DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

NEWS RELEASE

Released: April 19, 2013

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE LUNG CANCER RESEARCH PROGRAM
FISCAL YEAR 2013 STRATEGIC PLAN

The Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) Defense Appropriations Act provides for $10.5 million to the Department of Defense Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) to support innovative, high-impact lung cancer research. This program is administered by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) through the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The LCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY13 LCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in May 2013. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.

Areas of Emphasis: The FY13 LCRP encourages research projects that specifically address the critical needs of the lung cancer community in the following Areas of Emphasis:

  • Identification or development of noninvasive or minimally invasive tools to improve the detection of the initial stages of lung cancer.
  • Identification, development, and/or building upon already existing 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/metabolomics, and assessment of risk factors.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms of progression to clinically significant lung cancer.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to various subtypes of lung cancer.
  • Identification of innovative strategies for prevention and treatment of early lung cancer.
  • Understanding predictive and prognostic markers to identify responders and nonresponders.
  • Understanding susceptibility or resistance to treatment.

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Concept Award Investigators at all academic levels
  • Supports highly innovative, untested, potentially groundbreaking concepts in lung cancer
  • Emphasis on innovation
  • Preliminary data discouraged
  • Maximum funding of $100,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 1 year
Career Development Award Principal Investigator: Independent investigators at the level of Assistant Professor, Instructor, or equivalent; must be within 5 years of first faculty appointment
Mentor: At or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); have a proven publication and funding record in lung cancer research
  • Supports investigators in the early stages of their career
  • Preliminary data not required
  • Clinical trials not allowed
  • Maximum funding of $240,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 2 years
Clinical Exploration Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Supports rapid execution of hypothesis-driven, early phase clinical trials or studies correlative to existing clinical trials to examine interventions that could have a major impact on lung cancer clinical management. It is anticipated that proposed studies will explore innovative and untested concepts to provide scientific rationale or initial proof-of-principle for larger clinical trials in lung cancer.
  • The application must include documentation of an existing Investigational New Drug(IND) or Investigational Device Exemption(IDE), if applicable
  • The proposed study is expected to begin no later than 12 months after the award date
  • Maximum funding of $450,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 3 years
Idea Development Award Established Investigators: Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent); or
New Investigators: Investigators that meet the following criteria at the application submission deadline date:
  • Have not previously received a LCRP Idea Development Award or Early Investigator Synergistic Idea Award
  • Be within 10 years of first faculty appointment (or equivalent)
  • Supports new ideas in the early stages of development representing innovative, high-risk/high-gain research
  • Emphasis on innovation and impact
  • Preliminary data required, but may be from outside of lung cancer
  • Clinical trials not allowed
  • New Investigator Option supports applicants early in their faculty appointments or in the process of developing independent research careers
  • Maximum funding of $350,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 2 years

All applications must conform to the final program announcements and general application instructions that will be available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website. The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov. A listing of all USAMRMC funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the CDMRP eReceipt website (http://cdmrp.org) prior to the pre-application deadline. Applications must be submitted through the federal government's single-entry portal, Grants.gov. Submission deadlines are not available until the program announcements are released. Requests for email notification of the program announcement release may be sent to help@cdmrp.org. For more information about the LCRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).

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