DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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NEWS RELEASE

Released: April 15, 2013

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH PROGRAM
FISCAL YEAR 2013

The Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) Defense Appropriations Act provides $15 million to the Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP). 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 NFRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow time to plan and develop applications. FY13 NFRP program announcements and general application instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on Grants.gov in May 2013. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.

Areas of Emphasis: The FY13 NFRP encourages research projects applications that specifically address the critical needs of the NF community in the following areas of emphasis:

  • Cognitive and social dysfunction in the setting of NF;
  • Drug discovery for the treatment of NF;
  • Heterogeneity of neurofibromas and other NF-related tumors using genomics, epigenetics, systems biology, or other similar approaches;
  • Manifestations of NF post-adolescence;
  • Novel disease markers such as imaging and proteomics of NF;
  • Pain in the setting of NF.

Award Mechanism PI Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Clinical Trial Award Must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Fund Phase 0, I, or II clinical trials relevant to NF and/or schwannomatosis; combinations of phases are permitted
  • Preclinical data required
  • Phase I or pilot clinical trial data required for Phase II clinical trial applications
  • Maximum funding of $900,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 4 years
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) or eligible for expedited review under 32 CFR 219.110 or 21 CFR 56.110
  • Preliminary data is encouraged but not required
  • Clinical trials not allowed
  • Maximum funding of $100,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 2 years
Investigator-Initiated Research Award Must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Fund basic and clinically oriented research relevant to NF and/or schwannomatosis
  • Optional Feature: Applications that include either a Qualified Collaborator or Nested Postdoctoral Fellow who meet criteria identified in the announcement may apply for a higher level of funding
  • Preliminary data required
  • Clinical trials not allowed
  • Maximum funding of $525,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum funding of $575,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs) for applications including an Optional Qualified Collaborator
  • Maximum funding of $675,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs) for applications including a Nested Postdoctoral Fellow.
  • Period of performance should not exceed 3 years
New Investigator Award Must be an independent investigator at or below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) or an established investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor seeking to transition into a career in NF research
  • Fund investigators in the early stages of their careers or established investigators seeking to transition into NF research
  • Experience in NF research is allowed, but not required
  • Preliminary data required
  • Clinical trials not allowed
  • Maximum funding of $400,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 3 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 upon official announcement of funding opportunity release. Submission deadlines will not be available until the program announcements are released. Requests for email notification of the program announcements release may be sent to help@cdmrp.org. For more information about the NFRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://CDMRP.HEALTH.MIL).

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