Department of Defense (DOD) Offers Melanoma Academy Scholar Award for Early-Career Research Development

The MRP Melanoma Academy (MA) is a unique, interactive virtual academy providing intensive monitoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for early-career faculty. The overarching goal of the MA is to develop successful, highly productive melanoma researchers in a collaborative research and career development environment.

The MA is a virtual career development and research training platform that consists of Scholars, and their Career Guides (primary mentors) from different institutions, and an Academy Director and Deputy Director The MRP Melanoma Academy Scholar Award is not a traditional career development award; the Scholar is expected to participate in monthly webinars and annual workshops and to communicate and collaborate with other members of the Academy (other Scholars, Career Guides, Director, and Deputy Director) as well as with the advocacy community.

The Academy Leadership members (the Director and the Deputy Director) serve as a resource for the Scholars and Career Guides, assessing the progress of Scholars, and facilitating communication and collaboration among all of the Scholars and Career Guides, as well as with national research and advocacy communities. In addition to fostering scientific development, the Academy, through its Leadership, provides for professional and leadership development of the Scholars to include skills and competencies needed to fund and manage a productive laboratory.

This FY21 program announcement is soliciting Scholars to join the Academy. This award mechanism enables the Scholar (the investigator named as the Principal Investigator [PI] on the application) to pursue a melanoma project that may be basic, translational, and/or clinical research, under the guidance of the Career Guide. The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Scholar. The Scholar is required to participate in monthly webinars, and the Scholar, with their Career Guide, is required to attend a DOD MRP biennial multi-day Academy workshop. In alternate years, they must also attend a DOD MRP 1-day workshop.

The MRP encourages applications from Scholars whose ability to commit to conducting melanoma research is limited by minimal resources or a lack of resources, such as a qualified Career Guide at their institution, access to melanoma research tools, opportunities for establishing collaborations, or other obstacles. The MRP also encourages applications from minorities.

The MRP Melanoma Academy (MA) is a unique, interactive virtual academy providing intensive monitoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for early-career faculty. The overarching goal of the MA is to develop successful, highly productive melanoma researchers in a collaborative research and career development environment.

The MA is a virtual career development and research training platform that consists of Scholars, and their Career Guides (primary mentors) from different institutions, and an Academy Director and Deputy Director The MRP Melanoma Academy Scholar Award is not a traditional career development award; the Scholar is expected to participate in monthly webinars and annual workshops and to communicate and collaborate with other members of the Academy (other Scholars, Career Guides, Director, and Deputy Director) as well as with the advocacy community.

The Academy Leadership members (the Director and the Deputy Director) serve as a resource for the Scholars and Career Guides, assessing the progress of Scholars, and facilitating communication and collaboration among all of the Scholars and Career Guides, as well as with national research and advocacy communities. In addition to fostering scientific development, the Academy, through its Leadership, provides for professional and leadership development of the Scholars to include skills and competencies needed to fund and manage a productive laboratory.

This FY21 program announcement is soliciting Scholars to join the Academy. This award mechanism enables the Scholar (the investigator named as the Principal Investigator [PI] on the application) to pursue a melanoma project that may be basic, translational, and/or clinical research, under the guidance of the Career Guide. The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Scholar. The Scholar is required to participate in monthly webinars, and the Scholar, with their Career Guide, is required to attend a DOD MRP biennial multi-day Academy workshop. In alternate years, they must also attend a DOD MRP 1-day workshop.

The MRP encourages applications from Scholars whose ability to commit to conducting melanoma research is limited by minimal resources or a lack of resources, such as a qualified Career Guide at their institution, access to melanoma research tools, opportunities for establishing collaborations, or other obstacles. The MRP also encourages applications from minorities.