Funding Opportunity Number: HT942525MRPMASA
Deadlines
Letter of Intent: September 10, 2025
Final Submission: October 1, 2025
Summary
This funding opportunity announcement is for the addition of independent, early career investigators (Scholars) who are no more than seven years from their initial faculty appointment to the Melanoma Research Program (MRP) Melanoma Academy. The Melanoma Academy is a unique, interactive virtual academy focused on bringing together established investigators and Scholars to develop a network of successful, highly productive melanoma researchers in a collaborative research and career development environment.
Distinctive Features:
- This award mechanism focuses on both the Scholar’s research and career potential.
- Scholars must designate a Career Guide. The Career Guide must have a track record of successful mentorship coupled with a strong record of funding and publications in melanoma.
- Preliminary data are not required.
Details
Focus Areas for the MASA The MRP has identified three strategic priorities to ensure that funded research addresses unmet needs and/or underfunded areas of melanoma research and patient care. Those three priorities are:
Prevention and Interception: Individuals diagnosed with melanoma have significantly improved prognoses when the disease is diagnosed and treated before it has metastasized.
Although primary prevention (use of sunscreen, sun avoidance, etc.) is critical, the MRP seeks to fund research that will lead to improved detection and monitoring capabilities (particularly for individuals at highest risk), as well as inhibition of melanoma initiation, early dissemination, emergence from tumor dormancy, and metastases (i.e., interception).
With the exception of studies investigating rare melanomas, the FY25 MRP is not requesting research into macrometastatic disease or treatment of macrometastatic disease.
Rare Melanomas: Rare melanoma subtypes can have distinct characteristics compared to cutaneous melanoma, which makes up the majority of melanoma diagnoses. Rare melanoma subtypes are typically less well-studied, and this has led to a variety of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment challenges. The MRP seeks to fund research across the entire cancer research spectrum (i.e., biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis and detection, prognosis, treatment, and quality of life) that addresses unmet needs and knowledge gaps associated with rare melanomas. Although the FY25 MRP will accept applications addressing topics relevant to uveal melanoma, the MRP is particularly interested in receiving applications that address other uncommon presentations of melanoma, including but not limited to:
- Genetic (molecular subtypes).
- Histologic (desmoplastic and acral lentiginous).
- Tissue of origin (mucosal, acral).
- Clinical presentation (pediatric, leptomeningeal disease).
Survivorship: The widely accepted definition of cancer, and therefore melanoma, survivorship spans the time from an individual receiving their initial diagnosis through the balance of their life. Under this definition, an individual is considered a melanoma survivor beginning at the time they receive their initial diagnosis. For the purposes of this focus area, the needs and impact of a melanoma diagnosis on family members, friends, and caregivers of melanoma survivors are also included within the purview of “melanoma survivorship.” With the increasing incidence of melanoma and the increased availability of effective treatment options for patients with melanoma, the number of melanoma survivors is also increasing. Melanoma survivorship research covers a broad range of research areas that have the goal of improving the health and well-being of melanoma survivors and their families/caregivers. The MRP seeks to fund innovative and impactful research that advances studies in preservation of function (physical ability), quality of life improvement, symptom management, treatment outcomes, and support for psychological and social issues related to melanoma diagnosis, treatment, and life post-treatment.
For more information, please see the opportunity website.