Cooperative Planning Grant for Cancer Disparities Research Partnership

Release Date: October 19, 2001
RFA: CA-03-018

Supplemental Application Guidelines

A. Metrics Evaluation Plan

1.  The applicant institution must provide the following baseline information. Additional elements may be added by the applicant. (The applicant institution will also be expected to provide annual updates on the baseline metrics to the RRP staff):

• Number and description of active protocols and number of patients on protocols (last 2 years);
• Number of patients treated with radiation oncology having breast, prostate, lung, colon and cervical disease (last two years);
• Number and description of existing multi-modality clinics.
• Number of papers and abstracts authored and co-authored by the oncology staff of the applicant institution over the past three years (copies to be included as an Appendix);
• Number of physicians attending and participating in national meetings such as RTOG, ASCO, ASTRO, etc. over the past two years;
• Description of the last five years of activities addressing cancer-related health disparities (i.e., cancer screening, education, protocol recruitment, research activity);
• Description of current academic, clinical or research collaborations;
• Historical data concerning stage of disease at diagnosis and subsequent treatment of patient population;
• Data concerning retention and recruitment of physicians, specifically those with clinical research orientation;
• Past continuing medical education programs (details to be included in an Appendix).

2. The applicant should discuss the applicant institution's technical and professional capability to participate in radiation oncology clinical trials, willingness to follow the common protocol that will be agreed upon, and ability to recruit a sufficient number of participants.

B. Partnership Plan

The applicant institution will have a maximum of one year from the award date to select and develop with the partner institution a well-defined and detailed Partnership Plan to submit for review and approval by the NCI/RRP staff. The Partnership Plan must be fully implemented by the end of the second year of the award.

Recognizing that the details of the Partnership Plan will be developed during the first year, the APPLICATION should include the basic elements of the partnership and the strategies that the applicant and the partner institution(s) proposes to use to actually go about the finalization and implementation of the plan.

Understanding that the details will be finalized during the first year, it is requested that sufficient details are included in the application so that the initial review group can ascertain the applicant institution's expectations and desired outcomes of that future partnership.

1. Guidelines for Developing the Partnership Plan

There must be "Letters of Commitment" from the applicant institution leadership and the leadership of a minimum of two interested partner institutions that express support of this planning activity and that commit to the activities and additional resources necessary to ensure that the partnership and the goals of the CDRP will have the maximum chance of success. Examples of additional resources would include protected faculty time, recruitment of new faculty, space and facilities, capital improvements, telemedicine/teleconferencing support, etc.

a) Discussion of the applicant institution's rationale for considering each of the possible partner institutions and the mutual benefits anticipated from each possible partnership.

b) Description of the characteristics of the Partnership that will contribute to a planning effort resulting in specific mutual benefits and complementation of each partner institution's strengths and weakness to accomplish goals and objects that neither could achieve as successfully alone.

c) The applicant should provide a detailed plan to incorporate telemedicine and teleconference system(s) in the areas of radiation oncology medical and research consultation, education, and training.

d) Description of the interim and final objectives to be achieved, with the expected timelines (e.g., months, years) for completion during the period requested in this grant. The final objective in planning for a comprehensive partnership must be the submission of a competitive grant application such as a R03, a R01, a project in a P01, or a project in a P50.

e) Briefly describe how the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator were chosen in terms of their qualifications and experience to provide leadership and cohesion for this effort and to promote collaboration and cooperation in achieving the common objectives as outlined above.

f) Describe the leadership and specific functions of the administrative core to provide the necessary regular day-to-day oversight, coordination, support, and logistics services needed to make this partnership function effectively. This might include organizing meetings, workshops, and retreats; documenting the results of activities; providing critical secretarial services.

g) Describe the kinds of activities that the applicant institution and the partner institution will conduct to ensure a highly interactive and integrated effort.

h) Describe what advice and oversight role for planning will be asked of the Program Steering Committee.

i) Describe how the Developmental Funds will be allocated based on the merit of research proposals and their potential to successfully achieve the objectives of this planning effort. Describe the shared role of applicant institution and partner institution faculty by name and expertise in accomplishing this task.

j) Include a planning and evaluation component shared between the applicant institution, the potential partner institution and the NCI.

k) Address what obstacles might be anticipated and how those obstacles will be addressed in general terms.

C. Examples of Pilot Clinical Trials Research Projects

Examples must be given of two or three pilot research projects to be conducted at the applicant institution in radiation oncology clinical trials related to areas of cancer disparity in populations served and targeted by this applicant. Example Pilot Clinical Trials Research Projects (no more than two pages each) should include the following:

1. Title

2. One paragraph abstract

3. One paragraph describing how this pilot project relates to the overall objectives of the applicant institution and the partnership collaboration.

4. Biographical Sketches of Co-Leaders

5. Research Proposal

D. CDRP Allowable Costs Include:

1. Salaries for key personnel such as data management and research nursing

2. Equipment, supplies and personnel to support an administrative structure.

3. Initial expenses related to codifying the partnership plan to the point of submission to the NCI/RRB staff. Following NCI approval of the Partnership Plan, ongoing yearly support from the applicant institution to the partner institution for the time, effort and other resources expended, plus indirect expenses, in working with and mentoring the applicant institution.

4. Planning and evaluation activities that may include the costs for travel for key personnel, travel and per diem for Program Steering Committee members

5. Costs of planning and holding workshops, seminars, retreats and other forums to strengthen, stabilize and consolidate interactions and cooperation between the applicant institution and the partner institution in areas of existing high priority and to identify new areas of opportunity and high priorities the planning partnership.

6. Developmental Core Funds for resources and infrastructure that augment the radiation oncology cancer research capability of the applicant institution, the collaborative research of the applicant institution and the partner institution, and specifically enhance research focused on populations with cancer-related health disparities. Shared infrastructure could be placed in either the applicant institution or partner institution or in both locations. However, developmental core funds cannot be allocated to the partner institution until selected and partnership plan is approved.

7. One time purchase of telemedicine/teleconferencing system and annual maintenance.

8. Some salary support for investigators to help build the radiation oncology research capability of the applicant institution.

9. Pilot clinical trials research project costs.