Research Accelerating RUNX1 Exploration (RARE) Grant Program

Program Description

• The Research Accelerating RUNX1 Exploration Grant is a two-year award designed to fund research that will lead to the development of therapies for patients with RUNX1-FPD that will either intercept the transition from a precancer state (clonal hematopoiesis) to MDS/AML or prevention of cancer (before clonal hematopoiesis).
• The RUNX1 Research Program hosts an annual scientific meeting that brings together grant recipients and other scientists. Grant recipients are expected to present their progress as part of the annual review.

Scope

• Aims of research proposals must be relevant to the goal of preventing hematologic malignancies in RUNX1-FPD. Proposals that seek to translate from bench to bedside will receive priority.
• The following areas of research are of priority and are not ranked according to their order:
  • Drug Repurposing and Clinical Translation
    • Support for preclinical experiments and correlative clinical studies designed to test regulatory-approved agents for the rescue of RUNX1-FPD hematopoietic function and interception of high-risk clonal hematopoiesis.
  • RUNX1 Biology
    • Characterize the normal function of RUNX1 and the function of germline RUNX1 mutant proteins. High interest in defining the role of RUNX1 in DNA damage repair in HSCs and the potential role germline RUNX1 mutations may play in acquisition of somatic mutations.
    • Identify regulators of RUNX1 expression and function to discover novel methods of correcting RUNX1 function within the hematopoietic system.

Funding Information

• The requested budget should be in proportion to the scope of the proposed project and should be at or under $250,000 USD in direct costs over 2 years. A maximum of $125,000 in total costs may be requested per year.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicant institutions may be based in the U.S. or outside of the U.S. Applicants need not be United States citizens. Funds must be granted to non-profit institutions or organizations.
• Applicants must have an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD (DO, MBBS or equivalent).
• Applicants may have research grants from other funding sources during the award period, but there must be clear documentation of mechanisms to avoid scientific and budgetary overlap.
• Applicants must have research experience working in, and a deep understanding of, normal or malignant hematopoiesis and/or immunology.

Selection Criteria

• Selection criteria include the following:
  • Training/Education record;
  • Publication record;
  • Grant awards and research awards/recognition;
  • Quality and overall ranking of research proposal based on the NIH 9-point scoring system;
  • Evidence of collaboration within project proposal – An important sub-goal is to stimulate research progress through collaborations between research groups;
  • Alignment to overall goal of preventing hematologic malignancies in RUNX1-FPD and the feasibility of translating findings into the clinic.

For more information, visit ALSF.