DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

NEWS RELEASE

Released: August 6, 2009

Department of Defense Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP)
Funding for Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09)

Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) congressional appropriations have provided $20 million to the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer Reviewed Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP). The program will support innovative and competitive research focused on the development of integrated components to identify, treat, and manage early curable lung cancer, and the establishment of a tissue bank.

The LCRP is interested in research proposals that address the following Areas of Emphasis:

  • Identification or development of non-invasive or minimally invasive tools to improve the detection of the initial stages of lung cancer.
  • Identification and development of tools for screening or early detection of lung cancer. Screening may include, but is not limited to, computed tomography scans, X-rays, other imaging, biomarkers, genetics/genomics/proteomics, and assessment of risk factors.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to clinically significant lung cancer.
  • Identification of the mechanisms that lead to the development of the various types of lung cancer.
  • Identification of innovative strategies for prevention and treatment of early lung cancer.
  • Understanding predictive and prognostic markers to identify responders and non-responders.
  • Understanding acquired resistance to treatment.

The FY09 LCRP is pleased to announce the release of the Concept, Clinical Fellow Research, Lung Cancer Promising Clinician Research, Collaborative Translational Research Awards. The Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity, including the intent of the award mechanism, eligibility, and submission deadlines and Application Instructions and General Information have been posted on the Grants.gov and CDMRP websites (https://grants.gov and https://CDMRP.HEALTH.MIL/funding/lcrp , respectively).

The FY09 LCRP will offer one additional award mechanism, the Lung Cancer Biospecimen Resource Network Award, which is expected to be released late August or early September 2009. All released award mechanisms as well as the pending Lung Cancer Biospecimen Resource Network Award are listed in the table below. Mechanism-specific Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities and Application Instructions and General Information are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov and CDMRP websites in August 2009.

Pre-applications submitted though CDMRP eReceipt System (http://cdmrp.org) are REQUIRED for all LCRP award mechanisms. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov (https://grants.gov).

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Concept Award All Investigators
  • Supports the exploration of a highly innovative new concept or untested theory that addresses an important problem relevant to lung cancer.
  • Presentation of preliminary data is not consistent with the intent of the Concept Award mechanism and is discouraged.
  • Projects involving human subjects or human biological substances must be exempt under 32 CFR 219.101(b) or eligible for expedited review under 32CFR 219.110 or 21 CFR 56.110.
  • The maximum period of performance is 1 year.
  • The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $75,000 in direct costs
  • Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with your institution's negotiated rate agreement.
Clinical Fellow Research Award
  • Must be a physician (M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or D.O.) with clinical duties and/or responsibilities
  • Is in an accredited medical residency or medical fellowship program
  • Supports a research project performed by a clinical fellow under the guidance of a designated mentor having an established lung cancer research program.
  • This award is intended to prepare fellows with clinical duties and/or responsibilities for a career in lung cancer research.
  • Funds from this award are intended to provide aggressive protection, of at least 40%, of the clinical fellow's time for research.
  • The maximum period of performance is 2 years.
  • The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $200,000 in direct costs.
  • Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with your institution's negotiated rate agreement.
Lung Cancer Promising Clinician Research Award
  • Must be an M.D., M.D./Ph.D., or D.O
  • Must be within the first 5 years of his/her first faculty position (or equivalent) at the time of award
  • Have not received more than $300,000 in direct costs for lung cancer research as a PI of a federally funded, non-mentored peer reviewed grant
  • Supports a research project performed by promising physician-researchers.
  • This award is intended to prepare physicians with clinical duties and/or responsibilities for an independent and active career in lung cancer research.
  • Previous experience in lung cancer research is allowed, but not required.
  • The maximum period of performance is 3 years.
  • The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $375,000 in direct costs.
  • Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with your institution's negotiated rate agreement.
Collaborative Translational Research Award Independent Investigators
  • Supports partnerships between clinicians and laboratory scientists at multiple institutions to conduct translational research in lung cancer.
  • The CTRA supports the development of translational research collaborations among four independent investigators (known as partners).
  • The four partners, consisting of an Initiating Principal Investigator (PI) and three Partnering PIs, must be from at least two distinct institutions.
  • At least one partner must be a clinician, and at least two partners must have experience either in lung cancer research or lung cancer patient care.
  • The maximum period of performance is 4 years.
  • The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $800,000 in direct costs per PI.
  • Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with your institution's negotiated rate agreement.
Lung Cancer Biospecimen Resource Network Award
  • An independent investigator with access to appropriate facilities, and
  • At or above the level of an Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Provide infrastructure support for the development of a lung cancer biorepository resource consortium that will facilitate the collection, processing, annotation, storage, and distribution of high-quality human lung cancer biospecimens through a collaborative network across multiple institutions.
  • The Network will consist of a Coordinating Center and two additional Biospecimen Resource Sites (the Coordinating Center will also act as a Biospcimen Resource Site) that will be jointly responsible for developing the biospecimen repository for lung cancer research.
  • The maximum period of performance is 4 years.
  • The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $3,800,000 inclusive of direct and indirect costs.

Information in this press release regarding the Lung Cancer Biospecimen Resource Network Award is being provided to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. All applications submitted must conform to the requirements specified in the Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities, which will be posted on Grants.gov at a later date. The number of awards anticipated is based on available funds, average cost of applications, and quality of applications received. The LCRP reserves the right to make awards in greater or lesser numbers than anticipated. Each Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions, which detail the pre-application and application submission requirements and process, along with the required forms for application submission, will be available electronically for downloading from the Grants.gov website (https://www.grants.gov) upon release. Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities and Application Instructions will also be available on the CDMRP website (https://CDMRP.HEALTH.MIL). Pre-application and application submission deadlines will be listed in the Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity. Each award mechanism will require submission of a pre-application (including a Letter of Intent or Preproposal ) through the CDMRP eReceipt website, https://cdmrp.org. Applications must be submitted through the federal government's single-entry portal, Grants.gov.

Requests for email notification of the Program Announcements release may be sent to help@cdmrp.org. For more information about the LCRP or other CDMRP-sponsored programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://CDMRP.HEALTH.MIL).

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