Strategic Objectives in Research Funding
The mission of the CBCRP is to reduce the impact of breast cancer in California by supporting research on breast cancer and facilitating the dissemination of research findings and their translation into public health practice.
The Program is advised and overseen by an advisory council (the Breast Cancer Research Council). The Council is charged with developing the strategic objectives and priorities of the Program, and making final recommendations on which research grants should be funded.
Each spring, the Council meets to determine strategic objectives and funding priorities for the next year. The overall strategic objectives, as specified in statutes, are:
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To fund research in fields that include, but are not limited to, biomedical science and engineering, the social, economic and behavioral sciences, epidemiology, technology development and translation, and public health.
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To fund innovative and creative research, with a special emphasis on research that complements, rather than duplicates, the research funded by the federal government.
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To consider a broad range of cross-disciplinary breast cancer research including, but not limited to, translational and technological research, including research regarding the development and translation of technologies of earlier detection; research regarding the cultural, economic, and legal barriers to accessing the health care system; research examining the link between breast cancer and environmental factors, including both natural and industrial chemicals, estrogen imitators, and electromagnetic fields.
The Council, after careful deliberation, decided that the most effective use of the $16 million available in funding Cycle IV was to concentrate research funding on a small number of key issues, focusing, to the extent possible, on areas that are not as well-funded by the federal government and other agencies. The priorities established by the Council were based on:
- the importance of each area to the fight against breast cancer;
- the Council's sense of the potential impact of funded research on the human and economic costs of breast cancer in the state of California; and
- the funding patterns of the federal government and other agencies.
Research Priorities:
The following six priorities were adopted:
- Enhance understanding of the etiology (causes) of breast cancer
- Enhance understanding of the pathogenesis (development) of breast cancer
- Develop new approaches to prevent breast cancer
- Develop more effective techniques for the earlier detection of breast cancer
- Develop and test innovative models of care
- Explore innovative treatment modalities
In addition, the Program continued initiatives developed last year:
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to challenge the research community to propose more innovative approaches to the problem of breast cancer, specifically including fostering collaborations between experienced researchers and community groups; and
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to provide strong support for collaborative “translational” research, i.e., work whose results can be moved rapidly into practical application, whether through grass-roots organizations or mainstream health care providers.
The Value of Activist Involvement
- Power to effect large-scale change in public policy.
- Production of written materials that are appropriate for, and responsive to, the community.
- Being reminded of the forest when you are examining the trees.
- Funding and carrying out research that is relevant to the people paying for it.
Award Types
Research Training: Maintenance of Needed Human Resources
The relentless rate of deaths due to breast cancer over the last several decades has prompted CBCRP to provide for the training of new investigators—the human resources needed to ensure progress in the fight against breast cancer. Through three award types, CBCRP endeavors to attract new investigators to breast cancer research. Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards, and New Investigator Awards and Training Program Awards allow researchers early in their careers to receive research training in breast cancer issues. Together, these awards bring new minds into the fight against breast cancer, and ensure the human resources required to eradicate the disease.
Targeted Research Efforts
The Council identified three specific topics that it felt were (1) especially important to making progress in breast cancer research; and (2) not well supported by other research funding agencies. It set aside $1.0-$1.5 million for each of the topics:
Sociocultural, Behavioral and Psychological Aspects of Breast Cancer—This Request for Applications encouraged qualitative and quantitative research into sociocultural, behavioral and psychological issues affecting women with respect to the risk or occurrence of breast cancer.
Basic Breast Biology Relevant to Development of Breast Cancer—This Request for Applications encouraged studies aimed at achieving a greater knowledge of the normal breast, through all stages of development and change, in order to better understand anomalous changes that may lead to cancer.
Breast Cancer Prevention, Risk Identification and Risk Reduction—This Request for Applications encouraged research that will enable more effective and appropriate prevention interventions by increasing our knowledge of modifiable breast cancer risk factors.
Innovation in Research
The Council has encouraged researchers to develop and explore innovative and risky concepts in the specific priority areas that it judged as most important in the fight against breast cancer. Innovative Developmental and Exploratory Awards (IDEAs) allow researchers to explore new concepts in breast cancer etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and earlier detection that could lead to breakthroughs in these fields. Innovative Treatment and Models of Care Awards (ITaMoCAs) encourage development and testing of new treatment modalities or methods of delivering breast cancer care. Through these combined efforts of exploring new concepts and building on existing knowledge, the resulting improvements in prevention, detection and cure of breast cancer will advance the day when we can say with confidence that breast cancer is no longer a threat to the people of California.
Initiatives in Collaboration
Two award types developed last year were continued and expanded to stimulate and support collaborative research—one for collaborations between experienced research scientists and community members/agencies (the Community-Initiated Research Collaboration (CIRC) Award), and one for collaborations between research scientists in different fields and institutions (the Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) Award). Both types of award were designed to offer a one-year Pilot Award to foster the development of teams and their projects, and (for the first time this year) larger 3-year awards for full projects.
Special Considerations
Innovativeness
In keeping with the intent of the enabling legislation, the Council focuses on funding especially innovative and creative research. This year, we developed a new scoring system to evaluate grant applications. In this new system, every grant application is scored by reviewers on this aspect, which comprises 25% of the total scientific merit score.
Multidisciplinary Research
The Council encourages researchers to apply ideas from various fields to their research by collaborating across disciplines. This aspect of applications is rated by reviewers and taken into consideration in making funding decisions.
Translational Potential
A goal of the CBCRP is to encourage the translation of scientific findings into practical applications that will make a difference to those at risk for, or diagnosed with, breast cancer. The potential of research findings to be translated into practical applications is rated by reviewers and taken into consideration in funding decisions.
Focus on the Underserved
Another issue identified by the Council as critically important is the disparity in the incidence and mortality of breast cancer between different groups of Californians. Research that has the potential to reduce these disparities was specifically requested in the Call for Applications, identified by reviewers and considered by the Council in making funding recommendations. he legislation that established CBCRP lays forth additional objectives for the Program:
