OpportunityTitle: DoD Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Academy- Early-Career Investigator Award
Description: The OCRP Ovarian Cancer Academy Award mechanism, which was initially created in FY09, is a unique, interactive virtual academy providing intensive mentoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for junior faculty. The overarching goal of the Ovarian Cancer Academy is to develop successful, highly productive ovarian cancer researchers in a collaborative research and career development environment. The Ovarian Cancer Academy is a virtual career development and research training platform that consists of Early-Career Investigators and their Designated Mentors from different institutions, and an Academy Dean and Assistant Dean. The OCRP Ovarian Cancer Academy Early-Career Investigator Award is not a traditional career development award; the Early-Career Investigator is expected to participate in monthly webinars and annual workshops, and to communicate and collaborate with other members of the Academy (Early-Career Investigators; other Mentors; Dean; Assistant Dean) as well as with the advocacy community. Since the inception of the Academy, the Academy&#8217;s Early-Career Investigators have presented at and chaired sessions for ovarian cancer-specific symposia and served on symposia review committees. They have also served as peer reviewers for the Department of Defense (DoD) OCRP and other funding agencies. The Academy Leadership serves as a resource for the Early-Career Investigators and Mentors, assessing the progress of the Early-Career Investigators, and facilitating communication and collaboration among all of the Early-Career Investigators and Mentors, as well as with national research and advocacy communities. In addition to fostering the scientific development, the Academy, through its Leadership, provides for professional and leadership development of the Early-Career Investigators to include skills and competencies needed to fund and manage a productive laboratory. Information about the Academy is available through the Ovarian Cancer Academy video and OCRP Glitz Sheet on the OCRP website. This FY18 Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity is soliciting additional Early-Career Investigators to join the existing Academy. This award mechanism enables the Early-Career Investigator (the Principal Investigator [PI] on the application) to pursue an ovarian cancer project that may be basic, translational, and/or clinical research (and, NEW for FY18, clinical trials), under the guidance of a Designated Mentor. The Designated Mentor is not required to be at the same institution as the Early-Career Investigator. A clinical trial is defined as a prospective accrual of patients (human subjects) in whom an intervention (e.g., device, drug, biologic, surgical procedure, rehabilitative modality, behavioral intervention, or other) is tested for a measurable outcome with respect to safety, effectiveness, and/or efficacy. This outcome represents a direct effect on the subject of that intervention or interaction. The OCRP encourages applications from Early-Career Investigators whose ability to commit to conducting ovarian cancer research is limited by minimal resources or a lack of resources, such as: a qualified Designated Mentor at his/her institution, access to ovarian cancer research tools, opportunities for establishing collaborations, or other overwhelming obstacles. Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research hypotheses and research approaches are required; however, these data do not necessarily need to be derived from the ovarian cancer research field. The Early-Career Investigator, who will be the PI of the application, must be in the early career stage. This award provides the Early-Career Investigator with funding, networking and collaborative opportunities, and research experience necessary to develop and sustain a successful, independent career at the forefront of ovarian cancer research. This award also provides support and protected time for the Early-Career Investigator for 4 years of intensive research under the guidance of a Designated Mentor experienced in ovarian cancer research. Although the Ovarian Cancer Academy will serve as a conduit to share knowledge and research experience among all academy members, the Early-Career Investigator and Designated Mentor will be responsible for developing the Early-Career Investigator&#8217;s career development plans and for designing and executing the proposed research. The Early-Career Investigator must clearly articulate his/her commitment to a career as an ovarian cancer researcher and to participating in and contributing to the growth of the Ovarian Cancer Academy. The Designated Mentor must have a strong record of mentoring and training early-career investigators. In addition to being a Designated Mentor to an Early-Career Investigator, the Mentor must agree to serve as a secondary Mentor to another Ovarian Cancer Academy &#8211; Early-Career Investigator. With the goal to expand and enrich the mentorship capabilities of the Academy, current Ovarian Cancer Academy Designated Mentors can only be a Designated Mentor to one OCA-ECI; thus, current Ovarian Cancer Academy Designated Mentors cannot be named as a Designated Mentor in an FY18 application unless the period of performance of the current OCA-ECI award ends no later than July 2019. In the same manner, the Dean and Assistant Dean of the Academy cannot be listed as Designated Mentors. The Early-Career Investigator and Designated Mentor are required to attend a DoD OCRP biennial multi-day Academy workshop and, in alternate years, a DoD OCRP Academy 1-day workshop. The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY18 OCRP Ovarian Cancer Academy &#8211; Early-Career Investigator Award will not exceed $725,000. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information. The proposed research must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public. Research Involving Human Anatomical Substances, Human Subjects, or Human Cadavers: All DoD-funded research involving new and ongoing research with human anatomical substances, human subjects, or human cadavers must be reviewed and approved by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Office of Research Protections (ORP), Human Research Protection Office (HRPO), prior to research implementation. This administrative review requirement is in addition to the local Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee (EC) review. Local IRB/EC approval at the time of submission is not required. The HRPO is mandated to comply with specific laws and requirements governing all research involving human anatomical substances, human subjects, or human cadavers that is supported by the DoD. These laws and requirements will necessitate information in addition to that supplied to the IRB/EC. Allow a minimum of 2 to 3 months for HRPO regulatory review and approval processes. When possible, protocols should be written for research with human subjects and/or human anatomical substances that are specific to the DoD-supported effort outlined in the submitted application. Submission to HRPO of protocols covering more than the scope of work in the DoD-funded award will require HRPO review of the entire protocol as DoD-supported research and may include extensive modifications to meet DoD human subjects protection requirements. Refer to the General Application Instructions, Appendix 1, and the Human Subject Resource Document available on the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) &#8220;Funding Opportunities &amp; Forms&#8221; web page (https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/Program.htm) for additional information. Research Involving Animals: All DoD-funded research involving new and ongoing research with animals must be reviewed and approved by the USAMRMC ORP Animal Care and Use Review Office (ACURO), in addition to the local Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of record. IACUC approval at the time of submission is not required. Specific documents relating to the use of animals in the proposed research will be requested if the application is selected for funding. The ACURO must review and approve all animal use prior to the start of working with animals, including amendments to ongoing projects. PIs must submit the institutional animal use protocol, IACUC approval of that protocol, and a version of the animal use appendix titled &#8220;Research Involving Animals.&#8221; Allow at least 2 to 3 months for ACURO regulatory review and approval processes for animal studies. Refer to the General Application Instructions, Appendix 1, for additional information. The types of awards made under the Program Announcement will be assistance agreements (grants or cooperative agreements). The level of involvement on the part of the DoD during project performance is the key factor in determining whether to award a grant or cooperative agreement. Extramural Organizations: An assistance agreement (grant or cooperative agreement) is appropriate when the Federal Government transfers a &#8220;thing of value&#8221; to a &#8220;state, local government,&#8221; or &#8220;other recipient&#8221; to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States, instead of acquiring property or service for the direct benefit and use of the U.S. Government. An assistance agreement can take the form of a grant or cooperative agreement. If &#8220;no substantial involvement&#8221; on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a grant award will be made (31 USC 6304). Conversely, if substantial involvement on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a cooperative agreement will be made (31 USC 6305) and the award will identify the specific substantial involvement. Substantial involvement may include collaboration, participation, or intervention in the research to be performed under the award. The award type, along with the start date, will be determined during the negotiation process. The CDMRP intends that information, data, and research resources generated under awards funded by this Program Announcement be made available to the research community (which includes both scientific and consumer advocacy communities) and to the public at large. For additional guidance, refer to the General Application Instructions, Appendix 2, Section K. Awards will be made no later than September 30, 2019. For additional information refer to Section II.F.1, Federal Award Notices.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: CDMRP Help Desk
GrantorContactText: CDMRP Help Desk &lt;br/&gt;Phone: 301-682-5507 &lt;br/&gt;Email: help@eBRAP.org