DOD Melanoma Melanoma Academy Scholar Award | W81XWH 21 MRP MASA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 MRP MASA

The DOD Melanoma Melanoma Academy Scholar Award (W81XWH-21-MRP-MASA) is a FY21 funding opportunity from the Department of Defense (U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity) designed to accelerate the careers of early-career faculty working in melanoma research by placing them into a structured, highly interactive virtual academy. Rather than functioning like a standard stand-alone career development grant, this mechanism is built around intensive, ongoing engagement with a national cohort of peers and senior leaders, with the idea that sustained mentoring, progress monitoring, and collaboration will produce independent, highly productive melanoma investigators.

At the center of the program is the MRP Melanoma Academy, a virtual career development and research training platform that brings together selected Scholars (the early-career investigators who serve as the Principal Investigators on their applications), their Career Guides (primary mentors), and Academy Leadership (a Director and Deputy Director). The program emphasizes community and connectivity: Scholars are expected to participate in regular Academy activities, build professional networks, collaborate across institutions, and engage with the advocacy community as part of their development as melanoma researchers. The Academy leadership plays an active role in assessing Scholar progress, connecting Scholars and mentors to national research and advocacy communities, and helping facilitate collaborations that can strengthen both the science and the Scholar's career trajectory.

The award supports a melanoma-focused research project led by the Scholar, and the project can fall anywhere along the research spectrum, including basic, translational, and/or clinical research. A key feature is that the Career Guide does not have to be located at the same institution as the Scholar, which is meant to reduce barriers for applicants whose home institutions may not have the right melanoma expertise or mentoring infrastructure. Beyond research guidance, the Academy also explicitly aims to develop professional and leadership skills, including competencies needed to obtain funding and to build, lead, and manage a productive laboratory over time.

Participation requirements are a defining part of this mechanism. Scholars are expected to engage in monthly webinars as an ongoing training and accountability structure. In addition, Scholars and their Career Guides are required to attend in-person Academy workshops organized by DOD MRP: a multi-day workshop held biennially, and in alternate years a 1-day workshop. These required touchpoints underscore that the award is not only providing project support, but also investing in a longitudinal mentoring and peer-learning environment that continues across multiple years.

In terms of who the opportunity is trying to reach, the program encourages applications from Scholars who face practical constraints that limit their ability to fully commit to melanoma research, such as minimal access to resources, lack of a qualified Career Guide at their institution, limited access to melanoma research tools, or few opportunities to build collaborations. The announcement also specifically encourages applications from minorities, signaling an interest in broadening participation and strengthening the diversity of the melanoma research workforce.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding and may be offered as a cooperative agreement and/or grant. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details provided in the full announcement. The CFDA number associated with the program is 12.420, and for the FY21 cycle the posting indicates an expected four awards. The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically means the ceiling is not specified in the summary field and applicants need to consult the full program announcement for budget limits and related guidance. The opportunity was created May 7, 2021, with an original closing date of September 28, 2021.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DOD Melanoma Melanoma Academy Scholar Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 07, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 28, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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