Full Text PAR-97-031
 
MINORITIES IN MEDICAL ONCOLOGY
 
NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 3, January 31, 1997
 
PA NUMBER:  PAR-97-031
 
P.T. 34, FF

Keywords: 
  Oncology 
  Cancer/Carcinogenesis 

 
National Cancer Institute
 
Application Receipt Dates:  June 1, October 1 and February 1
 
PURPOSE
 
The Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Program, Division of Extramural
Activities, National Cancer Institute announces the availability of
minority medical oncology awards.  The purposes of these awards are
to:
 
o  Encourage recently trained underrepresented minority clinicians to
acquire research experience in medical oncology.
 
o  Increase representation of minorities in medical oncology.
 
These awards will provide the opportunity for recent, clinically
trained underrepresented minority physicians and D.O.'s to gain
sufficient research expertise to become medical oncologists with
experience in biomedical research.
 
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000
 
The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000",
a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This Program
Announcement (PA) for Minorities in Medical Oncology, is related to
the priority area of cancer.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy
of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or
Summary Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-512-1800).
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
 
This award is designed to provide an intensive, supervised research
experience for underrepresented minority physicians.  The award is
intended for individuals with an M.D. or D.O. degree.  For the
purpose of this award, underrepresented minorities are defined as
individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group that has
been determined by the grantee institution to be underrepresented in
biomedical and behavioral research.  In making these awards, NCI will
give priority to projects involving African American (Black), Latinos
(Mexican American, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Central American), Native
Americans, and non-Asian Pacific Islanders or other ethnic or racial
group members who have been found to be underrepresented in
biomedical or behavioral research nationally. Awards will be limited
to individuals who are citizens, non-citizen alien nationals, and
permanent residents of the United States.
 
Candidates for the award should have broad clinical training,
demonstrate individual competence in clinical activities, must
document a serious intent for a research career in medical oncology,
and must document a sensitivity to cultural issues impinging upon the
practice of medicine among the major U.S. ethnic populations.  The
candidates must be nominated by an institution on the basis of
qualifications, interests, accomplishments, motivation, and the
potential for a career in medical oncology.  Evidence of the
institution's commitment to the applicant's research development must
be documented.
 
Candidates must have at least one sponsor or advisor who is
recognized as an accomplished clinician, and at least one sponsor or
advisor who is recognized as an accomplished independent investigator
in the proposed research area.
 
Applicants for this award may not concurrently submit an application
for an NIH Research Career Development Award or a Mentored Research
Scientist Development Award (K01).  Current Principal Investigators
on PHS research grants are not eligible applicants.
 
Applications may be submitted by domestic non-profit and for-profit
organizations, public and private such as universities, colleges,
hospitals, laboratories, units of State or local government, and
eligible agencies of the Federal government or comparable
institutions with well-established training programs in medical
oncology.  Eligible institutions must also have active biomedical
research programs in oncology including clinical trials with adequate
numbers of highly trained faculty in the clinical and biomedical
sciences areas as they relate to cancer.  They must also demonstrate
a commitment to the development of the research careers of young
minority physicians in medical oncology. Women and persons with
disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
Awards in response to this PA will use the Mentored Clinical
Scientist Development Award (K08).  Planning, direction and execution
of the proposed training program will be the responsibilities of the
applicant and the sponsor(s).  The total project period for an
application submitted in response to this RFA may not exceed four
years.
 
Each award is non-renewable and non-transferable from one Principal
Investigator to another.  Funding beyond the first year of the award
is contingent upon satisfactory progress during the preceding year,
as documented in the required Progress Report. Except as otherwise
stated in this PA, awards will be administered under PHS grants
policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy
Statement, DHHS Publications No. (OASH) 90-50,000, revised October 1,
1990.
 
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 
Background
 
Substantial national and local efforts have been made and are
continuing to be made to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality in the
general population.  However, in spite of these efforts, projections
made for 1994 were 1.2 million newly diagnosed cancer cases and
approximately 550,000 cancer deaths.
 
Past patterns of cancer incidence and mortality predict that a
disproportionate share of this increase in U.S. cancer incidence and
mortality will be borne by minorities.  Specifically, past and
current SEER data show Hispanics have excessive cancer incidences of
the prostate, breast, lung and bronchus, colon and rectum, and
cervix.  American Indians from New Mexico show excessive cancer rates
for prostate, breast, colon and rectum, ovary, kidney, and renal
pelvis cancers, with the incidence rate for gall bladder cancer being
the highest of any racial group.  Alaska Natives have the highest
cancer incidence rates among any racial roup for cancer of the colon
and rectum.  Finally, cancer mortality rates for all sites for Blacks
are almost 1.4 times greater than for Whites.
 
Contributing to the cancer mortality of U.S. minorities is their
limited access to physicians for treatment with appropriate cultural
sensitivities.  This is largely due to the small numbers of U.S.
minority clinical oncologists.  Data from the American Medical
Association for 1994 show that of 11,224 U.S. oncologists, only 184
(1.6 percent) were of African American descent, 336 (3.0 percent)
were of Hispanic descent, and 3 (0.03 percent) were of Native
American descent. Current statistics on medical specialties among
U.S. medical school graduates do not portend a significant change in
this situation.  Specifically, of the total 1993 medical school
graduates, only 0.9 percent had selected oncology as their area of
specialization, and only 0.2 percent of graduates selecting an
oncology specialization were underrepresented minorities.  In 1994,
only 11.2 percent of all medical school applicants were
underrepresented minorities, a proportion that had not changed
significantly from the value of 10.8 percent six years earlier.
 
A reduction in the overall cancer mortality rate in minority
populations would substantially impact known cancer statistics.
Cultural barriers to cancer diagnosis/treatment and to preventive
health care advice will take on added importance as the techniques of
molecular epidemiology are increasingly applied to identify minority
individuals and family members at high risk for cancer. As a result
of this new technology, physicians will increasingly be called upon
to deal with culturally sensitive issues, such as prophylactic
surgery for family members, and/or major changes in lifestyle,
possibly even including childbearing.  It is therefore imperative
that a sufficient number of minority medical oncologist be available
so that access to care is not limited by the number of oncologists
sensitive to cultural issues.  Additionally, the medical oncologist
must have an understanding of the new technologies being developed
that will assist in the diagnosis/treatment of cancers and the
predictions of cancer risk.  This understanding can best be provided
by a research experience in the development/application of these
technologies.
 
Areas of research of particular interest for this purpose might
include but are not limited to the development and application of
biomarkers for assessing cancer risk in minority populations; cancer
treatment or prevention clinical trials targeting minority
populations; and psychosocial aspects of cancer prevention and
control in defined populations.
 
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN
SUBJECTS
 
It is the policy of NIH that women and members of minority groups and
their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical
and behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a
clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided that
inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects
or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the NIH
Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).
 
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should
read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as
Subjects in Clinical Research" which have been published in the
Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and reprinted
in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 23, Number 11,
March 18, 1994.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Applications are to be submitted on form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) and will
be accepted on or before the receipt deadlines indicated in the
application kit (October 1, February 1 and June 1).  Applications
kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored
research and may be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach
and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701
Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone
301/710-0267, email:  ASKNIH@odrockm1.od.nih.gov; and from the
program administrator listed under INQUIRIES.
 
To identify the application as a response to this program
announcement, check "YES" on item 2 of page one of the application
and enter NCI MINORITIES IN MEDICAL ONCOLOGY AWARD (K08).
 
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including
the Checklist, and three signed photocopies, in one package to:
 
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (express/courier service)
 
At time of submission, two additional copies of the application must
be sent to:
 
Ms. Toby Friedberg
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, Suite 636
Bethesda, MD  20892-7405
Rockville, MD  20852 (express/courier service)
 
Information to be Included in the Application:
 
Candidates must provide a description of the proposed research and
clinical career training development for the period of the award in
section 2 of the application under "Research Plan."  The candidate
must be prepared to commit full-time effort to the objectives of this
award.  It is required that a minimum of 75 percent effort be devoted
to the research program, and that the remaining 25 percent effort be
devoted to clinical training in medical oncology.  The percent effort
devoted to research can be uniformly distributed over the four-year
award period, or can be concentrated during one year of the four-year
award period.
 
The reasons for a commitment to research in medical oncology in
underserved minority populations and to research in these populations
must be clearly described.
 
The sponsor(s)/advisor(s) for the clinical and research aspect of
this award must provide:
 
o  Her/his concept of the research and clinical plan for the
candidate.
 
o  A current curriculum vitae with a complete bibliography and
listing of research support.
 
o  A letter indicating her/his evaluation of the proposed candidate
and her/his willingness to  provide guidance and support.
 
Evidence of the commitment of the institution to the candidate's
research and clinical training, and career development, must be
provided.  Finally, adequate access to underserved populations for
the purposes of clinical training and research must be demonstrated.
 
The applicant institution must provide a signed statement of the
candidate's eligibility for this award in terms of both being a
minority underrepresented nationally in clinical oncology and a U.S.
citizen.  Where appropriate, the candidate must provide a copy of the
Alien Registration Receipt card.  The candidate also must provide,
where applicable, information on other past, current and pending
awards, including all federal and non-federal fellowships, grants or
contracts.  For each grant listed, the candidate must provide the
complete grant number, the subject of the research, the title of the
candidate's position, and the candidate's percent effort.
 
The candidate should provide a detailed plan for her/his research
development program.  This plan should not be prepared by the
sponsor.  The candidate's input should be shown clearly, as this
input represents a criterion for evaluating the candidate's research
potential.  This plan should include the following information:
 
o  Aspects of the candidate's educational and training background
that qualify her/him for  participation in the program described;
 
o  Areas in the candidate's educational and training background that
can be developed by the  proposed program;
 
o  Sufficient detail in the description of the proposed research
training program to permit adequate evaluation.  (If, during the
course of the outlined study, the awardee should find that she/he
would like to alter the direction or emphasis of the research, such a
change may be made with the approval of the sponsor and of the
National Cancer Institute);
 
o  How these plans are intended to promote the candidate's career in
medical oncology;
 
o  The strength of the commitment of the candidate to the practice of
medical oncology in the  U.S. minority population.
 
o  Adequate justification of all budget items;
 
o  A list of all centers, institutions or laboratories that will
participate in the clinical and research  development programs. This
list should include the names of the sponsors and other investigators
who have agreed to participate in the program, and the resources and
space  available to the candidate.  Each sponsor and institution must
provide a letter indicating support of this program and a commitment
of space and resources.  These letters must be submitted as part of
the application;
 
o  Four copies of each of the candidate's publications.
 
o Letters of recommendation.  Three sealed letters of recommendation
addressing the candidates potential for a research career must be
included as part of the application.
 
BUDGET
 
Salary:  The proposed salary should be based upon the candidate's
training, experience and accomplishments, but should not exceed
$50,000 per year (excluding fringe benefits).  The salary must be
consistent with the established salary structure at the institution
and with salaries actually provided by the institution from its own
funds to other staff members of equivalent qualifications, rank and
responsibilities.
 
Allowable Costs:  Supplies, Travel, Equipment, Fringe Benefits, and
Other Expenses.  The award will provide up to a total of $15,000 per
year for the costs necessary for the pursuit of the objectives of
this program.
 
The award may not be used to support the Principal Investigator's
private clinical practice, professional consultation, or other
comparable activities.  Any fees for providing medical services
generated by the Principal Investigator must be handled as specified
by PHS policy.  A Principal Investigator may, however, engage in
scholarly writing, deliver occasional outside lectures and serve in
an advisory capacity to the public or to non-profit organizations,
provided such activities are incidental in the amount of time
involved and are consistent with institutional policy. Awards will
not be made to individuals who have substantial administrative
responsibilities.
 
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
 
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by DRG
and responsiveness by the NCI program staff.  Incomplete applications
will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.
Applications that are complete and responsive to the PA will be
evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate NCI
peer review group with the review criteria stated below.  As part of
the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written
critique and may undergo a process in which only those applications
deemed to have the highest scientific merit will be discussed,
assigned a priority score, and receive a second level review by the
National Cancer Advisory Board.
 
Review Criteria
 
o  the candidate's potential for a career in medical oncology.
 
o  appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental approach and
methodology proposed to  carry out the research.
 
o  the overall merit of the candidate's plan for research and the
development of research skills  appropriate to the practice of
medical oncology.
 
o  the candidate's commitment to the servicing of the U.S. medically
underserved populations.
 
o  the quality of the candidate's clinical training and experience.
 
o  objectives, design, and direction of the research training
programs.
 
o  caliber of research advisors including successful competition for
research support.
 
o  training environment, including the institutional commitment, the
quality of the facilities, and  the availability of research and
clinical support.
 
o  appropriateness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to
the proposed research.
 
The initial review group will also examine the adherence to special
requirements, and the provisions for the protection of human and
animal subjects, the safety of the research environment, and
conformance with the NIH Guidelines for the Inclusion of Women and
Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved
applications.  The following will be considered in making funding
decisions:  Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer
review, availability of funds, and program priority.
 
INQUIRIES
 
Written and telephone inquiries are encouraged.  The opportunity to
clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome.
 
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
 
Sanya A. Springfield, Ph.D.
Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Program
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, Room 620
Bethesda, MD  20892-7405
Rockville, MD  20852 (express/courier service)
Telephone:  (301) 496-7344
FAX:  (301) 402-4551
Email:  springfs@dea.nci.nih.gov
 
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
 
Ms. Joan Metcalfe
Grants Administration Branch
National Cancer Institute
6120 Executive Boulevard, Room 243
Bethesda, MD  20892-7150
Rockville, MD  20852 (express/courier service)
Telephone:  (301) 496-7800 ext 228
FAX:  (301) 496-8601
Email:  metcalfj@gab.nci.nih.gov
 
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
 
This program is described in the catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.398.  Awards are made under authorization of the
Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410), as
amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered
under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52, 45 CFR
92, and 45 CFR Part 74.  This program is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive order 12372 or
Health Systems Agency Review.
 
The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products.
In addition, Public Law 103-227, The Pro-Children Act of 1994,
prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or, in some cases, any
portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education,
library, day care, health care or early childhood development
services are provided to children.  This is consistent with the PHS
mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the
American People.
 
.

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