Notice of Intent to Publish a Request for Applications for Cancer Target Discovery and Development (CTDD) Initiative (U01)

Notice Number: NOT-CA-11-010

Release Date: April 8, 2011

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

The National Cancer Institute announces the intent to publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for research projects on the identification, initial characterization, and early development of novel cancer targets and agents affecting these targets. These agents (e.g., small molecules or oligonucleotides) may be developed and investigated either as phenotype perturbagens for target characterization/validation or as prototypes for therapeutic agents.

The projects to be proposed must be based on the utilization of the comprehensive characterization datasets for the cancer types generated by programs such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (http://cancergenome.nih.gov/), TARGET (http://target.cancer.gov/), and related initiatives. If appropriate, the bioinformatic approaches are expected to be combined with high throughput assays for experimental modulations of cancerous phenotypes, development of small molecules to interfere with the identified potential targets and other approaches.

The main goal of the planned initiative will be to bridge the gap between the enormous volumes of data generated by the comprehensive molecular characterizations projects of a number of cancer types and the ability to use this knowledge for the development of human cancer therapeutics.

Research Initiative Details

The planned FOA stems from the pilot initiative known as "Cancer Target Discovery and Development" (CTD², http://ocg.cancer.gov/programs/ctdd.asp). The FOA, which will involve use of the U01 cooperative agreement funding mechanism, is expected to be published in late Spring 2011 with an expected receipt date in late Summer 2011. This Notice has been published in advance of the FOA to allow potential applicants sufficient time to begin thinking about the development of relevant projects. All investigators with appropriate expertise, irrespective of any prior association with CTD², are welcome to consider the opportunity.

Each application will have to constitute a self-standing, independent research project. However, the NCI recognizes that some institutions may have particularly strong groups of investigators with bioinformatics and/or experimental capabilities sufficient to ensure broader, comprehensive approaches to the identification and characterization of potential novel cancer targets. Therefore, each institution will be allowed to develop and submit up to two applications for two different projects. If appropriate, these two projects may be designed as a broadly-based interactive effort.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Please direct all inquiries to:

Daniela S. Gerhard, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Cancer Genomics
National Cancer Institute
31 Center Dr; 10A07
Bethesda, MD  20852
Telephone:  301-451-8027
Fax: 301-480-4368
http://ocg.cancer.gov/