progress in efforts to educate and increase screening within this population
2. Identifies potential impact that program will have in served population and community

Long-term outcomes

1. How the institution will establish and execute a program that will continue once ABOH funding period is complete

Budget 

1. How the budget is appropriate for the proposed project
2. How many people can realistically be identified and screened in a one-year period
3. Identify extraneous costs that address barriers to screening

Scientifically or programmatically sound proposals that best fulfill the above criteria and most effectively address the unique focus and goals of the program: Screening More ELIGIBLE Community Members for Lung Cancer. All applications are carefully considered to ensure that the funds available are allocated to those proposals that fulfill the goals and objectives of A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation’s mission to improve survivorship through Research, Education and Awareness, and Support of patients and their caregivers. 

By submitting this screening grant application to A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation,

I certify that I have read and understood the:

• Timeline and submission process;
• Guidelines for funding;
• Payment terms; and
• Reporting requirements.

I certify that I have answered ALL required questions, and that all information I have provided is correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that ABOHLF funding may be cancelled if this is not the case.

I agree that if I am awarded a grant, I will submit project reports, including financial information, as required.

I certify that if awarded the grant, I am eligible under local and federal law to receive the grant.