Defense Health Program Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) - June 29 deadlines

How to Apply: 

The FY21 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program (MRP) to support innovative, high-impact melanoma research.  As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency J9, Research and Development Directorate manages the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation.  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 FY21 MRP program announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.

 

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.

 

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/mrp

 

Idea Award – Preproposal due June 29, 2021

Independent investigators with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent)

  • Pre-application submission 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 FY21 MRP Focus Areas.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $500,000 for direct costs.
  • Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.
  • The maximum period of performance is 3 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.

  • Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports 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.
  • The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Scholar.
  • The Career Guide will participate in the Melanoma Academy on an advisory board.
  • Must address at least one of the FY21 MRP Focus Areas.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $500,000 for direct costs.
  • Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.
  • The maximum period of performance is 4 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 program announcements and General Application Instructions 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. 

 

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 Help Desk
301-682-5507
help@eBrap.org

 

External Deadline: 
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
URL: 

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/mrp

Agency: 
Department of Defense
Funding Source: 
External
Funding Level: 
Research