INTERVENTIONS TO ENHANCE ADJUSTMENT TO CANCER RISK OR DIAGNOSIS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 30, August 21, 1992



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Social Psychology 

  Cancer/Carcinogenesis 

  Diagnosis, Medical 

  Risk Factors/Analysis 



RFA AVAILABLE:  CA/NR-92-26



National Cancer Institute

National Center for Nursing Research



Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  September 18, 1992

Application Receipt Date:  December 8, 1992



THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.  POTENTIAL

APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN THE RFA FROM THE CONTACT NAMED IN INQUIRIES,

BELOW.



PURPOSE



The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Center for Nursing

Research (NCNR) invite investigator-initiated grant applications for

psychosocial research directed at improving the quality of life and

increasing compliance with treatment regimen of cancer patients or

adherence to early detection practices of persons at high risk of

cancer.



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 RFA,

Interventions to Enhance Adjustment to Cancer Risk or Diagnosis, is

related to the priority area of cancer.  Potential applicants may

obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No.

017-001-00474-0 or Summary 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 and foreign 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.

Applications from minority individuals and women are encouraged.



MECHANISM OF SUPPORT



This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) individual

research grant (R01).  The applicant has sole responsibility for

planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project.  Total

project period for applications submitted in response to this RFA may

not exceed four years.



This RFA is a one-time solicitation.  Future unsolicited competitive

continuation applications will compete with all other

investigator-initiated research grant applications and be reviewed

according to the customary NIH peer review procedures.



FUNDS AVAILABLE



Total costs of $2,400,000 per year for four years will be committed to

specifically fund applications submitted in response to this RFA.  It

is anticipated that five to six awards will be made.  This funding

level 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 the NCI and the NCNR, the awards

pursuant to this RFA are also contingent upon the availability of funds

for this purpose.



RESEARCH OBJECTIVES



This RFA invites research to evaluate the impact of specific

psychosocial counseling interventions in persons notified of increased

cancer risk or newly diagnosed cancer patients with good prognosis.

Objectives are:  (1) to evaluate the efficacy of specific counseling

interventions in high-risk individuals and newly diagnosed cancer

patients, (2) to identify characteristics of successful interventions,

and (3) to assess the potential for community implementation.



Counseling is short-term, time-limited therapy addressing emotional and

adjustment issues of coping with risk or diagnosis of cancer, and

issues such as the need to comply with early detection guidelines or

initial treatment plans and medical follow-up.  Interventions may

include self-help or mutual support groups, behavioral interventions,

individual counseling programs, and pharmacologic adjunctive therapy.

Applications may incorporate existing but previously untested

interventions, adapt existing programs for specific patient groups, or

develop new interventions.  Outcome variables must include quality of

life and adherence/compliance with medical recommendations.



Interventions must target either (1) persons notified of increased risk

of cancers for which primary prevention methods are not proven, but for

which early detection is effective; or (2) newly diagnosed cancer

patients with reasonable chance of cure or prolonged survival with

state-of-the-art therapy.  Investigators must also evaluate the program

characteristics that contribute to efficacy and potential for transfer

of the intervention into the community setting.  A multi-disciplinary

approach is recommended.



STUDY POPULATIONS



SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL

RESEARCH STUDY POPULATIONS



For projects involving clinical research, NIH requires applicants to

give special attention to the inclusion of women and minorities in

study populations.  If women or minorities are not included in the

study populations for clinical studies, a specific justification for

this exclusion must be provided.  Applications without documentation

will not be accepted for review.



LETTER OF INTENT



Each prospective applicant is asked to submit, by September 18, 1992 a

letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed

research, the name, address, telephone/FAX numbers of the Principal

Investigator, the names of other key personnel and participating

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 a subsequent application, it contains

information that is helpful in planning for the review.  It allows NCI

and NCNR staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid

conflict of interest in the review.  The letter of intent is to be sent

to the Program Director named in INQUIRIES.



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



Applications must be received by close of business December 8, 1992.

Application forms (PHS 398 (rev. 9/91)) and information about

application procedures may be obtained from the NCI Program Director

named in INQUIRIES.



REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS



Applications that are competitive and responsive to the RFA will be

evaluated scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review

group according to specific review criteria.  A second level of review

will consider special needs and research priorities of NCI and NCNR.



INQUIRIES



Written and telephone requests for the RFA and the opportunity to

clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants are welcome.

Direct requests for the RFA and inquiries regarding programmatic issues

to:



Susan G. Nayfield, M.D., M.Sc.

National Cancer Institute

Executive Plaza North, Suite 300

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-8541



Directed inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:



Mrs. Eileen M. Natoli

National Cancer Institute

Executive Plaza South, Suite 242

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7800



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

No. 93.399, Cancer Control Research and 93.361, Nursing Research.

Awards are made under the authorization of the Public Health Service

Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law

99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies

and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 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.



.

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