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Kidney Cancer

NEWS RELEASE

Released: April 12, 2024

Department of Defense
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP)
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)

The FY24 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) to support research of exceptional scientific merit in the area of kidney cancer. The managing agent for the anticipated funding opportunities is the CDMRP at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

The KCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY24 funding opportunities. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government. The FY24 KCRP 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 FY24 KCRP must address one or more of the following Focus Areas:

  • Conduct basic biology research to better understand etiology and cancer progression, metastatic disease, refractory disease and therapeutic resistance, genetic and environmental risk factors, and the prevention of kidney cancer.
  • Identify and develop new strategies for screening, early-stage detection, and accurate diagnosis and prognosis prediction of kidney cancers, with examples including biomarkers and imaging, treatment of early-stage cancers.
  • Define the biology of rare kidney cancers and develop treatments to improve outcomes and reduce death.
  • Develop novel therapeutic strategies for treatments for all types of kidney cancer.
  • Identify and implement strategies to improve the quality of life and survivorship for patients.
  • Identify and implement strategies to mitigate health disparities, such as access to health care, social and cultural factors, environmental factors, and biological contributors.
  • Increase capacity and multi-disciplinary research through support and development of the next generation of kidney cancer researchers to improve patient care.

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Academy of Kidney Cancer Scholars - Leadership Award Academy Director and Deputy Director:
  • Supports established kidney cancer researchers with a record of mentoring junior faculty level kidney cancer scientists and/or clinicians.
  • Must have kidney cancer research funding (past and/or present); and a record of kidney cancer publications in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Academy Director - must be an independent and established kidney cancer investigator at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent) as of the full application submission deadline.
  • Deputy Director - must bean independent kidneycancer researcher at the levelof Associate Professor (or equivalent) as of the full application submission deadline and at a different institution from the Director.
  • Must have vision and plan(s) of how Leadership team will empower Academy-Early Career Scholars to advance research and promote development as next generation of kidney cancer research leaders.
  • The Academy Director and Deputy Director (leadership) will lead the existing Academy of Early- Career Scholars and their Designated Mentor(s). The Academy consists of early career scientist/clinicians and their designated mentors.
  • Academy Director and Deputy Director will execute leadership/support, management plans, network opportunities, communication plans, assessments of research and career progression, and outline division of leadership team responsibilities for the Academy.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum funding of $1,500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 5 years.
Academy of Kidney Cancer Scholars - Early-Career Scholar Award Investigators within 4 years of last postdoctoral research position (Ph.D.) or clinical fellowship (M.D.), or equivalent, as of full application submission deadline.

Letter attesting to eligibility required.
  • Supports addition of new Early-Career Scholars (ECSs) to the unique, interactive virtual academy, which provides intensive mentoring, national networking, and a peer group for junior faculty.
  • ECIs whose ability to commit to conducting kidney cancer research is limited by lack of resources or other overwhelming obstacles are encouraged to apply.
  • Requires Designated Mentor who is an independent, established kidney cancer investigator with a record of kidney cancer publications in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Designated Mentor not required to be at the same institution as the ECI.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Funding for clinical trials is not allowed.
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum funding of $725,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Clinical Trial Award Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Supports hypothesis-based, early-phase clinical trials (e.g., phase 0, phase 1, pilot phase 2) to test interventions that will have a major impact in the field of kidney cancer.
  • Interventions may include drugs, devices, biologics, surgical procedures, behavior modifications, or other types.
  • Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption application(s), if applicable, must be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration by the Clinical Trial Award application submission deadline.
  • Letter of support demonstrating proof of possession of sufficient drug supply to conduct study must be provided (if appropriate).
  • Clinical trials are expected to be initiated within 12 months of the award date.
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent required prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum funding of $1,500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Concept Award Investigators at all academic levels.
  • Supports highly innovative, untested, potentially groundbreaking concepts in kidney cancer.
  • Emphasis on innovation.
  • Funding for clinical trials is not allowed.
  • Preliminary data are not allowed and should not be discussed.
  • Blinded review.
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum funding of $100,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 1 year.
Idea Development Award Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Supports the development of innovative, high-impact ideas that advance the understanding of kidney cancer and ultimately lead to improved outcomes.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Innovation and impact are the most important review criteria.
  • Funding for clinical trials is not allowed.

Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option:
  • Up to two investigators may collaborate on a single application, each of whom will be recognized as a PI and receive a separate award.
  • The application should clearly demonstrate that both PIs have equal intellectual input into the design of the project and will devote similar and appropriate levels of effort to the conduct of the project.
  • Applications where one PI is providing samples, animal models, or investigational agents while the other PI is conducting most or all of the experiments and analyses do not meet the intent of the Partnering PI Option.
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum funding of $800,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Partnering PI Option:
  • Maximum funding of $1,200,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Postdoctoral and Clinical Fellowship Award

 As of full application submission deadline, investigators:
  • Must possess a doctoral and/or medical degree (or equivalent).
  • Have 4 years or less of postdoctoral and/or mentored clinical research training experience (excluding family medical leave).

    • All other academic ranks are ineligible.
  • Supports research opportunities focused on kidney cancer for individuals in the early stages of their careers.
  • Requires participation of a Designated Mentor who is an experienced kidney cancer researcher.
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum funding of $195,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Translational Research Partnership Award

 Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).
  • Supports partnerships between clinicians and research scientists that will accelerate the movement of promising ideas in kidney cancer toward clinical applications.
  • This award supports the development of translational research collaborations between two independent investigators to address a central problem or question in kidney cancer in a manner that would be less readily achievable through separate efforts.
  • Supports translational studies associated with an ongoing or completed clinical trial that can lead to a future clinical trial or clinical application in cancer research relevant to kidney cancer.
  • Supports translational correlative studies.
  • Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research hypothesis(es) and research approaches are required; however, these data do not necessarily need to be derived from studies of kidney cancer.
  • Funding for clinical trials is not allowed.
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum funding of $800,000 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 KCRP 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 Friday, April 12, 2024