DoD Kidney Cancer, Nurse Initiated Research Award | HT9425 23 KCRP NIRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 KCRP NIRA

The DoD Kidney Cancer, Nurse-Initiated Research Award (FY23 KCRP NIRA; Funding Opportunity Number HT9425-23-KCRP-NIRA) is a Department of Defense grant/cooperative agreement opportunity intended to fund innovative, high-impact kidney cancer research that is conceived and led by nurses working in clinical practice and/or academic settings. The core goal is to elevate nurse-led, evidence-based research that can meaningfully change kidney cancer care, survivorship, and patient outcomes, rather than producing only small, incremental improvements. While the program is grounded in kidney cancer patient care, it also explicitly welcomes research that tackles practical and patient-centered challenges such as access to care, health equity and disparities, communication and patient education, quality of life, and the strength of patient and caregiver support systems. Applications are strongly encouraged to align with the FY23 KCRP Focus Areas; if they do not, they must clearly justify why the proposed work addresses a critical unmet need in kidney cancer.

This award emphasizes a well-defined and feasible research approach with a clear plan for execution and a strong scientific rationale. Projects should be framed around a well-formulated, testable hypothesis. Preliminary data are encouraged when available, but they are not required, which makes the mechanism more accessible to nurse scientists proposing bold or emerging ideas. The program provides examples of the kinds of work it aims to support, including development of best-practice models that strengthen nursing support and kidney cancer patient care delivery, evaluation of short- and long-term effects of interventions on patients and/or care practices (noting the program does not fund clinical trials as defined by prospective assignment to an intervention), research on psychosocial issues affecting kidney cancer patients, families, and care partners, and studies examining kidney cancer nursing practice during periods of medical crisis such as pandemic conditions, staffing shortages, or disrupted access to therapies.

Team capability and relevance are built into the eligibility expectations. At a minimum, the principal investigator or at least one collaborating investigator must have prior experience in kidney cancer research, and at least the PI or one collaborator must have experience with kidney cancer patient care. The program also encourages multidisciplinary projects led by a nurse, reflecting the intent to position nurses not only as contributors but as drivers of impactful research that connects day-to-day patient experience with rigorous investigation and better care models.

A notable feature is the Qualified Collaboration Option tied to the Kidney Cancer Research Consortium (KCRC), a network originally established through a prior KCRP award to support early-phase clinical research infrastructure. Applicants are encouraged to leverage KCRC resources such as recruitment networks, existing protocols, Common Data Elements, and data management procedures to strengthen study quality and feasibility. If an applicant plans to use this consortium infrastructure, a formal letter of collaboration from the KCRC is required and must describe the specific shared services and how they add value.

From a funding and award-structure standpoint, the DoD will issue assistance agreements, which may be either grants or cooperative agreements. Which form is used depends largely on how much substantial involvement the DoD anticipates during performance (for example, collaboration or participation in aspects of the work). The anticipated direct costs for the full period of performance are capped at $300,000. Program leadership projected allocating about $0.48 million total to support approximately one award, with final funding dependent on federal fund availability and the application’s scientific merit and programmatic fit. Awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2024, and FY23 funds associated with resulting awards were anticipated to remain available for use through September 30, 2029, reflecting typical federal fiscal-year expiration rules.

The opportunity also lays out important compliance and regulatory expectations. Research involving human data, human specimens, human subjects, or cadavers requires review and approval not only by the applicant’s local IRB or ethics committee but also by the USAMRDC Office of Human and Animal Research Oversight, specifically the Office of Human Research Oversight, before the research can begin. Applicants are advised to plan for an additional administrative timeline, with the OHRO review often taking up to about three months once complete documentation is submitted. For multi-site, non-exempt human subjects studies conducted by U.S. institutions, federal rules generally require reliance on a single IRB, and applicants must provide a plan identifying how single-IRB arrangements will be handled, including identifying the lead institution responsible for the master protocol and consent materials.

Clinical trials are not permitted under this award, using the standard definition of trials as studies that prospectively assign human subjects to interventions in order to evaluate effects on biomedical or behavioral health outcomes. However, the announcement distinguishes clinical trials from clinical research more broadly and allows observational patient-oriented research, outcomes and health services research, diagnostic/detection studies, health disparities studies, and other non-trial designs, as long as they do not evaluate the safety, effectiveness, or efficacy outcomes of an intervention via prospective assignment. Correlative studies or parallel projects that accompany a clinical trial may be allowable, but the award will not directly pay intervention clinical trial costs. For projects that seek to use Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs patient populations, databases, or other resources, the application must describe access plans at submission and address how access will be maintained over the project period. Animal research is also subject to dual oversight: local IACUC review plus USAMRDC ACURO review, with applicants advised to allow several months for that additional approval process.

Finally, the program underscores broader DoD priorities, including encouragement to consider recommendations from the congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force when relevant and within scope. It also strongly encourages partnerships between military or Veteran institutions and civilian organizations to leverage unique populations, infrastructure, and shared expertise in ways that can benefit Service members, military families, Veterans, and the wider public.

• 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 Kidney Cancer, Nurse Initiated Research 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 Jun 05, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 06, 2023. (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 1 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.

Apply for HT9425 23 KCRP NIRA

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