Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP)

The following are the awards announced by the Department of Defense Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) for Federal Fiscal Year 2017. Listed are the individual awards for FY2017, the first year of the KCRP’s existence, to distinguish the program from the previous years PRCRP awards, which were usually limited to a maximum of $1 million per year.

The KCRP program is the direct result of Action to Cure Kidney Cancer’s lobbying campaign. The awards were finalized in the fall of 2018, when negotiations between DoD and the awardees and their institutions were completed.

Consortium Development Award

Institution
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Principal Investigator
Eric Jonasch
Project
Kidney Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium
Amount
$1,000,000

Investigators at or above Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

  • Supports infrastructure development to establish the necessary collaborations among a Coordinating Center and Clinical Sites
  • Multi-institution collaboration required
  • Supports clinical trials of novel interventions with the potential to have a significant impact on patient care in kidney cancer
  • Proposed trials may be Phase 0, Phase 1, or Phase 2
  • Minimum of three separate institutes: one Coordinating Center and at least two Clinical Sites (other than the Coordinating Center)
  • Awardee will be eligible to apply for FY19 Consortium Award, if funds are available
  • Maximum funding of $1.6 million total cost
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years

Idea Development Award — Established Investigator

Institution
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Indiana University at Indianapolis
Institute for Cancer Research
Maine Medical Center
Principal Investigator
Wayne Marasco
Roberto Pili
Vladimir Kolenko
Leif Oxburgh
Project
CAR T-Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment
Targeting TFE3 in Translocation RCC
Histone-Dependent PARP-1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of RCC
Modeling the Effects of Stroma on Clear Cell RCC
Amount
$698,272
$630,000
$566,149
$553,824

    Investigators at or above Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

    • Independent investigators 10 years or more from a terminal degree
    • Supports new ideas that represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain approaches to kidney cancer research, and have the potential to make an important contribution to kidney cancer
    • Preliminary data are required; need not be in kidney cancer
    • Innovation and impact are the most important review criteria
    • Clinical trials are not allowed
    • Maximum funding of $400,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
    • Period of performance not to exceed 3 years

     

    Idea Development Award — Early Career Investigator

    Institution
    Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
    University of Texas Southwestern
    Vanderbilt University
    Wayne State University
    Principal Investigator
    Kathleen Mahoney
    Laura Banaszynski
    John Wilson
    Arun Iyer
    Project
    VISTA:VSIG3 an Actionable Immune Checkpoint Target in Kidney Cancer?
    Chromatin Dysregulation and Metabolism Disorder in Kidney Cancer
    Reinvigorating Antitumor Immunity in RCC with Nanoparticulate STING Agonists
    Tumor Penetrating Oligomicelles to Reverse Drug Resistance and Immune Modulation in RCC
    Amount
    $425,000
    $647,999
    $628,000
    $611,475

      Investigators at the level of Assistant Professor, Instructor, or Assistant Research Professor (or equivalent) and less than 10 years from a terminal degree (excluding time spent in medical residency or family medical leave) at the time of application submission deadline

      • Supports new ideas that represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain approaches to kidney cancer research, and have the potential to make an important contribution to kidney cancer
      • Preliminary data are required; need not be in kidney cancer.
      • Innovation and impact are the most important review criteria.
      • Clinical trials are not allowed
      • Maximum funding of $400,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
      • Period of performance not to exceed 3 years

       

      Concept Award

      Institution
      Baylor College of Medicine
      Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
      Duquesne University
      Glycomantra, Inc.
      Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
      National Cancer Institute
      MD Anderson Cancer Center
      University of Louisville
      University of North Carolina
      Principal Investigator
      Durga Tripathi
      Chun-Hau Chen
      Wilson Meng
      Hafiz Ahmed
      Eduard Reznik
      Catherine Callahan
      Nizar Tannir
      Paula Bates
      Hongwei Du
      Project
      Reading the SETD2 Methyl Mark on Microtubules
      Identification of a New Immune Checkpoint Pathway in RCC
      Antitumor Immunity in RCC by Injection of Anti-PD-1 Antibody and Adenosine Deaminase
      Personalized Cellular Immunotherapy for Kidney Cancer
      Single Cell Architecture of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Renal Cell Carcinoma
      Do Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals (PFCs — Used to Make Teflon) Contribute to the Development of RCC?
      A Novel Mechanism of Pathogenesis for Renal Medullary Carcinoma
      Combining Immunotherapy with Nanoparticles for Improved Kidney Cancer Outcomes
      Targeting B7-H3 in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Using CAR T-Cells
      Amount
      $118,861
      $131,250
      $100,791
      $103,013
      $128,775
      $89,700
      $120,000
      $115,500
      $116,625

        Investigators at All Academic Levels

        • Supports highly innovative, untested, potentially groundbreaking concepts in kidney cancer
        • Emphasis on innovation
        • Clinical trials not allowed
        • Preliminary data not allowed
        • Blinded review
        • Maximum funding of $75,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
        • Maximum period of performance is 1 year

        Translational Research Partnership Award

        Institution
        Brigham and Women’s Hospital
        Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
        Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
        Georgetown University
        Principal Investigator
        Sabina Signoretti
        Toni Choueiri
        Catherine Wu
        Michael Atkins
        Project
        Predictive Biomarkers for Nivolumab Treatment in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (Partnership #1)
        Predictive Biomarkers for Nivolumab Treatment in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (Partnership #1)
        Using Single Cell Transcriptomics to Understand Tumor & Immune Heterogeneity Driving Resistance and Rationally Select Immune Therapy in Advanced RCC (Partnership #2)
        Using Single Cell Transcriptomics to Understand Tumor & Immune Heterogeneity Driving Resistance and Rationally Select Immune Therapy in Advanced RCC (Partnership #2)
        Amount
        $392,010
        $672,464
        $837,705
        $194,963

          Investigators at or above Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

          • Supports partnerships between clinicians and laboratory scientists that accelerate ideas in kidney cancer into clinical applications
          • Supports translational correlative studies
          • Preliminary data required
          • Funding for clinical trials not allowed
          • Maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
          • Maximum period of performance is 3 years

          NB: Identification on the list of applications recommended for funding is not intended to either confer a right to funding nor does it guarantee funding. The award of federal funds to support any of these applications is contingent upon successful negotiations and applicable federal policy.