DoD Rare Cancers, Resource and Community Development Award

Background
The fiscal year 2025 (FY25) Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP) Resource and Community Development Award (RCDA) is initiated by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) under the Defense Health Program. The RCRP aims to support the development of research resources and clinical or preclinical data sets to advance rare cancers research, ultimately improving outcomes for individuals affected by rare cancers. The program addresses significant gaps in research and clinical resources, communication strategies, infrastructure for data sharing, and therapeutic development.

Grant Details
The RCDA supports the development of clinical or preclinical data sets and research resources aimed at addressing major gaps in rare cancer patient care. Key tasks include:

1) Building and sharing a rare tumor biospecimen repository with clinical annotation;
2) Developing databases for centralizing patient registries;
3) Centralizing research models and molecular data;
4) Generating a resource exchange program for researchers;
5) Building platforms for longitudinal studies of disease natural history;
6) Developing novel methods for data collection and analysis.

Engagement with patient advocates is required throughout the project, emphasizing community building, dissemination, and sustainability of the developed resources.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include extramural and intramural organizations such as academic institutions, biotechnology companies, non-profit organizations, and public or private entities. Principal Investigators must be independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor. There are no cost-sharing requirements.

Period of Performance
The maximum period of performance for this award is four years.

Grant Value
The total funding available for this opportunity is approximately $5.60 million, with individual awards capped at $1.12 million.

Place of Performance
The specific geographic locations are expected to encompass both domestic and international organizations involved in rare cancer research.