Barretts Esophagus Translational Research Network (U54)

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Purpose. This National Cancer Institute funding opportunity announcement (FOA) solicits applications for multi-institutional, transdisciplinary, Translational Research Centers to serve as the main components of the Barretts Esophagus Translational Research Network (BETRNet). The BETRNet overall objective is to achieve a better understanding of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) biology, improve EA cancer risk stratification and prediction, provide strategies for EA prevention, and better define individuals at risk. In addition to three to four Translational Research Centers (to be supported under this FOA), BETRNet will include a single Coordinating Center (to be supported under a parallel FOA). Translational Research Centers are designed to conduct innovative, high impact transdiciplinary research that will ultimately lead to development of validated diagnostic tools as well as improved patient management. The BETRNet is also expected to foster productive collaborations among individual Research Centers. The activities of the Research Centers will be facilitated by the Coordinating Center in four major areas: Network coordination; data management and bioinformatics; patient registry with virtual biorepository; and Network evaluation. Through these collaborative efforts, BETRNet can accelerate the integration and transformation of important research findings generated from individual laboratory-based, clinical, or population studies into clinical applications. Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Cooperative Agreement Specialized Centers (U54) funding mechanism. This FOA is parallel to a separate FOA (RFA-CA-10-015) utilizing the U01 funding mechanism to support the Coordinating Center. Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. For this FOA, the NCI has committed $6.0M in total costs for FY2011 and $30M in total costs over a 5-year period. Three or four awards are expected in connection with this FOA.

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