Full Text CA-94-031 SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN PROSTATE CANCER NIH GUIDE, Volume 23, Number 33, September 16, 1994 RFA: CA-94-031 P.T. Keywords: National Cancer Institute Letter of Intent Receipt Date: November 18, 1994 Application Receipt Date: February 21, 1995 PURPOSE The Organ Systems Coordinating Branch of the Division of Cancer Biology, Diagnosis and Centers (DCBDC) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites grant applications (P50) for Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Prostate Cancer. The intent of this initiative is to expand the Prostate Cancer SPOREs from the current two SPOREs to a minimum of three SPOREs through open recompetition by making awards to those institutions that can conduct the highest quality balanced translational research approaches on the prevention, etiology, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer. Because basic research in prostate cancer has lagged behind that of the other major solid tumors, greater leeway is given for basic research studies on prostate cancer. However, such studies must have translational potential or significance. SPOREs are at institutions that have made or will make a strong institutional commitment to the organization and conduct of these programs. SPORE applicants will be judged on their current and potential ability to translate basic research findings into innovative research settings involving patients and populations. Each SPORE is encouraged to conduct rehabilitation and quality-of-life research. Each SPORE must provide career development opportunities for new and established investigators who wish to pursue active research careers in translational prostate cancer research; develop and maintain human prostate cancer tissue resources that will benefit translational research; develop extended collaborations in critical areas of research need with laboratory scientists and clinical scientists within the institution and in other institutions; and participate with other SPORES on a regular basis to share positive and negative information, assess scientific progress in the field, identify new research opportunities, and promote inter-SPORE collaborations to resolve areas of scientific controversy. Each SPORE and the "network" of SPOREs is expected to conduct research that will have the most immediate impact possible on reducing incidence and mortality to human prostate cancer. Each SPORE should support a mix of basic and clinical researchers whose formal interactive and collaborative research efforts will result in new approaches for early detection, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention and control. The SPORE mechanism is not intended to support basic research to the exclusion of clinical research or vice versa. 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 Request for Applications (RFA), Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Prostate Cancer, is related to the priority area of cancer. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal Government. To be eligible, applicant organizations must have (1) a minimum of three independent investigators who are successful in obtaining peer-reviewed research support directly related to prostate cancer, and who together represent experience in both laboratory and clinical research, or in the alternate, a minimum of three independent investigators, each having published articles in peer-reviewed research journals that significantly address prostate cancer, and who as a group represent experience in both laboratory and clinical research; (2) access to a patient care and service facility that serves prostate cancer patients and, if the facility is not part of the parent institution, a statement that assures access to prostate cancer patients for clinical research; the statement must be signed by the responsible officials of the applicant institution and the consortial care facility; (3) while applications must be submitted from a single institution, they may include subcontracted collaborative scientific arrangements with scientists from other institutions as long as these arrangements are clearly delineated and formally and officially confirmed by signed statements from the responsible officials of each institution. However, a full institutional commitment must come from the parent institution receiving the award. Support will not be provided for applications with research activities focused exclusively on basic research or clinical research or trials or epidemiological research. NCI staff (See INQUIRIES below) should be consulted if there are questions regarding any of the above eligibility requirements or exclusions. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Support of this program will be through the P50 Specialized Center Grant mechanism. This mechanism supports any part of the full range of research and development from basic to clinical and intervention studies. The spectrum of activities comprises a multidisciplinary attack on a specific disease entity or biomedical problem. These grants differ from program project grants in that they are more complex and flexible in terms of the activities that can be supported. In addition to support for multidisciplinary research projects, support is also provided for career development, pilot research projects, specialized resources and shared core facilities. Applicants will be responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed SPORE program. Awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy Statement. NCI policy for SPORE grants establishes the following limits to the requested budgets: All new and competing renewal P50 SPORE applications may request a maximum annual direct cost of $1.5 million and maximum annual total cost of $2.5 million per individual SPORE. In complying with the direct cost cap of $1.5 million, the indirect costs related to subcontracts to other institutions or organizations will not apply toward the direct cost cap, but the total dollar request may not exceed $2.5 million. Future year increases are limited to four percent but may not exceed this cap. Funding for successful P50 renewal applications will be for up to five years. Initial funding for new P50 SPOREs will be for no more than three years. Recognizing that the initial three year funding period for new SPOREs may be too short for multiple substantive scientific accomplishments, any future recompetition for this group will be evaluated on scientific accomplishment and on interim progress in pursuit of SPORE organizational, collaborative and research objectives. This would include, for example, progress toward planning, developing, and implementing new innovative translational research programs; progress toward developing the careers of new scientists; progress toward procuring and distributing tissue specimens; and progress toward developing substantive collaborative interactions. FUNDS AVAILABLE This RFA is a one-time solicitation. NCI anticipates making at least three awards. Each applicant applying for a competitive renewal may request up to five years of support. Each new applicant or applicant that has received P20 SPORE feasibility awards in the past may request up to three years of support. The NCI anticipates setting aside $2.5 million per award or $7.5 million total for the initial year's funding. Funding in response to this RFA is dependent upon the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high scientific merit. Although this program is provided for in the financial plans of NCI, the award of grants pursuant to this RFA is contingent upon the anticipated availability of funds for this purpose. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Background Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in U.S. males and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Mortality due to prostate cancer is two-fold higher in U.S. blacks than U.S. whites. At present, this disease costs more than $1 billion annually, requires a quarter of a million hospitalizations and results in more than 38,000 deaths. Prostate cancer research has lagged far behind research in other major forms of cancer and there has been a lack of new investigators entering the field. In part, this has been due to lack of accessibility to human prostate tissues and a lack of suitable in vitro and in vivo models. Effective reduction of incidence and mortality to prostate cancer will require a special effort to expand the scientific information base. Specialized Programs of Research Excellence must address the weaknesses in the scientific information base and provide focal points for sustaining and maintaining state-of-the-art research that will contribute to improved detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of prostate cancer. SPORES will not only be expected to conduct a wide spectrum of research activities, but also to contribute significantly to the development of specialized research resources, career development of new investigators, the development of improved research model systems and the expansion of the research base through collaborative research with scientists and clinicians in other institutions locally and nationwide. The research supported through this program must have translational significance. It will require interdependence between basic and clinical investigators in both the planning and implementation of research and would emphasize clinical application of basic research findings with patients and populations. Translational research also applies clinical findings to advance basic research that ultimately may lead to hypothesis-driven clinical trials or prevention and control interventions. It should be noted that clinical research that is not based on nor derived from laboratory findings is not considered translational for purposes of this RFA. Other The goal of this RFA is to expand the current Prostate Cancer SPORE program with the addition of at least one new SPORE. Each SPORE assembles critical masses of laboratory and clinical scientists to work together on human prostate cancer and to focus on innovative translation of basic findings into research settings involving patients and populations. The ultimate objective is to reduce incidence and mortality, and to increase and improve survival to the disease. The essential characteristics of a SPORE include (1) a strong scientific program which will have a clear impact on the human disease, (2) a strong innovative developmental or pilot research program which can respond quickly to new research opportunities, (3) a strong career development program to develop and expand the scientific cadre of investigators dedicated to translational research on human prostate cancer, (4) a human prostate cancer tissue procurement resource, an animal model resource, and other resources specifically dedicated to translational research objectives, and (5) a willingness and commitment to work with other SPOREs and scientists in order to maximize research progress. The special features of SPORE grants provide opportunities for investigators with mutual or complementary interests to engage in multidisciplinary research that will impact on prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of human prostate cancer, as well as rehabilitation or quality of life. Individual research projects must be highly interactive, and must be conceived, planned and implemented through the multidisciplinary interactions of independent laboratory and clinical scientists. Such interactions should demonstrate the potential for accelerating the translation of research findings into practical benefits for patients and populations. A distinguishing feature of a SPORE P50 grant is the highly dependent nature of the research objectives upon intra- and inter- project interactions. Thus, each project may, but ordinarily would not, be expected to stand on its own in the absence of interactions with other research projects. Developmental research funds provide support for highly innovative pilot projects that take maximum advantage of new research opportunities. This provides a flexible means for responding quickly to new research opportunities. Career development of new and established investigators will generate a cadre of scientists who could leave the SPORE with research experience to develop independent prostate cancer research programs that emphasize translational research objectives. In order to facilitate achievement of SPORE program goals, each SPORE must develop resources specialized for prostate cancer research activities. This must include human prostate cancer tissue collection, and development and maintenance of animal models for research activities of the SPORE and use by scientists who are concentrating on translational research within and outside the parent institution. The development of additional resources specialized for prostate cancer research is also encouraged. Interactions among SPOREs is an important objective of this initiative. This may be in the form of research collaborations, exchange of scientists on a visiting basis, exchange of resources and materials, and other innovative ways. Principal Investigators will be expected to attend an annual meeting coordinated by the Organ Systems Coordinating Branch of the NCI. The purpose of the meeting is to share scientific information, assess scientific progress, identify new research opportunities, and establish priorities that will accelerate the translation of basic research findings to applied settings in patients and populations. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Each SPORE must include the following elements: 1. A strong institutional commitment. An institution receiving this award should incorporate the SPORE high within its institutional priorities. The institution should demonstrate a strong commitment to the program's stability and success. The application must provide a plan that addresses how the institutional commitment will be established and sustained, how it will maintain accountability for promoting scientific progress, and how the SPORE research effort will be given a high priority within the institution relative to other research efforts. This institutional commitment may be in the form of commitments to recruit scientific talent, provision of discretionary resources to the SPORE director, faculty appointments for SPORE investigators, assignment of research space, cost sharing of resources, or other ways to be proposed by the applicant. 2. A qualified principal investigator. A leader should be selected as principal investigator who can oversee and conduct planning activities, provide direction to the SPORE and ensure a translational research emphasis. 3. A substantive prostate cancer patient population. Each SPORE should be recognized as a leading program in the treatment of prostate cancer. The grant application must demonstrate and document access to a patient population that can participate in and benefit from the innovative clinical and population research activities of the SPORE. 4. Research projects. Each SPORE application must include at least three approved research projects that together represent reasonably diverse experimental approaches. Each research project must be headed by basic and clinical co-investigators. It is not necessary that both co-investigators commit equal effort to the project, but it should be evident from this collaboration that translational research objectives will be accelerated. The research must be oriented toward the most critically needed areas of prostate cancer research, and toward translational activities which address new innovative possibilities in prostate cancer research. As indicated above, each project must involve multidisciplinary laboratory and clinical interaction in the conception, planning, design and implementation of research. Projects should be interactive with each other whenever possible. This program will not support basic research that is without translational potential or significance nor will it support clinical studies that are not "translated" from basic research. Research components involving clinical trials must include provisions for rigorous data management, quality assurance, and auditing procedures. Funds should be budgeted for these activities and should appear as a separate budget page in the application. They should not duplicate internal review and monitoring systems that are already in place at the institution. For any treatment protocols supported directly or indirectly by the SPORE, copies of Informed Consent forms, Early Stopping rules and procedures to detect and monitor Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) must be provided in the application, or in the case of future protocols, to the NCI program director. At least one research project must be on prostate cancer prevention or early detection and screening. The NCI is particularly interested in early detection and screening efforts. There is also a strong interest in developing genetic methods for determining high risk to prostate cancer either through inheritance or through environmental exposures. However, the NCI is open to all novel innovative approaches to prevention. Collaborative arrangements within the SPORE, within the parent institution and with other institutions are encouraged. Collaborations with scientists outside the immediate SPORE should be documented with appropriate letters of commitment as applicable. Collaborations with other institutions may involve subcontracting arrangements but an award will be made to one institution only; that institution is expected to demonstrate the full institutional commitment noted in 1. above. It is expected that all SPOREs will have a balanced approach to prostate cancer that encompasses the areas of prevention, etiology, screening, diagnosis and treatment. This balanced approach may be either through research being conducted in their institution, or through collaborative associations they have developed or plan to develop with other SPOREs or with other investigators in the biomedical research community. 5. Developmental Research Funds. Each SPORE should continually allocate a significant proportion of its budget and effort to pilot projects that explore innovative ideas. It is important that SPOREs use developmental funds to stimulate projects that take maximum advantage of new research opportunities. Pilot projects may be collaborative among scientists within one or more SPOREs, or with scientists outside the SPORE environment. The SPORE application should propose an institutional review process that selects pilot projects for funding which represent the most innovative ideas and which are likely to have the greatest impact on reducing prostate cancer incidence and mortality, and increasing and improving survival and quality-of-life of prostate cancer patients. These funds are intended to remain flexible and to support feasibility and pilot studies of a limited duration, e.g., two years or less, rather than the duration of the entire grant period. The expectation is that successful feasibility studies will become fully developed projects within the SPORE, or funded through other forms of research support, e.g., R29, R01. 6. Specialized Resources. The SPORE is encouraged to develop and maintain resources of special significance to translational prostate cancer research. While all types of resources may be proposed, each SPORE must have a dedicated activity for the development of model systems for research, and for collecting and distributing human prostate cancer tissue. Tissue collection should include the essential pathologic and clinical information needed for conducting research. This resource should benefit the specific research activities of the SPORE as well as the research activities of other scientists within and outside of the parent institution who are concentrating on translational research issues. The SPORE must be willing to participate in any national prioritization for distribution of tissues through NCI supported tissue networks. A plan must be proposed for prioritizing distribution of tissues and animal models to SPORE scientists and others based on the most innovative ideas in translational prostate cancer research. This plan should be flexible enough to accommodate and complement broader national priorities as they are developed. 7. Career Development. The SPORE should demonstrate a consistent commitment to career development. A sufficient portion of the budget should be dedicated to the salaries and research activities of investigators who wish to pursue careers in translational research on prostate cancer and who would acquire the necessary research experience to develop independent prostate cancer translational research programs within or outside of the parent institution. These may be new investigators or established investigators who wish to change research directions. Candidates should be scientists who have demonstrated outstanding research potential, but who need additional time in a productive scientific environment to establish an independent prostate cancer research program. Candidates are expected to devote full time to research. Any deviation will require prior NCI approval. Recruitment should encourage the participation of qualified women and minorities. To this end, each applicant must include a clear policy and plans for recruiting minorities and women. The SPORE application should propose the number of slots available, the criteria for eligibility and for selection of candidates, and describe the selection process. Also, the application should indicate prospective mentors who are already in place at the proposed SPORE, briefly describe their research programs, and describe complementary activities that contribute to the environment for career development (e.g., existing training grants, other career development mechanisms and relevant programs). 8. Annual Meeting of SPORE. Prostate Cancer SPOREs will be expected to participate in an annual meeting with the Organ Systems Coordinating Branch of the NCI to share positive and negative results with other SPOREs, share materials, assess progress, identify new research opportunities, and establish interactions and research priorities and collaborations that will maximize the impact of the research on reducing incidence and mortality, and improving survival. Travel funds for the Principal Investigator and selected Project Investigators may be budgeted for this purpose. This may include Project Investigators from other institutions who are actively collaborating with SPORE investigators. In addition, travel funds should be budgeted for the SPORE Director to attend an annual SPORE Directors' administrative and planning meeting at the NCI. This Directors' meeting is in addition to the annual SPORE Investigators' meeting. A SPORE application can originate from an institution with or without an existing NCI Cancer Center Support Grant or P30 core grant. However, if a P30 grant already exists: (a) the Principal Investigator of the SPORE should be a senior leader in the cancer center; (b) the P30 Center Director may be the Principal Investigator of the P50 SPORE, but this is not necessary; (c) lines of authority should be indicated clearly such that the SPORE is an integral part of the Cancer Center and does not interfere with the P30 chain of authority; (d) a letter of commitment that delineates organizational relationships and lines of authority is required; the letter must be signed by the proposed Principal Investigator of the SPORE, the Cancer Center Director, and the appropriate institutional official; (e) the SPORE must be an integrated major programmatic element in the cancer center; however, there must also be a separate and distinctive institutional commitment specifically to the SPORE in addition to the institutional commitment to the NCI-designated Cancer Center; (f) the development of resources in the SPORE should not duplicate resources already provided by the existing P30 grant; however, SPORE resources can be used to augment existing center resources to orient these resources more effectively to SPORE research objectives, if this is a more efficient and more cost effective alternative; (g) the applicant should describe how the P50 SPORE will interact synergistically and effectively with the existing P30 programs in order to maximize SPORE research objectives and contribute to cancer center research objectives. STUDY POPULATIONS INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS It is the policy of the 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 new policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Populations, and Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations) which have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some new provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies. All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH Guidelines on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research," which was reprinted in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (59 FR 14508-14513) to correct typesetting errors in the earlier publication, and reprinted in the NIH GUIDE FOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS of March 18, 1994, Volume 23, Number 11. Investigators may obtain copies from these sources or from the program staff or contact person listed below. Program staff may also provide additional relevant information concerning the policy. LETTER OF INTENT Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by November 18, 1994, a letter of intent that includes the name and address of the principal investigator and identifies the component research projects, core units and their principal investigators, any collaborating institutions, and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application is being submitted. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information that it contains allows NCI staff to estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflict of interest in the review. Furthermore, NCI staff can discuss the most recent policies of the NCI relative to funding issues, potential problems in meeting eligibility requirements, or clarification of the peer review process before the final application is submitted. The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. Andrew Chiarodo, Ph.D. at the address listed under INQUIRIES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Complete applications are due no later than February 21, 1995. Applications must meet all eligibility requirements as described above and must address all programmatic requirements (see SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS above) in the RFA. Applications received after this date will not be accepted. Also, the Division of Research Grants (DRG) will not accept any application in response to this RFA, any part of which is the same as one currently being considered by any other review group or NIH awarding unit. Specific instructions for preparing a SPORE grant application are available as a separate addendum to this RFA. These instructions should be used in preparing the application. They are available from the Organ Systems Coordinating Branch (see INQUIRIES below). The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research; from the Office of Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892-4500, telephone (301) 710-0267; and from the NCI Program Director listed under INQUIRIES. The RFA label available in the application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) must be affixed to the bottom of the face page. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for review. In addition, the RFA number and title "SPORE in Prostate Cancer" must be typed on line 2a of the face page of the application form. Submit a signed typewritten original of the application, including the checklist, and three signed exact photocopies, in one package, to: Division of Research Grants National Institutes of Health Westwood Building, Room 240 Bethesda, MD 20892-4500** At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application must be sent to: Ms. Toby Friedberg Division of Extramural Activities National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza North, Room 636 6130 Executive Boulevard MSC 7405 Rockville, MD 20852 (if hand-delivered or delivery service) Bethesda, MD 20892-7405 (if using U.S. Postal Service) It is important to send these copies at the same time that the original and three copies are sent to DRG; otherwise, the NCI cannot guarantee that the applications will be reviewed in competition with other applications received on or before the designated receipt date. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS A. Review Procedures Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed initially by the Division of Research Grants for completeness. Incomplete applications that have not addressed all of the required elements noted above under SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS or do not meet the eligibility requirements as noted above, will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Evaluation for responsiveness to the program requirements stated in the RFA is an NCI program staff function; this will be done stringently and will be based primarily on the clear orientation of the application to human prostate cancer, translational research objectives, and an absence of duplication between the proposed research and currently supported research. Applications judged to be non-responsive to this RFA will be returned without review. Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit and for special SPORE characteristics and requirements by an appropriate peer review group convened by the NCI in accordance with the review criteria stated below. As part of the initial merit review, a process (triage) may be used by the initial review group in which applications will be determined to be competitive or non-competitive based on their scientific merit relative to other applications received in response to the RFA. Applications judged to be non-competitive will be withdrawn from further consideration and the principal investigator/program director and the official signing for the applicant organization will be promptly notified. Applications judged to be competitive will be discussed and be assigned a priority score. The second level of review will be provided by the National Cancer Advisory Board. B. Review Criteria The factors to be considered in the evaluation of all applications are given below. Additional factors are noted in a separate section below for applications from existing P20 SPORE feasibility grantees and for applications from P50 SPOREs applying for competitive renewal. 1. The Institutional Commitment (a) adequacy of facilities, equipment and space to promote translational research objectives; (b) adequacy of institutional procedures and plans for monitoring, evaluating and assuming accountability for the general success of the SPORE; adequacy of the institutional infrastructure for assessing progress and needs; (c) adequacy of recruitment objectives and plans to strengthen the scientific capabilities of the SPORE; (d) presence of other tangible commitments, i.e., discretionary resources, to the SPORE, e.g., dollars and space. 2. Overall Program Organization and Capability (a) the scientific qualifications and demonstrated scientific and administrative leadership capabilities of the SPORE Principal Investigator; adequacy of the time commitment of the Principal Investigator; (b) the depth and breadth of the proposed research activities and plans to effectively pursue translational research objectives; (c) the adequacy of access to patients and to a population for conducting current and projected therapeutic, prevention and control research; (d) the adequacy of the procedures, processes, and plans for promoting interactions; (e) if applicable, the adequacy of plans for synergistic and effective interactions with existing P30 programs. 3. Individual Research Projects (a) qualifications and demonstrated competence of the investigators to conduct the proposed research; the adequacy of the time commitment of all key laboratory and clinical researchers associated with the project; (b) clear evidence of significant multidisciplinary basic and clinical interactions in the conception, design and proposed implementation of the project; (c) degree to which the project addresses an issue of substantive importance for reducing incidence and mortality or for increasing survival in human prostate cancer; (d) the scientific merit and adequacy of experimental design of the project; (e) in clinical research components, clear evidence of full protection of human subjects, and appropriate mechanisms for the rigorous management and verification of research data; (f) the adequacy of quality assurance and audit processes, and related budget for research involving clinical trials; (g) the originality, novelty, and innovativeness of the experimental design and relevance to the overall goals and objectives of the SPORE; (h) the degree to which the project is interactive with other projects in the SPORE conceptually, experimentally, and translationally; (i) appropriateness of the budget to achieve research objectives. 4. Developmental Funds (a) adequacy of the proposed process for continuously reviewing and funding pilot projects for their quality, innovativeness and potential impact on reducing incidence and mortality, and/or improving survival to prostate cancer; (b) quality, innovativeness and potential impact of proposed pilot projects; (c) degree to which developmental funds will be used to stimulate pilot projects with multidisciplinary interactions and/or collaborative interactions with other scientists within or outside of the parent institution; (d) appropriateness of the proposed budget relative to the proposed pilot projects and potential of the program to generate innovative pilot projects on a consistent basis. 5. Career Development (a) the adequacy of the process for selecting candidates for career development who demonstrate potential for independent research careers or who are established investigators and are changing the direction of their research careers; (b) adequacy of the policies to seek out and include qualified minorities and women in the career development program; (c) adequacy of the individuals available in the program to serve as possible mentors of career development candidates; the current availability and adequacy of projects for career development candidates; (d) complementary activities that contribute to the environment for career development; (e) capacity of the overall program to absorb career development candidates and prepare them for independent prostate cancer research careers; (f) appropriateness of the budget relative to the proposed plans for sustaining a strong activity in career development. 6. Shared Resources (a) adequacy of the proposed plans to develop, maintain and distribute a fresh/frozen human prostate cancer tissue resource with pathological and clinical data; (b) willingness to participate in any national prioritization for distribution of tissues through NCI-supported tissue networks; (c) adequacy of the proposed plans to develop, improve, and distribute animal models; (d) confirmation that the plan does not duplicate resources already available within the institution (e.g., as part of a Cancer Center Support Grant or P30) or through readily available national resources; (e) adequacy of the justification for other specialized resources essential for the conduct of SPORE research; (f) adequacy of qualifications of proposed managers of resources to conduct high quality, reliable resource operations; (g) appropriateness of the requested budgets to conduct each resource operation. 7. Interactions with other SPOREs (a) adequacy of plans to promote and maintain communication and integration with other prostate SPOREs; (b) willingness to interact with other SPOREs and with the NCI in sharing information, assessing scientific progress, identifying new research opportunities, and establishing scientific priorities. The above criteria apply to all new and competing applications. Additional factors to be considered in the evaluation of competing applications from P20 Feasibility SPORE grantees, will be: (a) nature and quality of planning in the context of focusing on translational activities; (b) extent to which applied researchers (e.g., clinical researchers, prevention and control researchers) are interacting with basic investigators in planning translational approaches to the problem of prostate cancer; (c) how funds have been used to foster planning for a SPORE in prostate cancer; (d) positive and/or negative results of pilot projects, if applicable. (e) extent to which pilot projects, where applicable, have led to proposal of new full research projects in the current grant application. Additional factors to be considered in the evaluation of competing renewal applications from current P50 SPORE grantees, will be: 1. Research Projects (a) progress in establishing a high quality research effort and scientific productivity in translational research over the previous funding period; (b) degree to which applied researchers (e.g., clinical researchers, prevention and control researchers) are interacting with basic investigators in the planning, design, and implementation of research projects; (c) collaborative efforts that have been established within and outside the SPORE institution; (d) results (positive or negative) from each research project; (e) degree to which each project is interacting with other projects; (f) translational potential or significance of each individual research project; 2. Developmental Projects (a) progress in the effective use of developmental funds to explore new research opportunities and/or stimulate the field; (b) quality, innovativeness, and potential or actual impact of funded pilot projects; (c) positive and/or negative results for each developmental project; d) how the SPORE has set priorities in the use of developmental funds; (e) impact of developmental projects in stimulating new full translational research projects within the SPORE, or through other support mechanisms; (f) impact of developmental projects in stimulating new multidisciplinary or collaborative interactions within or outside the SPORE. 3. Career Development (a) progress toward recruiting candidates including women and minorities, for career development; (b) progress in developing the careers of new or established investigators in translational prostate cancer research; (c) quality and adequacy of the research activities of these individuals; (d) current status and research activities of individuals who have completed career development, if applicable. 4. Shared Resources (a) effectiveness and efficiency of previously funded resources in meeting the specific translational research needs of the scientific projects in the SPORE; (b) extent to which shared resources are being used by research and pilot projects, both within and outside the SPORE; (c) quality, utility, and efficiency of the shared resources; (d) progress toward establishing the prostate cancer tissue resource to include pathological and clinical data; nature, quality, and distribution of tissues being procured; plans for prioritizing distribution of tissues within and outside the SPORE; (e) progress toward developing new or improving existing animal models. 5. Other Considerations (a) special efforts to recognize unique research opportunities based on incidence and mortality rates in the community or region of the SPORE; (b) special efforts to enhance the research capability of the SPORE through interactions with individuals, organizations, and institutions within the community; (c) special efforts to promote and maintain communication and integration with other prostate SPOREs; (d) progress toward meeting previously stated (above) institutional commitments; (e) demonstrated effectiveness of the SPORE Director in terms of scientific and administrative leadership; (f) progress in refining and improving upon the translational research infrastructure of the SPORE during the previous funding period as it relates to (a) through (e) above. Each component of the application will receive a recommendation of approval or not recommended for further consideration. Approved components will receive an appropriate verbal descriptor of merit. The review group will critically examine the proposed budget for each component of the application. C. Scoring the Applications In addition to rating the merit of individual components, peer reviewers will be asked to judge the overall program in the following areas: (1) scientific merit and innovativeness; progress, if applicable; (2) evidence of interdependent, multidisciplinary design and conduct of the research; (3) impact, or potential for impacting on the disease; (4) institutional commitment. A verbal descriptor will be recorded for each of the above areas. A single numerical priority score will be assigned to the program as a whole. Although primary emphasis will be placed on scientific merit, innovativeness, and progress where applicable, significant consideration will be given to multidisciplinary interactions, potential for impacting on the disease, and institutional commitment. A recommendation for no further consideration for any required element of the program (see SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS above) will result in an overall evaluation of "not recommended for further consideration." AWARD CRITERIA The earliest anticipated date of award is December 1, 1995. Applications considered by the National Cancer Advisory Board will be considered for award based upon (a) priority score, (b) availability of funds, and (c) programmatic priorities. The NCI anticipates making at least three awards for project periods of five years for successful P50 competitive renewals, and for project periods of three years for applications from new applicants or current P20 SPORE feasibility grantees applying for P50 funding. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries concerning the objectives and scope of the RFA, and inquiries about whether or not specific proposed research would be responsive, are encouraged. The program director welcomes the opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants. For inquiries regarding programmatic issues, contact: Andrew Chiarodo, Ph.D. Division of Cancer Biology, Diagnosis, and Centers National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza North, Suite 512 6130 Executive Boulevard MSC 7386 Bethesda, MD 20852-7386 Telephone: (301) 496-8528 For fiscal or administrative matters, contact: Joan Metcalfe Grants Administration Branch National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza South, Room 243 6120 Executive Boulevard MSC 7150 Bethesda, MD 20892-7150 Telephone: (301) 496-7800 ext. 228 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance no. 13.397. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410 as amended: 42 USC 241) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 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 Public Health Service (PHS) strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people. .
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Office of Extramural Research (OER) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 |
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) |
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