To:          School of Medicine Faculty

From:    Katherine L. Nathanson, MD and Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD 

Co-Chairs, PSOM Limited Applications Selection Committee

Re:         Aging & Cancer Research RFA - Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) & the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

                https://www.waxmancancer.org/our-research/rfa-markfoundation/  

Date:     January 26, 2023

The University has been invited to nominate one faculty member to submit a letter of intent for this limited submission opportunity. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) is coordinating the final candidate review and selection process.  Each school within the University may put forth one candidate. 

The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) and The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research are pleased to issue a joint Request for Applications (RFA) for collaborative projects to focus on Aging and Cancer. Projects must include collaborations between two laboratories (at different institutions) with different but complementary expertise.  Proposals must justify the partnership through synergistic scientific aims. Awards will provide $500,000 total over three years ($250,000 to each PI).

Examples of potential research topics to understand and prevent the rising incidence of cancer due to aging include, but are not limited to:

• Senolytics, anti-inflammatory agents, and specific targets to enhance healthy longevity and diminish cancer incidence.
• Impact of the aged microenvironment on the immune system, tumor progression, therapy response, and recurrent disease.
• Biomarkers to evaluate aging and cancer risk such as clonal hematopoiesis, epigenetics patterns, DNA repair, mutations, and telomeres.
• Approaches to limit therapy-associated cancer in older individuals and to establish how aging affects the response to treatment for cancer.

2023 RFA Guidelines

Teams consisting of two principal Investigators from two different institutions may apply for a three-year grant for up to $500,000 (for each PI: $100,000 distributed in Years 1 and 2 and $50,000 in Year 3), which may include indirect costs up to 10% direct costs).

The RFA will use a two-stage process. In the first phase a one-page, structured letter of intent will be reviewed by a panel from the SWCRF and Mark Foundation. A select number of applications will be invited to submit a full application.

PSOM Review Process:

Each candidate must submit: 

• Cover sheet:
  • Name and academic title of PI and department
  • Contact information, including mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and email address
  • Title of program project
  • Name and academic title of collaborating PI and their institution
• Summary of program project (2-page limit).  Please address the following:
  • Premise and rigor of underlying research
  • Specific aims (justify the partnership through synergistic scientific aims)
  • Novelty of the research proposed
  • Potential translation impact for cancer and aging
• References may be included on an additional page
• Biographical sketch (using current NIH format)

Submission should be in a single pdf file in the following order: cover page, summary of program project, refrences, Biosketch. 

The pdf document should be titled as follows: Waxman_Mark_InvestigatorSurname_Investigator first name. For example: Waxman_Mark_Doe_Jane. 

Proposals must be submitted to Kaitlyn Hagarty at kaitlyn.hagarty@pennmedicine@upenn.edu by 9:00am, Wednesday, February 8, 2023.