Anti-Cancer Challenge Research Pilot Project

IMPORTANT DATES

• Letter of Intent due: December 7, 2020 by 5:00PM
• Proposal due: January 18, 2021 by 5:00PM

Funds are available from the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC) Anti-Cancer Challenge (ACC) to support cancer-related pilot projects.

Guidelines and application forms are available at http://cancer.uci.edu/ACC-RFP.asp.

The overall objectives of the CFCCC Anti-Cancer Challenge Pilot Project Program are to: (1) increase the number of extramural peer-reviewed grant awards, particularly collaborative and multi-PI grants; (2) support the development of investigator-initiated early phase clinical trial protocols by clinical investigators, particularly interventional trials; (3) advance novel diagnostic or screening technologies, therapeutic molecules or devices, and bio-behavioral interventions from bench to bedside; and (4) advance research on cancer control, cancer population science, and pediatric cancers. Applicants are strongly encouraged to focus on the priorities of the CFCCC catchment areas¹.

This competition will provide up to 15 awards of up to $40,000 each (direct costs) along two tracks, with a specific emphasis on projects capable of significant impact within 1-2 years. UCI Principal Investigators (e.g. faculty or project scientist) and CHOC Hyundai Cancer Institute-affiliated physicians are eligible to apply.

• Track 1 projects are standard 1-year basic or translational pilot project proposals, with an endpoint of a competitive peer-reviewed extramural grant application.
• Track 2 projects are Early Phase Clinical Research project proposals, with an endpoint of an interventional investigator-initiated treatment trial at UC Irvine Health within a 2-year time frame.

Applications in the following FOCUS AREAS will be especially competitive:

• Research addressing cancer health disparities² in the Cancer Center’s catchment area¹ of Orange County. This includes:
  –  Cancers with unusually high incidence or prevalence in the catchment area, such as melanoma, breast and lung cancer
  – Cancers disproportionately affecting racial or ethnic groups, such as liver and gastric cancer in Hispanics and Asians, cervical, gall bladder, and young onset colorectal cancer in Hispanics

• Projects addressing unique aspects of a specific cancer burden in the catchment area (e.g., etiology of lung adenocarcinoma in Asian female never-smokers or of Ph-like B-lymphoblastic leukemia in Hispanics; basis for low HPV vaccination rates in different racial/ethnic groups; melanoma detection/prognosis in Hispanics)
• Projects addressing research questions in population health and cancer control (etiology and/or prevention) relevant to the catchment area, particularly involving collaborations between Cancer Control Program members & other CFCCC Programs
• Projects addressing cancers of relevance to pediatric/AYA populations
• Collaborations involving Disease-Oriented Teams or multidisciplinary tumor boards that seek to advance a novel diagnostic or screening technology, therapeutic molecule or device, or bio-behavioral intervention to a clinical trial
• Projects leveraging CFCCC Shared Resources
• Applications from Early Stage Investigators

¹The CFCCC catchment area is Orange County. Details on catchment area demographics and cancer incidence and mortality can be found at: https://youtu.be/5yPWuDd-Ygo.

²The NCI defines cancer health disparities as “adverse differences in cancer incidence (new cases), cancer prevalence (existing cases), cancer death (mortality), cancer survivorship, and burden of cancer related conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States.”

Questions
For inquiries regarding this request for proposals, please contact CFCCC Administration at cfcccadmin@hs.uci.edu.