NRG Oncology NCORP solicits PILOT projects addressing NRG NCORP Health Disparities (HDC) Research priorities

February 19 2021

Date Issued: February 19, 2021
Submission Due Date: April 30, 2021
Reply to: fielde@nrgoncology.org

Summary

NRG Oncology NCORP solicits PILOT projects addressing NRG NCORP Health Disparities (HDC) Research priorities.

PILOT projects should generate preliminary data and address feasibility issues to inform the development of a future NCORP concept .Specifically, researchers should use this funding to develop a competitive NCORP concept for rapid review by the NRG HDC/NCORP Steering Committee (and ultimately the NCI NCORP SC). HDC is tasked with generating research protocols to address health disparities in cancer. The current focus of HDC is to move past simply documenting outcome differences to the development and testing of interventions to remedy them. NRG’s HDC Committee particularly welcomes applications that address committee priorities including:

  • Focus 1. Development of interventional studies to decrease health disparities among racial and ethnic 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 and surveillance of rural populations. 

The overarching purpose of this pilot mechanism is to promote research to generate new knowledge to improve health care access, delivery, utilization and quality, and health outcomes of groups affected by cancer health disparities. Additionally, HDC protocols should be consistent with the priorities of the NRG NCORP 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 at understanding 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 practices report routine use)
    • Integrating patient-reported outcomes into clinical practice (extends survival);
    • Enhance access to proven survivorship and palliative care strategies optimizing survivor and family quality of life
    • Optimize screening strategies based on disease risk including patients in the post-treatment surveillance phase of care 
    • Implement evidence-based symptom management strategies addressing patients’ needs during both active adjuvant and palliative treatment

Fundingcan be requested for up to $50,000 and is contingent upon project review byNCORP leaders and NRG Oncology’s receipt of t he Notice of Award from theDivision of Cancer Prevention. One to two projects may be funded.  Projects are to be implemented on September 1,2021 and completed by December 31, 2022. No carry over funds will be issued. An interim progress report isdue within 6 months of starting the project; a completed progress report is dueat the end of the project period . Pleasework with your institution's Sponsored Research Office (SRO) in developing theproject budget and ensure that the SRO has approved the application andbudget.  If your project is funded, a sub-award agreement with terms andconditions of the award will be issued to the institution. Funds will bereimbursed upon receipt of invoices with subsequent payments upon approval offirst 6 months of the project. Applications from institutionsthat are able to waive indirect costs and/or provide cost sharing, while notmandatory, will be prioritized. Applications from junior investigators withqualified mentors with documented research in the priority areas and those fromminority backgrounds will also be 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 30, 2021. 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 lead investigator and all co investigators to include institutional affiliations and contact information
  • Description of the project, including summary of specific aims, expected outcomes, sufficient methods to assess feasibility, and how this pilot project will lead to an NCORP concept (include brief 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 will not 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]

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    







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