Notice of Intent to Publish Request for Applications for the Barrett’s Esophagus Translational Research Network (BETRNet) Coordinating Center

Notice Number: NOT-CA-10-022

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

  • May 3, 2010 - See Notice NOT-CA-10-021 Notice of Intent to Publish Request for Applications for the Barretts Esophagus Translational Research Network (BETRNet) Research Centers.

Key Dates
Release Date: May 3, 2010

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

PURPOSE OF THE NOTICE:

The Division of Cancer Prevention and the Division of Cancer Biology of the National Cancer Institute announce the forthcoming new initiative to fund the Barrett’s Esophagus Translational Research Network (BETRNet). BETRNet will be a new cooperative network of Translational Research Centers focusing on studies of esophageal adenocarcinoma carcinogenesis and prevention and the association between Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. The BETRNet will consist of up to four Translational Research Centers (TRCs) and a single Coordinating Center (CC).

Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for the BETRNet TRCs and the BETRNet CC are expected to be published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts in the summer of 2010.
A parallel Notice of Intent to Publish (NOT-CA-10-021) covers the funding set-aside and other expected attributes for the TRC awards.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME. However, this Notice is to encourage investigators with appropriate backgrounds and capabilities to proactively plan to submit applications in response to the forthcoming FOAs.

OVERVIEW OF THE INITIATIVE

This initiative is designed to advance translational research in the fields of esophageal adenocarcinoma and Barrett’s esophagus by establishing a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research network of basic and clinical investigators. The BETRNet components (i.e., the TRCs and the CC), will be linked to existing NCI infrastructures so as to support centralized and focused research programs with shared resources and technologies. Each proposed TRC will be required to include a team of investigators from multiple institutions, who will be expected to collaborate closely on the specific goals of their TRC. In addition, the goal for the entire BETRNet is to initiate and foster long-term productive trans-network collaborations among investigators from all TRCs. The common objective is to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of esophageal adenocarcinoma carcinogenesis as the foundation for innovative high impact clinical research. Ultimately, the program is expected to lead to validated tools for risk stratification, diagnosis, and prevention of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Thus, the network structure should help integrate and transform important research findings generated from individual laboratory-based, clinical, and/or population studies into clinical applications with the overall goal to reduce the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of esophageal adenocarcinoma in humans.

Inquiries and Further Information

Complete information on BETRNet will be provided in the forthcoming FOAs.

For any additional inquiries, please contact:

Ellen Richmond, M.S., R.N.
Program Director and Nurse Consultant
GI and Other Cancers Research Group
Division of Cancer Prevention
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Blvd., EPN Rm. 2146, MSC 7317
Bethesda, MD 20892-7317
Telephone: (301) 435-2466
FAX: (301) 480-4137
E-mail: richmone@mail.nih.gov

Rihab Yassin, Ph.D.
Program Director
Cancer Cell Biology Branch
Division of Cancer Biology
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Blvd., EPN Ste. 5000, MSC 7393
Bethesda, MD 20892-7393
Telephone: (301) 496-7028
FAX: (301) 402-1037
E-mail: ry38k@nih.gov