DoD Kidney Cancer, Translational Research Partnership Award

Description

The FY19 KCRP Translational Research Partnership Award 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, faculty-level (or equivalent) investigators to address a central problem or question in kidney cancer in a manner that would be less readily achievable through separate efforts. One partner in the collaboration must be a research scientist and the other must be a clinician. It should be clear that both have had equal intellectual input in the design of the research project. Multi-institutional partnerships are encouraged. At least one member of the partnership must have experience either in kidney cancer research or kidney cancer patient care. Inclusion of experts from outside the kidney cancer field is encouraged. A proposed project in which the clinical partner merely supplies tissue samples or access to patients will not meet the intent of this award mechanism. Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research hypothesis and research approaches are required; however, these data do not necessarily need to be derived from studies of kidney cancer. Observations that drive a research idea may be derived from a laboratory discovery, population-based studies, or a clinician’s firsthand knowledge of patients and anecdotal data. The ultimate goal of translational research is to move a concept or observation forward into clinical application that is relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, other military beneficiaries, and the American public. However, members of the partnership should not view translational research as a one-way continuum from bench to bedside. The research plan must involve a reciprocal flow of ideas and information between basic and clinical science. There should be an intellectual synergistic partnership between the clinic and the laboratory. The success of the project must be supported by the unique skills and contributions of each partner. The proposed study must include clearly stated plans for interactions between the Principal Investigators (PIs) and institutions involved. The plans must include communication, coordination of research progress and results, and data transfer. Additionally, multi-institutional applications must provide an intellectual property plan to resolve potential intellectual and material property issues and to remove institutional barriers that might interfere with achieving high levels of cooperation to ensure the successful completion of this award. The Translational Research Partnership Award is structured to accommodate two PIs, referred to as the Initiating PI and the Partnering PI, each of whom will receive a separate award. The Initiating and Partnering PIs have different submission requirements as described in Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission; however, both PIs should contribute significantly to the development of the proposed research project including the Project Narrative, Statement of Work, and other required components. It is the responsibility of the PIs to describe how their combined expertise will better address the research question and explain why the work should be done together rather than through separate efforts. A Congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force was formed with the purpose of identifying ways to help accelerate clinical and translational research aimed at extending the lives of advanced state and recurrent patients. As a member of the Metastatic Cancer Task Force, CDMRP encourages applicants to review the recommendations (https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Congressional-Testimonies/2018/05/03/Metastatic-Cancer-Research) and submit research ideas to address these recommendations provided they are within the limitations of this funding opportunity and fit within the FY19 KCRP priorities. The proposed research must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public. The following are significant features of this award mechanism: • Collaboration: The success of the project should depend on the unique skills and contributions of each collaborator. • Translation: The application should provide evidence for the reciprocal transfer of information between basic and clinical science or vice versa in developing and implementing the research plan. Translational research may include correlative studies, development of or use of annotated biorepositories. The application should demonstrate how the study will leverage clinical information to address knowledge gaps in resulting outcomes, validate key research findings, and expand upon potentially transformative results, or investigate novel findings. • Impact: The proposed research should indicate the potential to have a significant impact on kidney cancer research and/or patient care and have the potential to accelerate the movement of promising ideas (in prevention, diagnosis, detection, prognosis, treatment, and/or survivorship) into clinical applications. Clinical trials are not allowed. • Feasibility: The application should demonstrate that the investigators have access to the necessary specimens, data, and/or intervention, as applicable. • Preliminary Data: Unpublished results from the laboratory of the PI or collaborators named on the application and/or data from the published literature that are relevant to kidney cancer and the proposed research project, are required. Projects including correlative studies: The FY19 KCRP Translational Research Partnership Award may support correlative studies that are associated with an ongoing or completed clinical trial. The application should demonstrate access to the necessary specimens and/or data of the proposed cohort. Appropriate access must be confirmed at the time of application submission. See Attachment 10, Letter(s) Confirming Access to Specimens and/or Data. The anticipated combined direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY19 KCRP Translational Research Partnership Award will not exceed $600,000. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information. The CDMRP expects to allot approximately $2.88M to fund approximately three Translational Research Partnership Award applications. Funding of applications received is contingent upon the availability of Federal funds for this program as well as the number of applications received, the quality and merit of the applications as evaluated by scientific and programmatic review, and the requirements of the Government. Funds to be obligated on any award resulting from this funding opportunity will be available for use for a limited time period based on the fiscal year of the funds. It is anticipated that awards made from this FY19 funding opportunity will be funded with FY19 funds, which will expire for use on September 30, 2025. Awards will be made no later than September 30, 2020. For additional information, refer to Section II.F.1, Federal Award Notices. 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 Department of Defense (DoD) during project performance is the key factor in determining whether to award a grant or cooperative agreement. An assistance agreement (grant or cooperative agreement) is appropriate when the Federal Government transfers a “thing of value” to a “state, local government,” or “other recipient” 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 “no substantial involvement” 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. 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. Additional time for regulatory reviews may be needed for clinical studies taking place in international settings. 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 as a stand-alone study. Submission to HRPO of protocols involving more than the scope of work in the DoD-funded award w

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