DIRECTOR, USAMRAA, 820 CHANDLER ST, FORT DETRICK MD 21702-5014

A -- NEUROFIBROMATOSIS RESEARCH PROGRAM SOL 074&&&-9708-0001 POC CRAIG D. LEBO, Contracting Officer 301-619-2036 (Site Code DAMD17) The United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), through this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), is soliciting proposals in neurofibromatosis research that will provide normative quantitative data on tumor growth in neurofibromatosis patients. The overall goal of this funding effort is to promote research directed toward the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of neurofibromatosis, and enhancement of the quality of life for persons with the disease. The objective of the 1997 Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) is to fund (1) one study to provide normative quantitative data on the growth of plexiform neurobibromas in neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) patients and (2) one study to provide normative quantitative data on the growth of vestibular schwannomas in neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) patients. It is expected that each study will provide resources from multiple areas such as imaging, pathology, and molecular biology. It is anticipated that the studies will require the formation of a consortium of investigators to ascertain and analyze sufficient numbers of patients to yeild the substantial normative data set that will be required for meaningful evaluation of potential therapies. The long-term outcome of these studies is to provide the capacity for evaluating the efficacy of potential therapies while a by-product of these studies will be the formation of a consortium of investigators with the potential to carry out clinical trials and to expand cooperative research into other clinical manifestations of the diseases. All proposals will be evaluated in a two-tiered review process consisting of scientific merit review (peer review) in the first tier and programmatic relevance review in the second tier. Although scientific merit is an important requirement for award, proposals that receive high scientific merit scores in peer review but are judged to have low programmatic relevance are less likely to be selected for funding. Therefore, scientifically excellent studies that directly address the unique focus and goals of this program are most likely to receive funding support. The USAMRMC encourages collaborations with minority institutions and proposals addressing the needs of minority, low-income, rural, and other under- represented populations. Approximately $4.2M for the fiscal year (FY) 97 NFRP is availabe to be used to develop natural history studies of tumor growth in neurofibromatosis 1 and neurofibromatosis 2. It is anticipated that two awards will be made to fund two natural history studies for a maximum four-year period of performance. Proposals are due at Fort Detrick, MD no later than 4:00 p.m. ET on 17 December 1997. For more information or to receive a copy of the Broad Agency Announcement: (1) Download the document from the world wide web -- http://mrmc-rad6.army.mil/documents.html or (2) fax a request to 301-682-5521). (0247)

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