Melanoma
NEWS RELEASE
Released: March 31, 2021
Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21)
The FY21 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program (MRP) to support innovative, high-impact melanoma research. The managing agent for the anticipated program announcements/funding opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).
The MRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY21 funding opportunities. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the Government. The FY21 MRP program announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the program announcements are released.
Applications submitted to the FY21 MRP must address one or more of the following focus areas:
- Identify methods to decrease risk of melanoma development beyond sunscreen and protective clothing
- Identify and understand risk factor determinants for melanoma, including variants (e.g., uveal, acral, mucosal melanoma)
- Identify how the tumor microenvironment (e.g., stromal, immune, microbiome) impact tumor initiation, response to therapy, progression, and dormancy
- Understand how precursor lesions and endogenous host factors may lead to melanomagenesis
- Develop new decision-making tools for the detection and diagnosis of melanoma that include easily accessible technology (beyond the dermoscope) for primary care physicians and dermatologists
- Develop prediction and surveillance tools for distinguishing patient at risk for recurrence and/or metastasis. Identify biological determinants to differentiate patient populations
- Understand mechanisms that underlie metastatic spread to different (regional/nodal) sites or the different distant sites of metastasis from acral, mucosal, and uveal melanomas
- Delineate the molecular pathways, tumor microenvironment, immune response that influence metastatic spread, recurrence, and/or dormancy
The MRP challenges the research community to redefine the concept of prevention and has issued a FY21 MRP Challenge Statement that must be considered when responding to the FY21 MRP Focus Areas and funding opportunities.
The MRP encourages studies for rare melanomas across the entire spectrum from initiation to distant macro-metastasis.
Award Mechanism | PI Eligibility | Key Mechanism Elements | Funding |
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Idea Award | Independent investigators with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent). |
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Mid-Career Accelerator Award |
Assistant or Associate Professors more than 7 years post-first faculty appointment.
Instructors and Full Professors are not eligible |
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Team Science Award |
At least two and up to three investigators must partner in one overarching multidisciplinary research study.
Initiating Principal Investigator: Inclusion of at least one military, US Department of Veterans Affairs investigator, or early career investigator is encouraged. |
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Translational Research Award | Independent investigators at Or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent). |
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Translational Research Award – Collaborator Option | Two independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent). |
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Melanoma Academy-Director Award |
Director must be an established melanoma researcher. Embedded Deputy Director must be an independent melanoma researcher. |
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Melanoma Academy Scholar Award | Must be within 7 years of their last postdoctoral research position (Ph.D.) or clinical fellowship (M.D.), or equivalent as of the full application submission deadline. A letter attesting to eligibility is required. |
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A pre-application Is required And must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline. 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 CDMRP And other USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.
Submission deadlines are Not available until the Program Announcements are released. For email notification When Program Announcements are released, subscribe To program-specific news And updates under “Email Subscriptions” On the eBRAP homepage at https://eBRAP.org. For more information about the MRP Or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).
Point Of Contact:
CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-9783
usarmy.detrick.medcom - CDMRP.mbx.cdmrp -public-affairs@mail.mil
Last updated Thursday, May 26, 2022