DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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NEWS RELEASE

Released: December 19, 2007
Updated: January 4, 2008

Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2008

The Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08) Defense Appropriations Act provides $8 million to the Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) to find and fund the best research to eradicate the clinical impact of neurofibromatosis (NF) and Schwannomatosis. This program is administered by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command through the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The fiscal year 2008 NFRP encourages proposals that specifically address critical needs of the NF community in the following areas:

  • Translational research such as the development or preclinical testing of therapeutic agents for the treatment of neurofibromatosis;
  • Complications of neurofibromatosis with high mortality such as childhood neoplasms, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and cerebrovascular abnormalities;
  • Complications of neurofibromatosis with high morbidity such as skeletal maladies, learning deficits, hormone-associated effects and pain;
  • Refinement and standardization of imaging techniques and biomarkers for use in future clinical trials.

FY08 NFRP program announcements for proposals in the following mechanisms are anticipated to be posted and available on Grants.gov between January and February, 2008.

*correction: the principle investigator for the NIA award must be at or below the level of assistant professor

Award Mechanism

Experience of Principal Investigator

Key Mechanism Elements

Dollars Available

Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Principal Investigator: Must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

Optional Collaborator: Must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

  • Fund basic and clinically oriented research relevant to NF and/or Schwannomatosis
  • Preliminary data is required
  • Optional Collaborator: Collaborations that meet the criteria outlined in the program announcement will be qualified for a higher level of funding
  • Clinical trials not allowed

  • A maximum of $525,000 for direct costs for up to a 3-year performance period, plus indirect costs as appropriate
  • Proposals with a qualified optional collaborator can request a maximum of $625,000 for direct costs for up to a 3-year performance period, plus indirect costs as appropriate
  • Anticipate 3-4 awards

New Investigator Award

Principal Investigator: Must be an independent investigator at or below* the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) with less than $300,000 direct costs in previous NF-related federal funding

Optional Collaborator: Must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

  • Fund investigators in the early stages of their careers
  • Experience in NF research is allowed, but not required
  • Preliminary data is required
  • Optional Collaborator: Collaborations that meet the criteria outlined in the program announcement will be qualified for a higher level of funding
  • Clinical trials not allowed

  • A maximum of $375,000 for direct costs for up to a 3-year performance period, plus indirect costs as appropriate
  • Proposals with a qualified optional collaborator can request a maximum of $475,000 for direct costs for up to a 3-year performance period, plus indirect costs as appropriate
  • Anticipate 1-2 awards

Exploration -Hypothesis Development Award

All levels of experience

  • Fund the initial exploration of innovative, untested research and pursue serendipitous observations
  • Projects involving human subjects or human biological substances must be exempt under 32 CFR 219.101(b)(4)
  • Preliminary data are not required but encouraged
  • Clinical trials not allowed

  • A maximum of $100,000 for direct costs for up to a 2-year performance period, plus indirect costs as appropriate
  • Anticipate 2-3 awards

Clinical Trial Award

All levels of experience

  • Fund Phase 0, I, or II clinical trials relevant to neurofibromatosis (NF) and/or Schwannomatosis. Combinations of phases are permitted.
  • Preclinical data required for all clinical trial proposals
  • Phase I or pilot clinical trial data required for Phase II clinical trial proposals

  • A maximum of $750,000 for direct costs for up to a 3-year performance period, plus indirect costs as appropriate
  • Anticipate 1-2 awards

Information in this preannouncement is being provided to allow investigators time to plan and develop proposals. All proposals submitted must conform to the final program announcements, to be posted in Grants.gov at a later date. The number of awards anticipated is based on available funds, average cost of proposals and quality of proposals received. The NFRP reserves the right to make awards in greater or lesser numbers than anticipated. Each program announcement will be available electronically for downloading from the Grants.gov website.

Requests for email notification of the program announcement release may be sent to Help@cdmrp.org. For more information about the NFRP or other CDMRP-sponsored programs, please visit the CDMRP website.

A Letter of Intent (LOI) will be required and will be submitted through the CDMRP e-Receipt website. As of 2007, full proposals requesting funding from the CDMRP have been submitted through the Federal Government's single entry portal, Grants.gov, in compliance with Public Law 106-107. Individual program announcements and required forms will also be found on that website.

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