DoD Lung Cancer Research Program Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award | Apply Online

FAQs: DoD Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award (IITRA)

What is the IITRA funding opportunity?

The DoD Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award (IITRA) is a U.S. Department of Defense funding opportunity intended to move promising lung cancer concepts beyond discovery and closer to real-world clinical use. The emphasis is on translational research that connects laboratory science with clinical observations and needs.

What is the main goal of this award?

The main goal is to support lung cancer research that does more than generate new biology. Projects are expected to position a concept, tool, biomarker, or intervention for use in patients, clinical decision-making, or clinical trials, with a clear clinical destination.

What does "translational research" mean in this program?

In this program, translational research means deliberately linking basic science (for example molecular biology, genetics, pharmacology, or model systems) to clinical observations (for example patient outcomes, tumor behavior in the clinic, trial findings, or clinician-identified unmet needs) in a way that advances the work toward clinical application.

Does the program view translation as only "bench to bedside"?

No. A defining feature is that translation is expected to be two-way and iterative. Clinical realities should shape lab experiments, and lab findings should feed back into clinically relevant hypotheses, biomarkers, patient stratification approaches, or trial-ready strategies.

What makes an application especially competitive under this mechanism?

The most competitive projects are typically those that clearly describe (1) how patient-derived information, clinical samples, or trial context will influence the scientific work, and (2) how the scientific results will return value to clinical care, trial design, or patient selection.

What types of projects are explicitly encouraged?

Examples explicitly encouraged include: (1) advancing findings from in vitro systems and/or animal models into applications involving human samples or human cohorts; (2) validating a target, biomarker, or mechanism in patient-derived tissues, blood, or clinical datasets; (3) late-stage preclinical development work that directly prepares for a clinical trial, including work supporting an Investigational New Drug (IND) application submission; and (4) correlative and endpoint-development research tied to clinical trials.

Can projects use human samples or clinical datasets?

Yes. The opportunity highlights moving work into human-relevant contexts, such as validation using patient-derived tissues, blood, or clinical datasets, and projects involving human samples or cohorts as part of the translational pathway.

Does the award support research that prepares for clinical trials?

Yes. A major category described is late-stage preclinical development work that directly prepares for a clinical trial, including studies and documentation that support moving an intervention toward first-in-human testing and work that supports an IND application submission.

What is meant by correlative and endpoint-development research tied to clinical trials?

This refers to studies that leverage an ongoing or completed clinical trial to analyze biomarkers, resistance mechanisms, immune responses, or predictors of response, as well as projects that develop or refine measurable endpoints that could be used in future lung cancer trials.

Is preliminary data required?

Yes. The program requires preliminary data demonstrating that the central hypothesis and proposed approach are feasible.

Does the preliminary data have to come from lung cancer studies?

No. The opportunity states that preliminary evidence does not have to be specifically from lung cancer, as long as it credibly supports the rationale and feasibility of the lung cancer translation being proposed. The application is still expected to justify relevance to lung cancer and include steps to validate and translate into the lung cancer setting.

Can investigators bring in data from related cancers or other biological systems?

Yes. The program allows investigators with strong mechanistic or platform data in related cancers or biological systems to propose a lung cancer application, provided the pathway to lung cancer relevance is well justified and the plan includes the necessary validation and translation steps.

What agency offered this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by DOD-AMRAA (U.S. Department of Defense) as part of the Lung Cancer Research Program.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is W81XWH-16-LCRP-IITRA.

How is this funding categorized?

It is categorized as discretionary research funding in the science and technology/research and development area, with CFDA 12.420.

What funding instruments are available (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The funding instruments listed include both cooperative agreements and grants. This indicates that some awards may involve more active programmatic involvement by the funding agency, depending on the specific mechanism used.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a broad range of applicant organizations could apply, subject to any clarifications provided in the full announcement.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The posting date was April 11, 2016, and the application closing date was September 14, 2016.

How many awards were anticipated?

The solicitation anticipated making approximately four awards.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

An award ceiling field is referenced, but no value is provided in the information given here. The maximum budget would have been specified in the full funding announcement or associated program guidance.

What kinds of outcomes is the program trying to achieve?

The program is aiming for lung cancer projects that are ready to be translated, with enough supporting evidence and a concrete plan to move toward clinical application, clinical trial readiness (including IND-supporting steps where relevant), or clinically meaningful endpoints that can be used in trials.

What should applicants emphasize in the research plan, based on the description provided?

Applicants should emphasize a deliberate bridge between lab and clinic that works in both directions: how clinical needs and observations inform experiments, and how experimental results will feed back into clinical hypotheses, biomarkers, patient stratification, trial-ready strategies, clinical decision-making, or endpoint development.