Melanoma Research Alliance Seeks Proposals, Funding Available
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is soliciting proposals that address the gap in translational science (i.e., turning scientific discoveries into tools and/or treatments for high-risk individuals and melanoma patients). Successful proposals have the potential of applying important basic and preclinical discoveries to the near-term development of clinical trials and studies impacting melanoma detection, prevention, diagnosis, staging, and/or treatment.
Proposals for clinical studies testing well-defined and clearly articulated hypotheses are welcome and should be accompanied by a brief protocol synopsis and timeline with milestones. IRB approval is not required at the time of application but is required before initial payments are made. MRA welcomes proposals in the following areas:
• Prevention: Elucidation of environmental, epidemiological, and biological factors in melanomagenesis that lead to prevention strategies.
• Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging: Development of targeted screening methods and identification and validation of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
• Treatment: Projects emphasizing the translation of scientific findings to new treatments for patients with melanoma. Examples include, but are not limited to, studies of melanoma immunotherapy, therapeutic applications based on molecular mechanisms involved in melanoma formation and/or progression, combination therapies, and development of novel biomarkers of response to therapy.
Special Emphasis Areas: For the 2018-2019 cycle, MRA seeks proposals in the following areas, which are focused on current unmet clinical needs in melanoma. These areas are of particular interest, will receive special consideration, and can include pre-clinical, translational, clinical, and/or correlative studies:
Identifying strategies to overcome resistance, treatment failure, and/or difficult-to-treat melanoma subtypes such as acral, mucosal or uveal melanoma
Informing logical and optimal combination therapies, therapeutic sequences, and/or treatment regimens including adjuvant and neoadjuvant approaches
Developing strategies to prevent and/or treat metastatic disease
Identifying markers of response, resistance, and/or risk of recurrence or death
Improving prevention and early detection strategies by understanding of the biological basis for
melanoma formation and/or developing new diagnostic approaches.