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Melanoma

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 7, 2023

Department of Defense
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Melanoma Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23)

The FY23 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the Melanoma Research Program (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 FY23 funding opportunities. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government. The FY23 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.

The MRP challenges the research community to prevent melanoma and redefine the concept of prevention to include improved detection and monitoring capabilities, as well as inhibiting the initiation of melanoma, early dissemination, the emergence from tumor dormancy, and the development of metastases. The MRP believes that the research community can rise to the challenge to inhibit melanoma earlier in the disease progression to prevent metastasis, reduce suffering, and increase survival.

Applications submitted to the FY23 MRP, except for applications to the Focused Program Award – Rare Melanomas, must address one or more of the following Focus Areas:

  • Research across the entire spectrum (biology, etiology, prevention, early diagnosis and detection, prognosis, treatment, and quality of life) for rare melanomas (e.g., uveal, acral, mucosal, pediatric) in patients and model organisms.
  • Identify and understand risk factors and biomarker determinants for melanoma, including rare subtypes.
  • Studies into the physical and psychological impact, including symptom trajectories, adverse effects, and other survivorship outcomes among individuals with melanoma and their family members.
  • Develop prediction and surveillance tools for distinguishing patient populations and/or early tumors at risk for second primary/recurrence/metastasis and/or treatment toxicity.
  • Understand how precursor lesions evolve and/or how environmental/endogenous factors influence melanomagenesis and/or early dissemination.
  • Develop new tools for the detection of melanoma, which includes easily accessible technology (beyond the dermoscope) for primary care physicians, dermatologists, oncologists, and pathologists.
  • Develop new, more faithful preclinical models of melanomagenesis, early dissemination, and progression.
  • Identify how the tumor microenvironment (e.g., stromal, immune, microbiome) impacts tumor initiation, response to therapy, progression, recurrence, and/or dormancy.
  • Delineate the cellular and/or molecular mechanisms that influence metastatic spread, recurrence, and/or dormancy.

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

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 propose a unifying, overarching question that addresses a critical unmet need relevant to rare melanoma (e.g., uveal, acral, mucosal melanoma, pediatric) research and/or patient care, with the ultimate goal to translate laboratory findings to clinical applications.
  • Supports a synergistic, multidisciplinary research program of at least two but not more than three distinct but complementary projects. The completion of one project should not be dependent on the completion of another project.
  • Projects may range from exploratory/hypothesis-developing through small-scale clinical trials that together will address the overarching 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 who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the effort to optimize research impact.1
  • Maximum funding of $2,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
Melanoma Academy Scholar Award **Updated eligibility for FY23**
Must be within 7 years of first faculty appointment 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.2
  • Requires a Career Guide who is an experienced melanoma researcher with melanoma funding.
  • 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 FY23 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 FY23 Focus Areas.
  • Must show evidence of receiving at least one peer reviewed extramural source of funding.
  • 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

 Two or three independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) must partner in one 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:
    • Translational research
    • Data science research
    • Projects focusing on bioengineering approaches
    • Research to understand/address inequities and disparities
    • Other hypothesis-driven basic to translational studies
  • Emphasis is on synergy, multi-disciplinary research, and the short- and long-term impact of the effort on the melanoma research field and/or patient care.
  • **New for FY23** Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to include at least one melanoma patient advocate as part of the project team who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the effort to optimize research impact.1
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 Focus Areas.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $1,250,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Idea Award **Updated eligibility for FY23**
Investigators at or above the level of Postdoctoral Fellow, or equivalent.

PIs new to the melanoma field are encouraged.
  • Submission of a 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 is on innovation and impact. Incremental advances, the next logical step, or merely switching the object or method of inquiry from one cancer to another cancer is not considered innovative.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 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

1For additional information about the MRP’s renewed focus on investing in rare melanoma research and including melanoma patients/patient advocates in research, visit https://cdmrp.health.mil/mrp/research_highlights/22RenewedFocusRareMelanomas_highlight.

2For more information about the MRP-funded Melanoma Academy, visit https://cdmrp.health.mil/mrp/research_highlights/22Davies_Fisher_Holder_Chua_highlight.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) 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 Assistance Listing Number (ALN, formerly CFDA) 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. 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@health.mil


Last updated Tuesday, March 7, 2023