The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) to support research of exceptional scientific merit in the area of kidney cancer.  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 KCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY20 funding opportunity.  This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the Government.  The FY20 KCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website.  Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released. 

Applications submitted to the FY20 KCRP Idea Development Award mechanism are encouraged to address one or more of the following Areas of Emphasis:

·        Treatments/Survivorship

·        Basic/Translational Science

·        Diagnostics/Prognostics/Biomarkers/Surveillance

·        Population-Based Studies

https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2020/20kcrppreann

Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators – Early-Career Investigator Award

Within 3 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 Investigators (ECIs) to the unique, interactive virtual academy that 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 experienced kidney cancer researcher with kidney cancer funding

·      Designated Mentor not required to be at the same institution as the ECI

·      Preliminary data required

·      Clinical trials allowed

·      Submission of a Letter of Intent required prior to full application submission

·     Maximum funding of $725,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·     Maximum period of performance 4 years

Clinical Consortium Award – Clinical Trial Site

Independent Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

·      Supports expansion of a consortium that will facilitate rapid execution of collaborative Phase II or Phase I/II clinical trials to bring to market high-impact, novel therapeutic interventions that will ultimately and significantly decrease impact of kidney cancer

·      Funds may not be used for research or development of clinical protocols

·      Trials that incorporate investigations of biomarkers for risk assessment, early detection, prediction of aggressiveness, and/or progression of prostate cancer encouraged

·      Up to two (2) Clinical Trial Sites will be selected and be jointly responsible for proposing, selecting, and conducting trials within the existing Kidney Cancer Research Consortium

·      Sites must provide plans for accruing patients from populations disproportionately affected by kidney cancer

·      Submission of a Letter of Intent required prior to full application submission

Clinical Trial Sites:

·     Maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance 3 years

Clinical Trial Nurse Training Award New for FY20

As of full application submission deadline, Principal Investigators must possess an RN, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree in nursing

·      Prepares nurses for active careers in collaborative clinical kidney cancer research and patient care

·      Requires participation of a mentor with extensive experience in kidney cancer clinical research

·      Emphasis placed on structured, interdisciplinary clinical research training environment

·      Submission of a Letter of Intent required prior to full application submission

·     Maximum funding of $300,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·     Maximum period of performance 2 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 not allowed

·      Preliminary data not allowed

·      Blinded review

·      Submission of a Letter of Intent required prior to full application submission

·     Maximum funding of $100,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·     Maximum period of performance 1 year

Idea Development Award  Modified for FY20

Established Investigators: 

Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) and 10 years or more from a terminal degree

Early Career Investigators:

Investigators at the level of Assistant Professor, Instructor, or Assistant Research Professor (or equivalent) and less than 10 years from a terminal degree (excluding time spent in medical residency or family medical leave) at the time of application submission deadline

·      Supports new ideas that represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain approaches to kidney cancer research, and have the potential to make an important contribution to kidney cancer

·      Preliminary data required

·      Innovation and Impact are the most important review criteria

·      Funding for clinical trials not allowed

·      FY20 KCRP Areas of Emphasis strongly encouraged (see Areas of Emphasis listed above)

·      Different funding options, based on the scope of research.  It is the responsibility of the PI to select the funding option that is most appropriate for the research proposed. 

·      Early Detection Option:  Supports basic or preclinical research that focuses on biomarkers, improved imaging capabilities, and/or new technologies that may foster new paradigms for the early detection of kidney cancer.  With justification, applications under the early detection option may request a higher level of funding within the defined period of performance.  Such studies may require additional resources due to the participation of human subjects and/or use of human biospecimens.

·      Epidemiology Option:  Supports preclinical research that is already supported by substantial preliminary or published data and strongly validates clinical translation in a well-defined context within the kidney cancer field.  With compelling justification, epidemiology option studies may request higher levels of funding within the defined period of performance.  Such studies may require additional resources due to the participation of human subjects and/or use of human biospecimens

·      Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.

·      Maximum funding of $600,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance 3 years

Early Detection Option:

·      Maximum funding of $650,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance 3 years

Epidemiology Option:

·      Maximum funding of $2 million in direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance 3 years

Postdoctoral and Clinical Fellow Award New for FY20

As of full application submission deadline, Principal Investigators:

• Must possess a doctoral and/or medical degree (or equivalent).
• Have 3 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 individual 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 required prior to full application submission

·      Maximum funding of $195,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance 3 years

Translational Research Partnership Award

Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

·      Supports partnerships between clinicians and laboratory scientists that accelerate ideas in kidney cancer into clinical applications

·      Supports translational correlative studies

·      Preliminary data required

·      Funding for clinical trials not allowed

·      Submission of a Letter of Intent required prior to full application submission

·      Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance 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 Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that will be 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.

Submission deadlines are not available until the Program Announcements are released.  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 KCRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website(https://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

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