Funding Opportunity Description

Lung Cancer Foundation of America (“LCFA”) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (“IASLC”) seek applications for the LCFA/IASLC Translational Research Grants in Thoracic Oncology. 

LCFA and IASLC are committed to advancing innovative lung cancer research that detects and diagnoses the disease, improves the care of individuals with lung cancers and reduces the burden of these diseases with a specific focus on developing early-career investigators in the field of thoracic oncology.

Objectives

The objective of the LCFA/IASLC Translational Research Grants in Thoracic Oncology (“Grants”) is to support research, undertaken by early-career investigators, that aims to improve the care and treatment of individuals with lung cancers and other thoracic malignancies.

Examples, though not exclusive, include studies designed to:

• define the molecular basis of lung cancer risk assessment,
• improve molecular diagnostics
• detect the disease early and guide curative-intent therapy
• discover predictive features guiding the use of targeted or immune oncology therapy to reduce recurrence after standard curative-intent strategies in early-stage disease
• improve the outcomes or cure patients with metastatic lung cancer
• facilitate care by minimizing treatment side effects
• illuminate the causes of non-smoking related lung cancer

• have a possible near-term impact on patients, specifically, those that have potential to rapidly advance to or actually incorporate a prospective clinical trial
• improve access to care and/or patient outcomes
• directly benefit underrepresented populations

Research Focus and Overview

Successful applications submitted for this RFA require a research approach that seeks to make an immediate and relevant impact on lung cancer patient care or to interpret the results of a clinical trial from a molecular basis as appropriate to help inform decisions in future clinical trials.

ELIGIBILITY: Education and Experience

At the time of application, eligible applicants must meet these criteria: 

• Be a member of the IASLC. Go to https://www.iaslc.org/membership to join or get more information about IASLC Membership.
  • If selected, the applicant must maintain their IASLC membership throughout the duration of the grant.
• Hold a doctoral degree (including PhD, MD, DO, PharmD, ScD or equivalent).
• Academic rank should be at the Instructor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor or equivalent level. Full professors (or equivalent) are not eligible.
• May not hold an independent grant of the R21, R01, DOD or comparable type, including project leader on a SPORE or P01.
• For physicians: be within seven years of completion of residency or fellowship.
• For laboratory scientists: be within seven years of completion of post-doctoral work.

NOTE: Exceptions to the seven-year criterion (but not academic rank) can be made for those who may have had interruptions in their career. To request an exemption, contact the IASLC (foundation@iaslc.org) prior to submission of the application.

The applicant may not currently be or previously have been:

• Recipient of an LCFA grant.
• A Principal Investigator (PI) of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) peer reviewed research grant of at least $125,000 in direct costs per year for a minimum of 3 years. (With the exception of mentored career development grants or grants where the PI is required to be mentored by another investigator).
• A Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on a NIH competing multi-component research or center grant or cooperative agreement within a P or U series grant (e.g., P01 Program Project Grant, U01 or U19 Research Program
• A Principal Investigator of a peer-reviewed research grant of at least $125,000 in direct costs per year for a minimum of 3 years from any of the organizations listed in the Organizations with Peer Review Funding Systems at: https://cancercenters.cancer.gov/PoliciesResources/PoliciesResources

The foregoing notwithstanding, the following candidates may be eligible:

• Individuals who are currently supported by NIH Mentored Career Development (K) Grants.
• Recipients of ASCO Career Development Grants or mentored career development grants/grants from other organizations.

Grant Structure and Allocation

The Grant will be $100,000 per year for up to each of two years. The second year of support is based on the Grantee demonstrating satisfactory research progress as determined by LCFA/IASLC as well as the availability of funding from LCFA/IASLC. 

No more than 50% of the requested budget for the Grant may be used for a Grantee’s salary and/or fringe benefits. Grant budget may not be used to fund the purchase of permanent equipment. No indirect costs are provided. Any unused Grant funds at the conclusion of the study period will be returned to LCFA.

Applications will be accepted through the IASLC's online application portal only. To access the application:

1. Go to the IASLCs online application portal. 
2. Login using your IASLC Member Portal Credentials.
   • If you do not know your IASLC Member Portal credentials, first try resetting your password using the "Forgot your password?" link. If that does not work, email membership@iaslc.org for assistance.
3. Once you have successfully logged in, you will be directed to begin your application.

After initiating an application, you may return to the portal as needed to continue work on tyour application until it is submitted. Applications that have been submitted remain editable until the application deadline.

Factors Considered in Evaluating Applications

Projects must be feasible, have strong scientific merit, innovative and relevant to the missions of LCFA and IASLC. The applications will be reviewed by an IASLC Review Committee and the LCFA Scientific Advisory Board in accordance with their current agreed-upon review process. The Application should be structured to provide the following:

• A clear rationale should be given for the experimental design and technical methodologies selected.
• The hypotheses must be strong and testable and relate to potential clinical applications such as patient monitoring for preventive or therapeutic interventions, the development of new therapeutic strategies or testing of new biomarkers for the identification of patient subsets for specific prevention or treatment approaches.
• Preliminary data, including relevant animal models or analyses of patient specimens that support the hypotheses’, however, the Applicant need not to have personally generated these preliminary data. 
• Adequate clinical resources. The laboratory assays must use specimens from patients receiving defined treatments in medium to large clinical trials such as from phase II or phase III clinical trials. 
• A description of the methodological approach sufficient for an informed reviewer to judge feasibility.
• Applications must include a statistical section describing the study design and plans for analyses of data designed to test the hypotheses.
•  The Application must convey the level of commitment of the institution to the Applicant and the proposed research activities. Applicants must be independent, self-directed researchers for whom their institution must provide independent space and independent resources.
• Budget and justifications must be included.
• Three professional references to provide recommendations and ensure the applicant is qualified to fulfill the duties of the proposed project.

Note: LCFA/IASLC is not likely to fund studies undertaken entirely in murine models or cell line xenografts (must use patient biospecimens or PDX’s from local patients).

Peer Review Results of Full Applications

In the first round of review, applications will be reviewed and scored by a sub-committee of the IASLC’s Career Development and Fellowship Committee. Applications are scored using a nine-point rating scale, adapted from the NIH grant scoring rubric. Additional review and scoring information may be found HERE.

Based on the scoring from the first round, the finalists will be evaluated by LCFA’s Scientific Advisory Board, who will make the final selections.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the peer review process by May 15, 2025 for grant funding to start on or around July 1, 2025.