DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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Melanoma

NEWS RELEASE

Released: April 4, 2022

Defense Health Program
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program (MRP)
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22)

The FY22 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the MRP to support innovative, high-impact melanoma research. The managing agent for the anticipated funding opportunities is the 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 FY22 funding opportunities. The FY22 MRP funding opportunity announcements for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the announcements are released.

Applications submitted to the FY22 MRP must address one or more of the following Focus Areas:

  • Investigate topics relevant to rare melanomas (e.g., uveal, acral, mucosal melanoma, etc.) that cover the entire research spectrum, from risk factors and initiation to distant macro-metastases, in model organisms and/or patients.
  • Identify and understand risk factor determinants for melanoma.
  • Develop prediction and surveillance tools for distinguishing patient populations at risk for a second primary diagnosis, recurrence, and/or metastasis.
  • Understand how precursor lesions and environmental/endogenous factors influence melanomagenesis, including, but not limited to, the skin microbiome, race, and biological sex as a variable.
  • Develop new tools for the detection and diagnosis of melanoma, which includes easily accessible technology (beyond the dermoscope) for primary care physicians and dermatologists.
  • Identify how the tumor microenvironment (e.g., stromal, immune, microbiome) impacts tumor initiation, response to therapy, progression, recurrence, and/or dormancy.
  • Delineate the molecular pathways that influence metastatic spread, recurrence, and/or dormancy.

The MRP challenges the research community to redefine the concept of prevention and has issued a FY22 MRP Challenge Statement that must be addressed when responding to the FY22 MRP Focus Areas and funding opportunities. For additional information, applicants are encouraged to review the FY21 MRP Landscape and abstracts from previously funded MRP awards.


Award Mechanism PI Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Focused Program Award - Rare Melanomas

NEW FOR FY22 		Independent investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent).

Project Leader(s) for the complementary and synergistic research project(s) must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Application MUST address the FY22 Focus Area, �Investigate topics relevant to rare melanomas (e.g., uveal, acral, mucosal melanoma, etc.) that cover the entire research spectrum, from risk factors and initiation to distant macro-metastases, in model organisms and/or patients.�
  • Supports a synergistic, multidisciplinary research program of at least two but not more than three distinct but complementary projects addressing a single overarching goal.
  • Projects should work together to answer critical questions, resolve differing hypotheses, and translate laboratory findings to clinical applications.
  • Projects may range from exploratory/hypothesis-developing through small-scale clinical trials that together will address the overarching goal/question.
  • Research team of highly qualified, multidisciplinary project leaders should be led by a Principal Investigator (PI) with demonstrated success in directing large, focused projects.
  • Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to include at least one rare melanoma patient advocate as part of the project team to optimize research impact.
  • Maximum funding of $2,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
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.
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports the addition of new Scholars to the unique, interactive virtual academy that provides intensive mentoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for early-career melanoma investigators/faculty.
  • A Career Guide who is an experienced melanoma researcher with melanoma cancer funding is required.
  • A Career Guide may only mentor one Scholar.
  • The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Scholar.
  • The Career Guide must be committed to participating in the Melanoma Academy, to include serving in advisory roles as requested by Academy Leadership.
  • Must address at least one of the FY22 Focus Areas.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $550,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance Is 3 years
Mid-Career Accelerator Award Assistant or Associate Professors (or equivalent) more than 7 years post-first faculty appointment.

Instructors and Full Professors (or equivalent) are not eligible
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports mid-career researchers conducting impactful melanoma research.
  • Must address at least one of the FY22 Focus Areas.
  • Must show evidence of at least one peer reviewed extramural funding award.
  • Preliminary data relevant to melanoma are required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $725,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Team Science Award

Modified for FY22 		Two or three independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) must partner in one overarching multidisciplinary research study.

Inclusion of at least one military, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigator, or early-career investigator is encouraged.
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports new or existing partnerships to address a research problem or question in a manner that would be unachievable through separate efforts.
    • Each PI should have equal intellectual input into the design and execution of the project.
  • Intended to fund a broad range of studies including, but not limited to, the following:
    • Correlative studies that are associated with an open/ongoing or completed clinical trial
    • Research involving the analysis of large and/or complex melanoma datasets
    • Projects focusing on bioengineering approaches to address diagnostics, high risk markers, dormancy, and/or metastasis
  • Research must address the short-term and long-term impact on the melanoma research field and/or patient care.
  • Emphasis on Synergy, Multi-Disciplinary Research, and Impact.
  • Must address at least one of the FY22 Focus Areas.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $1,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Idea Award Independent investigators with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent).

PIs new to the melanoma field are encouraged.
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports new ideas that represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain approaches to melanoma research that are beyond an incremental advancement.
  • Emphasis on Innovation and Impact.
  • Must address at least one of the FY22 Focus Areas.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.

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 funding opportunity announcements that will be available for 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 funding opportunity announcements are released. For email notification when 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.health.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-9783
usarmy.detrick.medcom - CDMRP.mbx.cdmrp -public-affairs@mail.mil


Last updated Friday, December 13, 2024