Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for an Oncology Models Forum (U24)

Notice Number: NOT-CA-14-022

Key Dates
Release Date: February 13, 2014
Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: Spring 2014
First Estimated Application Due Date: Fall 2014
Earliest Estimated Award Date: Spring 2015
Earliest Estimated Start Date: Spring 2015

Related Announcements
None

Issued by
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Purpose

The National Cancer Institute intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications to establish an open research resource that is designed to advance reliable, practical applications of mice, and mouse- and human-in-mouse models for translational cancer research. This open resource is further referred to as “an Oncology Model Forum”. The Oncology Model Forum is expected to advance the stated goals by afford opportunities for and facilitating collaborations of experts from various fields (e.g., those generating and using mouse models for cancer biology studies and those in translational and clinical cancer research communities). Presently, no such organized resource for oncology research community exists.

As the foundation for the Oncology Model Forum resource, the NCI envisions a dynamic Internet portal with open access for investigators from of all cancer research communities. The Forum portal is expected to have appropriate software and middleware capabilities that would promote, encourage, and facilitate various types of research, research collaborations, and educational activities related to oncology models and their use in basic and translational cancer research.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive applications.  

The FOA is expected to be published in Spring 2014 with an expected application due date in Fall 2014.

This FOA will utilize the U24 activity code. Details of the planned FOA are provided below.

Research Initiative Details

The FOA announced by this Notice will be open to all qualified applicants with the appropriate expertise to establish, evolve, and maintain an Internet-based open research resource with appropriate tools for scientific collaborations and education. The purpose for the forum resource is to engage the cancer research community in mutual exploration of the practical issues that pertain to effective and reliable use of mouse models in translational, clinical, prevention, and population cancer research. Therefore, applicants will be required to document that the features of the forum resource that they propose correspond well to the cancer research community’s high-priority needs for translational use of mouse models. The forum resource will also pursue pilot projects that enhance standard practices and guidelines to ensure reliability of mouse models for translational applications.

This Notice encourages applicants with experience and insights in building community support for effective translational use of mouse models to begin to consider applying for this new FOA. A variety of disciplines will be necessary. They may include expertise in: technical aspects of model generation, validation, and credentialing; translational questions for which mice and mouse model use is appropriate; developing and deploying a robust information infrastructure to integrate data from mice and mouse models into clinical decision-making; designing and testing novel treatment, prevention, and early detection approaches; use of mouse population genetic resources to identify and evaluate the genetic and exposure bases of human cancer risk.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Cheryl Marks
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6217
Email: marksc@mail.nih.gov