The Department of Defense (DoD) is offering the Melanoma Idea Award to fund innovative, high-risk research in melanoma.

The FY24 MRP Idea Award supports innovative, untested, exploratory, high-risk/potentially high-reward concepts, theories, paradigms, and/or methods that address at least one of the FY24 MRP Focus Areas in Section II.A.1. 

Key aspects of the Idea Award:

The intent of the Idea Award is to generate novel research avenues for investigation; therefore, novelty and innovation should be key aspects of the proposed research. Research supported by the Idea Award must introduce a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other highly creative qualities. The proposed project must be exploratory, hypothesis-driven, or hypothesis-generating research and be based on a well-developed study design and plan of analysis. Principal Investigators (PIs) new to the melanoma field are encouraged to apply.

The Idea Award is NOT intended to expand or extend previously published findings or continue a line of research already established and /or funded in the PI’s laboratory. Incremental advances, the next logical step, or merely switching the object or method of inquiry from one cancer to melanoma is not considered innovative. The expected outcome of research supported by this award is the generation of robust preliminary data to be used as a foundation for future melanoma-focused research projects.

Inclusion of preliminary data is discouraged.  PIs proposing projects already supported by significant preliminary data and/or other funding sources should consider applying to other FY24 MRP funding opportunities for which the inclusion of preliminary data is more appropriate or required. Inclusion of preliminary data other than serendipitous findings is not consistent with the exploratory/innovative nature of this award. If preliminary data are included, they should be unanticipated outcomes or results from an unrelated project or study.