Special Opportunity Team Science Academic-Industry Partnership Award Grant

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) invites proposals for the Special Opportunity Team Science Academic-Industry Partnership Award, focusing on innovative translational research in melanoma prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. This grant supports collaborations between academic and industry researchers, offering up to $300,000 per year for three years. Proposals should aim to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and clinical applications, enhancing the potential for impactful advancements in melanoma care.

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.
Special Opportunity Team Science Academic-Industry Partnership Award in Neoadjuvant Translational Research Only
The Academic-Industry Partnership (AIP) Award (for Teams) is designed to enhance translational research by extending academic capabilities to clinical investigations and to facilitate interactions between the academic and industrial research sectors. These awards will be co-funded by MRA and an industry partner whose involvement is essential to the project. This award will only be available for the special opportunity in Neoadjuvant Translational Research.
Amount
Up to $300,000 per year for three years (up to $900,000 total).