February 18 2022
Date Issued: February 18, 2022
Submission Due Date: April 22, 2022
Reply to: fielde@nrgoncology.org
Summary
NRG Oncology NCORP solicits PILOT projects addressing NRG NCORP Health Disparities Research (HDR)priorities. PILOT projects should generate preliminary data and address feasibility issues to inform thedevelopment of a future NCORP concept. Specifically, researchers should use this funding to develop acompetitive NCORP concept for rapid review by the NRG HDC/NCORP Steering Committee (andultimately the NCI NCORP SC). HDC is tasked with generating research protocols to address healthdisparities in cancer. The current focus of HDC is to move past simply documenting outcomedifferences to the development and testing of interventions to remedy them. NRG’s HDC Committeeparticularly welcomes applications that address committee priorities including:
- Focus 1. Development of interventional studies to decrease health disparities among racial andethnic minorities, including rural populations ;
- Focus 2. Testing interventional studies for optimal care of at risk elderly; and
- Focus 3. Identify optimal access to cancer screening, treatment, symptom management andsurveillance of rural populations.
The overarching purpose of this pilot mechanism is promoting research to generate new knowledge toimprove health care access, delivery, utilization and quality, and health outcomes of groups affected bycancer health disparities. Additionally, HDC protocols should be consistent with the priorities of the NRGNCORP Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) priorities OR Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR)priorities.
CPC priorities for funding include cancer prevention research and cancer control investigation aimed atunderstanding and/or ameliorating the symptoms and toxicity related to:
- Neurocognitive function
- Gender specific symptom reduction
- Behavioral interventions
- Treatment dose alterations or delivery
- Cancer risk reduction
- Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy
CCDR funding priorities are:
- Implementation and dissemination interventions related to guideline-based care:
- Use of tumor DNA sequencing prior to prescribing targeted therapies (<1/4 of CCDR practicesreport routine use)o Integrating patient-reported outcomes into clinical practice (extends survival);
- Enhance access to proven survivorship and palliative care strategies optimizing survivor andfamily quality of life
- Optimize screening strategies based on disease risk including patients in the post-treatmentsurveillance phase of care
- Implement evidence-based symptom management strategies addressing patients’ needsduring both active adjuvant and palliative treatment
Funding can be requested for up to $50,000 and is contingent upon project review by NCORP leadersand NRG Oncology’s receipt of the Notice of Award from the Division of Cancer Prevention. One to twoprojects may be funded. Projects are to be implemented on September 1, 2022, and completed byDecember 31, 2023. No carry over funds will be issued. An interim progress report is due within 6months of starting the project; a completed progress report is due at the end of the project period .Please work with your institution's Sponsored Research Office (SRO) in developing the project budgetand ensure that the SRO has approved the application and budget. If your project is funded, a subaward agreement with terms and conditions of the award will be issued to the institution. Funds willbe reimbursed upon receipt of invoices with subsequent payments upon approval of first 6 months ofthe project. Applications from institutions that are able to waive indirect costs and/or provide costsharing, while not mandatory, will be prioritized. Applications from junior investigators with qualifiedmentors with documented research in the priority areas and those from minority backgrounds will alsobe prioritized.
Instructions for Applicants
If you have an interest in this application, please submit a 3-4-page proposal to fielde@nrgoncology.org by 5pm ET, Friday, April 22, 2022. This opportunity is open to all investigators. Proposals should include:
- Title page (not part of the page limit) that indicates the title of the proposal, the leadinvestigator and all co investigators to include institutional affiliations and contact information
- Description of the project, including summary of specific aims, expected outcomes, sufficientmethods to assess feasibility, and how this pilot project will lead to an NCORP concept (includebrief design).
- Detailed description of how the project will help lead to a Phase II or Phase III NCORP concept
- Outline of NRG Oncology resources requested (i.e. biospecimen materials, statistical support,etc.) Any expenses related to these resources should be outlined in the budget
- One page letter of support signed with the department chair specifically stating they will or willnot wave F&A and cost share [not included in the 3-4 page limit]
- Timeline for the project [not included in the 3-4 page limit]
- NIH biosketch of PI [not included in the 3-4 page limit]
- Detailed budget [not included in the 3-4 page limit]. Any salary must be at or below NIH cap.Budget should be divided by Year 1 (Sept 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023) and Year 2 (Sept 1, 2023 –December 31, 2023).
Submit applications to NRG NCORP Administrator:
Erica Field, MPH, MHA
fielde@nrgoncology.org
Direct scientific questions to NRG NCORP PI and HDC Chairs:
Deborah Watkins Bruner, RN, PhD, FAAN, NCORP PI
deborah.w.bruner@emory.edu
Joan Walker, MD, NCORP PI
Joan-Walker@ouhsc.edu
Jennifer Wenzel, RN, PhD, CCM FAAN, HDC Chair
jwenzel@jhu.edu
Chanita Hughes Halbert, PhD, HDC Vice-Chair
hughesha@musc.edu