Melanoma Research Alliance: Pilot Awards Grant

Melanoma Research Alliance: Pilot Awards Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation
Amount: Up to US $100,000
Last Updated: September 19, 2025

Summary

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is offering Pilot Awards to support innovative research aimed at combatting melanoma. These awards are intended for senior investigators with transformative ideas that lack extensive preliminary data, providing up to $50,000 per year for two years. Proposals should focus on translating scientific discoveries into effective treatments for melanoma, including areas like prevention, detection, and treatment. Successful projects may lead to significant advancements in melanoma care.

Overview

NOTE: All Young Investigator applicants must complete and return the Applicant Eligibility Checklist by Letter of Inquiry Deadline above. MRA Mission The mission of the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is to end suffering and death due to melanoma by collaborating with all stakeholders to accelerate powerful research, advance cures for all patients, and prevent more melanomas. Request for Proposals The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for pre- clinical, translational, and early clinical research with the potential to produce unusually high impact, near-term advancements in melanoma prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Objective: Emphasis on Translational and Clinical Science MRA is soliciting proposals that address the gap in translational science (i.e., turning scientific discoveries into tools and/or treatments for high-risk individuals and patients with melanoma). Successful proposals have the potential of applying important basic and preclinical discoveries to the near-term development of clinical trials and studies impacting melanoma detection, prevention, diagnosis, and/or treatment. Proposals for clinical studies testing well-defined and clearly articulated hypotheses are welcome and should be accompanied by a brief protocol synopsis and timeline with milestones. IRB approval is not required at the time of application but is required before initial payments are made. MRA welcomes proposals in the following areas: Prevention: Elucidation of environmental, epidemiological, and biological factors in melanomagenesis that lead to improved strategies for melanoma prevention.Detection and Diagnosis: Development of innovative detection and diagnostic methodologies; identification and validation of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.Treatment: Projects emphasizing the translation of scientific findings to new treatments for patients with melanoma. Examples include, but are not limited to, studies of melanoma immunotherapy, therapeutic applications based on molecular mechanisms involved in melanoma formation and/or progression, treatments that target the tumor microenvironment or microbiome, combination therapies, and development of novel biomarkers of response to therapy. Pilot Awards Pilot Awards support senior investigators who propose potentially transformative ideas that do not have extensive preliminary data but articulate a clear hypothesis and translational goals. Resources for such "high-risk, high-reward" projects are important to establish proof-of-concept, which may then leverage additional funding through more traditional avenues. Amount Up to $50,000 per year for two years (up to $100,000 total)

Eligibility

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