DoD, Melanoma, Melanoma Academy Scholar Award | HT942524MRPMASA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT942524MRPMASA

The DoD Melanoma Academy Scholar Award (MASA) is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the Department of the Army through USAMRAA (Funding Opportunity Number HT942524MRPMASA; CFDA 12.420) that is designed to accelerate impactful melanoma research while building the next generation of independent melanoma investigators. It supports science and technology and other research and development efforts that align with the FY24 Melanoma Research Program (MRP) Focus Areas (referenced in the announcement as Section II.A.1). The program is structured not only as a research award, but also as a career-development pathway embedded within a broader Melanoma Academy (MA) environment that emphasizes mentorship, collaboration, and active participation in academy activities.

A central feature of MASA is that the Principal Investigator, referred to as the Scholar, must be an early-career researcher or physician-scientist who is within 7 years of their first faculty-level appointment. This eligibility window is strict in the sense that postdoctoral fellows and equivalent non-faculty positions are not eligible under this mechanism. Reviewers will assess both the Scholar's track record and the proposed research for their potential to contribute meaningfully to the FY24 MRP Focus Areas. Importantly, the opportunity does not require that all prior accomplishments be specifically in melanoma; instead, the applicant's overall trajectory and demonstrated potential to make high-value contributions to melanoma research are what matter. The applicant's institution must also show tangible commitment to the Scholar by confirming access to independent laboratory space, signaling that the Scholar is positioned to operate as an independent investigator rather than as an extension of a senior mentor's lab.

The proposal's impact requirements are explicit: the work must relate to at least one FY24 MRP Focus Area and should be framed around producing outcomes that meaningfully move the field forward. The program emphasizes research that speeds the advancement of promising ideas toward clinical and/or public utility, and it makes clear that basic research can be considered impactful when it is oriented toward accelerating downstream translation. Applications are expected to clearly explain both short-term and long-term impact, describing how the work will advance melanoma research, influence clinical practice, or improve patient care over time. In other words, applicants need to connect the scientific approach to practical consequences for melanoma understanding, detection, prevention, treatment, or survivorship, consistent with the relevant focus areas.

Career development is not optional in MASA; it is a required and heavily emphasized component. Applicants must submit a Career Development and Sustainment Plan (listed as Attachment 7 in the opportunity) that is developed with guidance from a designated Career Guide. This plan is expected to lay out a concrete strategy for building collaborations and gaining the skills, competencies, and domain expertise needed to become and remain a leading independent melanoma investigator. The plan should include specific milestones and a realistic pathway to achieve them, rather than general statements about professional growth. The Scholar must also demonstrate a clear commitment to engaging with the Melanoma Academy itself, including sustained interaction and participation as part of their professional development and networking.

The Career Guide role is tightly defined to ensure strong, melanoma-specific mentorship and meaningful participation in the Academy structure. The Scholar must name a Career Guide who is an established melanoma researcher with a strong history of melanoma-focused funding and publications, and who can credibly support the Scholar's entry into and advancement within the melanoma field. Beyond qualifications, the Career Guide must commit to actively advancing the Scholar's career and to fully participating in Melanoma Academy activities during the award period. This includes engagement with other Scholars and Career Guides and participation in MA functions as requested by MA leadership, potentially including service on the MA Advisory Board. To broaden mentorship availability and avoid over-reliance on a small group of senior mentors, the opportunity also restricts who can serve: the Career Guide cannot have been the named Career Guide on previously funded MASA applications from FY21 through FY23, and a Career Guide may not be listed on more than one FY24 MASA application.

From an application development standpoint, MASA lowers the barrier for early-career investigators by not requiring preliminary data. Applicants may include unpublished preliminary findings, but any such data must come from the Scholar's laboratory or from a member of the research team, reinforcing the expectation of independence and direct ownership of the work. This structure is meant to enable bold but well-justified ideas that may still be early in development, as long as the rationale and potential for impact are compelling and aligned to the program's focus areas.

Administratively, the opportunity lists unrestricted eligibility for applicants (EligibleApplicants: Unrestricted), anticipates making about three awards, and has an original closing date of August 26, 2024. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided text, so applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget limits, period of performance, allowable costs, and other submission requirements. Overall, the MASA is positioned as a combined research and career-launch award for new faculty-level investigators who can propose high-impact melanoma research tied to DoD-defined focus areas while engaging in structured mentorship and academy participation aimed at sustaining an independent melanoma research career.

• The Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD, Melanoma, Melanoma Academy Scholar Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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