HT942526VRPMCRA DoW Vision, Mentored Clinical Research Award

Summary: Initially created in fiscal year 2019 (FY19), the Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators (AKCI) is a unique interactive virtual academy providing intensive mentoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for junior faculty. The Academy pairs Early Career Scholars (ECS) with established investigators (Designated Mentors) under the oversight of the AKCI Leadership Team, a Designated Mentor Panel, and the Kidney Cancer Patient Advocates Panel. The AKCI’s overarching goal is to conduct innovative and impactful kidney cancer research while also developing a vital resource, a network of highly productive kidney cancer researchers conducting cutting edge research that advances the state of the field in kidney cancer and leads to new treatments for individuals living with kidney cancer. Distinctive Features: · Early-Career Scholar: The FY26 KCRP AKCI-ECSA focuses on both the Scholar’s research and their career potential in the kidney cancer field. · Designated Mentor: The Designated Mentor must have a strong record of successful mentorship coupled with a strong record of funding (past and present) and publications in kidney cancer research. · Preliminary Data: Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research and approaches are required; however, these data do not need to be derived from the kidney cancer research field.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) Idea Development Award (IDA) supports the development of high-impact ideas that advance the understanding of kidney cancer and ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes. The research project should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong scientific rationale and a well-developed and articulated research approach. Personnel on the proposed team should have a strong background in kidney cancer research. Distinctive Features: · Partnering Principal Investigator Option: Supports meaningful and productive partnerships between two investigators, termed the Initiating Principal Investigator (PI) and Partnering PI, collaborating on a single application. Only the Initiating PI will submit a pre-application, but all PIs will need to submit full applications. The Partnering PI’s application is an abbreviated package specific to their distinct portion of the research project. Be advised, all associated applications for a research project may be withdrawn if the initiating or partnering application is rejected or administratively withdrawn.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) Concept Award supports highly innovative, untested, potentially groundbreaking concepts, theories, paradigms and/or basic kidney cancer research. This award mechanism supports high-risk studies that have the potential to reveal entirely new avenues for investigation in kidney cancer. Applications must describe how the new concept will be innovative and present a novel course of investigation in the field of kidney cancer. Distinctive Features: • Preliminary data are not allowed. • This is a blinded funding mechanism. Applications to this funding opportunity will undergo a double-blinded peer review. Applications must not include any materials that may identify the Principal Investigator (PI), a collaborator, or the organization of the PI or collaborator. • Due to the blinded nature of the review process, identifying or making references to the PI, collaborator(s), or their organization(s) in the proposal (Project Narrative, List of Abbreviations, Acronyms, Symbols, Statement of Work, Impact Statement and Innovation Statement) is prohibited and will result in administrative rejection of the application.