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

A -- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH PROGRAM SOL 074&&&-9803-0002 POC Craig D. Lebo (Site Code DAMD17) The U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRMC) will issue an Announcement to solicit proposals for breast cancer research. The 1998 Defense Appropriations Act provides $11 million to continue the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP). The overall goal of this funding effort is to promote research directed toward eradicating breast cancer. Within this context, the objectives of the BCRP are to prevent breast cancer, cure breast cancer, and improve the quality of life for individuals living with breast cancer. The programmatic strategy will be implemented by a call for proposals in three categories: (1) Research Awards -- Approximately $80 million will be allocated for Research Awards. Research Awards include Idea and Clinical Translational Research (CTR) awards. The intent of Idea Awards is to stimulate and reward creative research ideas that may be viewed as speculative, but that have the potential for high payoff. The CTR Awards are intended to support projects that apply promising, well-founded laboratory or other preclinical research to the clinical care of patients with breast cancer or populations at high risk for breast cancer. (2) Training/Recruitment Awards -- Approximately $26 million will be allocated for Training/Recruitment Awards. Training/Recruitment Awards include Predoctoral Traineeships, Postdoctoral Traineeships, Institutional Training Grants, and Career Development Awards (CDAs). The intent of these awards is to prepare new scientists for careers in breast cancer research as well as to enhance the expertise of existing breast cancer researchers. (3) Academic Awards: The Academic Awards represents a new funding category for the BCRP. Approximately $5 million will be allocated for the Academic Awards. The intent of these awards is to fund established and productive scientists of proven high ability affording them the opportunity to critically appraise the state of the science in an aspect of breast cancer research and forge new avenues of investigation. Significant execution milestones for this year's program include: March 31, 1998 -- Release of the BAA/May 13, 1998 -- CTR Pre-Proposal Receipt/July 1, 1998 -- Proposal Receipt (all categories except CTR)/September 30, 1999 -- Awards Completed. For more information or to receive a copy of the Announcement: download the document from the DOD World Wide Web address at http://mrmc- rad6.army.mil/documents.html. Fax your request to (301) 619-7792 or call (301) 619-7079. (0090)

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