DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command


February 1, 2002

Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program for Fiscal Year 2002

Points of Contact:
Gail Whitehead, Public Affairs Coordinator, phone (301) 619-7071;
Patricia Modrow, Ph.D., Grants Manager, phone (301) 619-7071

The Fiscal Year 2002 (FY02) Defense Appropriations Act provides $10.2 million to the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) to support innovative research directed toward eliminating ovarian cancer. This program is administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command through the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

Proposals are sought in the following four emphasis areas: etiology, prevention, early detection/diagnosis, and preclinical therapeutics.

Release of the FY02 OCRP Program Announcement is anticipated for March 2002, with receipt of proposals due in June 2002. This announcement will call for proposals in the following two new mechanisms:

  • Idea Development Awards
  • Institutional Training Grants

Idea Development Awards are designed to encourage innovative approaches to ovarian cancer research. Idea Development Award proposals are intended to stimulate and reward innovative research ideas that may be viewed as high risk but have the potential for high gain in scientific and clinical knowledge. These proposals should start, create, or introduce a unique or unusual approach to the study of ovarian cancer. The research may represent a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, or investigate an existing problem from a new perspective. All investigators are eligible to submit proposals.

Institutional Training Grants are intended to encourage the initiation of new postgraduate training programs in ovarian cancer. These awards should draw postdoctoral students focused on ovarian cancer research together in a common research and training environment. These grants should address the specific emphasis of the training program but may include training of postgraduates from different disciplines who have an interest in ovarian cancer. Inclusion of postgraduate fellows from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions is encouraged.

Detailed descriptions of each of these mechanisms, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements can be found in the FY02 OCRP Program Announcement, which can be downloaded from the CDMRP web site (https://cdmrp.health.mil) upon its release. Proposals will be received electronically in FY02. All applicants will be required to submit one electronic version of their proposal as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file.

Please note that the signing of the FY02 appropriation was delayed until January 2002, which required the evaluation and award process to commence before the actual receipt of funding at this Command for these projects. It is believed that funds will be made available for these projects. However, no legal liability on the part of the Government for payment can arise until such funds are made available.

For more information about the OCRP, OCRP awardees, previous OCRP Program Announcements, and other CDMRP-sponsored programs and events, please visit the CDMRP web site (https://cdmrp.health.mil).