Notice of Intent to Publish a Request for Applications for the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network CISNET (U01)

Notice Number: NOT-CA-09-028

Key Dates
Release Date: May 26, 2009

Issued by
National Cancer Institute (NCI), (http://cancer.gov/)

Purpose

The Notice is to announce that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to publish a reissuance of a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET - http://cisnet.cancer.gov/) .

The goal of CISNET is to use simulation and other modeling techniques to understand the impact of cancer control interventions (i.e. screening, treatment, prevention) on national trends in cancer rates, and to inform national/regional/local decisions on the most efficient utilization of existing and emerging technologies and strategies for the control of cancer. This reissuance seeks to continue efforts focused on the four original cancer sites (prostate, lung, colorectal, breast), add two additional sites (cervical and esophageal cancer), and encourage expansion into new areas of modeling as described below.

This reissuance of CISNET program is specifically designed to support collaborative, interactive projects involving groups of researchers that would put forward a program of comparative modeling, as well as to allow coverage across the important cancer control issues and relevant specific focus areas for the selected organ site. The initiative will support the application, extension, and/or merging of existing models. However, de novo model development will NOT be supported.

Modeling areas of special interest to this round of CISNET funding include the following:

1) Multi-scale modeling
2) Incorporating genomic and family history risk profiles
3) Upstream modeling
4) Comparative effectiveness and downstream modeling
5) Evaluation of diagnostic tests
6) Optimizing biomarker development strategies
7) Suggesting optimal routes to reducing health disparities
8) Translation of trial results into clinical guidelines and public health policy
9) Interactive policy-level decision making tools

The CISNET funding opportunity announcement (FOA) (it will be RFA-CA-09-025) will utilize the NIH cooperative agreement U01 mechanism with the set-aside funds of $5,400,000 for year 1 and $6,000,000 per year in years 2-5 (approved by the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors). This FOA is designed as an open competition for all qualified investigators irrespective of their previous involvement in the CISNET program. Because of the requirement of conducting cross-model comparisons (i.e. comparative modeling) and coverage of a broad range of cancer control issues, it is expected that each award will support between 2 and 5 modeling groups working together, Therefore, the CISNET FOA will include multiple Principal Investigators (multi-PIs) option, and it’s use is highly encouraged.

CISNET awards are expected to be capped at the level of approximately $1,300,000 in Year 1. However, groups with fewer modeling groups than the upper range mentioned above will be expected to propose budgets considerably under this cap. Increases will be allowable for Years 2-5.

NOTE:
This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop required collaborations and meaningful projects that would be responsive to the outlined requirements. Applications are NOT being solicited at this time.

The CISNET RFA-CA-09-025 is expected to be published by the end of June, 2009 with the application receipt date in the late fall of 2009.

Inquiries

Interested parties may contact:

Eric J. (Rocky) Feuer, Ph.D.
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
Surveillance Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
6116 Executive Blvd, Room 5041 MSC 8317
Bethesda, MD 20892-8317 (Normal correspondence)
Rockville, MD 20852 (Overnight courier)
Phone: 301-496-5029 301-435-7739
Fax: 301-480-2046
Email: rf41u@nih.gov