DOD Melanoma Melanoma Academy Leadership Award | W81XWH 21 MRP MALA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 MRP MALA

The DOD Melanoma Melanoma Academy Leadership Award (W81XWH-21-MRP-MALA) is a Fiscal Year 2021 funding opportunity from the Department of Defense, Department of the Army (USAMRAA) under the Melanoma Research Program. It supports the creation and operation of the MRP Melanoma Academy, a structured, interactive virtual academy designed to accelerate progress in melanoma research by pairing strong scientific collaboration with intensive career development. Rather than funding a single stand-alone research project, the award is aimed at building and leading a coordinated academy environment where promising investigators can be developed into highly productive, independent melanoma researchers while also advancing work that can ultimately benefit melanoma patients.

At the center of this opportunity is the recruitment of Academy Leadership: an Academy Director and an Academy Deputy Director. These leaders are expected to be established melanoma researchers with demonstrated expertise in the field, and they may be based at different institutions. The intent is for the Director and Deputy Director to serve as the organizing and mentoring hub for the academy, bringing together up to four early-career independent investigators called Scholars. The academy model is deliberately collaborative and community-based, emphasizing national networking, structured peer interactions, and facilitated connections to leaders in the melanoma research community. Scholars also participate with their Career Guides (their primary mentors) who come from different institutions, creating a cross-institutional mentoring network that broadens perspectives and opportunities.

The Melanoma Academy is described as a virtual career development and research platform, meaning its core activities are conducted in an interactive, online format rather than through a single physical center. Within this structure, the Academy Director and Deputy Director are responsible for catalyzing each Scholar's growth and professional development, coordinating closely with each Scholar's Career Guide, and maintaining consistent, intensive monitoring of Scholar progress. A key expectation is that Academy Leadership will objectively assess how Scholars are advancing toward their research and career milestones, while also actively facilitating communication and collaboration across the entire academy. The overall environment is intended to be collegial, highly dynamic, and cutting-edge, giving Scholars a setting that pushes ambitious melanoma research while building the relationships and skills needed for long-term success.

From an eligibility and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as having unrestricted eligibility, meaning it is broadly open to many entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that might be included in the full program announcement. The funding mechanism allows for a cooperative agreement and/or grant, and it falls under the science and technology and other research and development category (CFDA 12.420). The posting indicates an expected number of awards of one, reflecting that the program anticipates selecting a single leadership team to run the academy. The notice was created May 7, 2021, with an original closing date of August 26, 2021. The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source data, which typically signals that applicants need to consult the full announcement for budget guidance or that the ceiling is not specified in the summarized listing.

This specific announcement is only for the Academy Director and Deputy Director roles. Early-career independent investigators who want to participate as Scholars are directed to apply through a separate companion opportunity, the FY21 MRP Melanoma Academy Scholar Award (W81XWH-21-MRP-MASA). In practical terms, this Leadership Award is about proposing a strong plan to run the academy: selecting and supporting Scholars, organizing mentorship and career development activities, setting up meaningful research collaboration pathways, and creating a clear, fair process for evaluating progress and keeping Scholars on track toward impactful melanoma research careers.

• 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 Melanoma Melanoma Academy Leadership 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 May 07, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 26, 2021. (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.

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