CRC Screening Microgrants Program

• Fund year-long quality improvement (QI) projects for GI healthcare teams to actively collaborate with primary care or population health QI teams serving medically underserved areas and populations to build long-term capacity and ongoing performance monitoring for colonoscopy completion following abnormal stool-based test (SBT).
• Develop and disseminate through a learning collaborative best practices for GI healthcare teams and collaborators addressing a range of patient, provider, and system-level barriers to colonoscopy completion following abnormal SBT.
• Establish a benchmarking framework that tracks key metrics to create a foundation for accountability and continuous improvement.
• Generate aggregated evidence that contributes to the field, including a collaborative white paper summarizing funded projects and outcomes.

Grant Award: Each selected site will receive a microgrant up to $20,000 to fund its QI project. Funds may not be used for facility fees and must be expended by the date specified.

Education & Peer Networking: Grant recipients will participate in a learning collaborative (LC), supported by nationally recognized experts in colorectal cancer screening quality improvement and ASGE staff. The LC will convene for a virtual introductory session and periodic virtual check-ins. All recipients will have access to a curated GI Leap module on ASGE's online learning platform, offering multimedia educational resources.

Benchmarking: Recipients will report aggregated data on key metrics to ASGE three times during the award period: at baseline, 90 days and final. Aggregated results and lessons learned will be shared across cohorts to support collective learning and improvement.

Recipients will report aggregated data on key metrics to ASGE at designated points. Aggregated results and lessons learned will be shared across the LC to support collective learning and improvement.

To receive and retain funding, grant recipients must fulfill the following obligations:

• Collect baseline and post-intervention data on the following:
• Date of abnormal SBT
• Date of referral for colonoscopy
• Date of colonoscopy (if completed)
• Patient demographic information (e.g., race, ethnicity, sex, age group, insurance type/status)
• Report aggregated results to ASGE at three points (April, October, December 2027) on key performance indicators, overall and by demographics, including:
• the number of patients referred for colonoscopy for abnormal SBT
• the number completing colonoscopy within 90 days
• the number completing colonoscopy within 180 days
• (optional) the number without colonoscopy by reason (refusal, cancellation, no show)
• Share qualitative information on intervention(s) (e.g., created workflows and processes, barriers, facilitators, successes, challenges).
• Demonstrate how the QI intervention / program will be sustained beyond the funding period.
• Ensure physician and nurse champions participate in the introductory virtual session and engage in periodic check-ins.
• Submit a final report by December 6, 2027, detailing interventions, successes and challenges, aggregated performance metrics, and a final budget accounting.

Grant recipients will participate in a learning collaborative, supported by nationally recognized experts in colorectal cancer screening quality improvement and ASGE staff, that will meet virtually on a schedule to be announced.