DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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Melanoma

NEWS RELEASE

Released: February 25, 2025

Department of Defense
Defense Health Agency
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Melanoma Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25)

The FY25 Defense Appropriations Bill has not been signed into law. The CDMRP is unable to release new funding opportunities under the current Continuing Resolution. The CDMRP is providing pre-announcement information to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to anticipated funding opportunities should the CDMRP receive FY25 appropriations. Pre-announcements should not be construed as an obligation or promise by the government. Once funding is available, CDMRP funding opportunities will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when opportunities are released, contingent upon future funding.

The FY25 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding for the Melanoma Research Program (MRP) to support innovative, high-impact melanoma research. The CDMRP at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) is the program office managing these anticipated FY25 funding opportunities.

Applications submitted to the FY25 MRP Idea Award, Melanoma Academy Scholar Award and Team Science Award must address one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Identify and understand risk factor determinants and biomarkers for melanoma.
  • Develop new tools for the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of melanoma. Studies may include, but are not limited to, developing technology, biomarkers, etc., that can distinguish between lesions and/or individuals at higher risk for progression from the lesions and/or individuals only requiring surveillance.
  • Define the mechanisms of melanoma initiation, response and/or resistance to adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant therapy, progression, recurrence, emergence from tumor dormancy and/or metastatic spread. Studies may include the role of the tumor microenvironment and/or microbiome in these processes.
  • Develop new preclinical models that more faithfully represent disease evolution observed in humans, from melanomagenesis through progression. This includes models for either cutaneous melanoma or any of the rare melanoma subtypes.
  • Address unmet needs across the entire cancer research spectrum (biology, etiology, prevention, early diagnosis and detection, prognosis, treatment and survivorship) for rare melanomas.
  • Address the psychological and social impacts of a melanoma diagnosis, symptom trajectories, adverse effects of treatment and other outcomes that affect melanoma survivors and their family members/caregivers.
  • Address the physical impacts of symptom trajectories; acute and late-occurring adverse effects of treatment, including toxicities, reproductive and sexual health issues and side effects that may not manifest until after treatment has ended; role of diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors on treatment outcomes and/or quality of life; etc.

Relevance to Military Health: The MRP seeks to support research that is relevant to the health care needs of Service Members, Veterans and/or other beneficiaries of the Military Health System. Investigators are encouraged to consider the following characteristics as examples of how a project may demonstrate relevance to military health:

  • Use of military or Veteran populations, biospecimens, data/databases or programs in the proposed research
  • Collaboration with DOD or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) investigators
  • Explanation of how the project addresses and aspect of melanoma that has relevance or is unique to Service Members, Veterans and/or their families

Award Mechanism PI Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Focused Program Award - Rare Melanomas The Initiating Principal Investigator (PI) must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent)

The Partnering PI(s) (i.e., 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., acral, mucosal, 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 an Initiating PI with demonstrated success in directing large, focused projects.
  • Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to include at least one rare melanoma patient/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
  • Clinical trials ARE allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $2,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
Survivorship Research Award Independent investigators 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.
  • Supports studies in preservation of function (e.g., fertility); quality of life; symptom and/or treatment toxicity management; resilience; support for psychosocial issues related to a melanoma diagnosis, treatment and survivorship; etc.
  • Applicants are required to include at least one melanoma patient/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 1
  • The proposed research may be preclinical or clinical in nature.
  • Clinical trials ARE allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $725,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Melanoma Academy Leadership Award Both the Director and Deputy Director must be established, independent melanoma investigators
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports visionary individuals who are established melanoma investigators with a strong record of mentoring and a commitment to leadership.
  • The Melanoma Academy Director with Deputy Director will continue the development and execution of an interactive network of early career investigators (Scholars) whose goals include building independent and collaborative careers in the melanoma field. 2
  • The Director and Deputy Director will facilitate regular interactive communication and collaboration among all Melanoma Academy members and assess both research and career progression of the Scholars.
  • Supports collaborative pilot research projects that include the Scholars with the intent of strengthening collaborations amongst Melanoma Academy members and advancing melanoma research and/or melanoma patient/survivor care.
  • Maintain a panel of patient advocates and Veteran(s) advisors to ensure the Melanoma Academy maintains awareness of the melanoma patient/survivor community needs.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Early-career investigators interested in applying joining the Melanoma Academy should apply to the Melanoma Academy Scholar Award (see below).
  • Maximum funding of $1,300,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
Idea Award Investigators at or above the level of Postdoctoral Fellow, or equivalent

Investigators new to the melanoma field are encouraged
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports new ideas that represent 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 of existing lines of research in the PI's laboratory or merely switching the object or method of inquiry from one cancer to another cancer are not considered innovative.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 focus areas.
  • Preliminary data are discouraged.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $400,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance Is 2 years
Melanoma Academy Scholar Award Investigators must be within seven 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 FY25 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
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, VA 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.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 focus areas.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $1,500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years

1For additional information about the MRP's focus on investing in rare melanoma research and including melanoma patients, survivors and/or 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, https://cdmrp.health.mil/mrp/research_highlights/23_FY22Scholars_Bakhoum_Hornick_Rotemberg_highlight.

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 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 MRP-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@health.mil


Last updated Tuesday, February 25, 2025