Our Funding Strategy

“What critical research can we add to move most rapidly toward prevention and cure?”

When the California Breast Cancer Research Program decides what types of research to fund, we always begin with this question.

CBCRP is part of a much larger research system. The federal government funds breast cancer research through the National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense. Non-profit organizations and for-profit corporations also fund breast cancer research. Although we are the largest breast cancer research funder based in our state, our funds make up only a small part of the larger system.

We apply our research dollars to the most promising areas that aren't being covered by the larger funders. Since much of the research in this country investigates cancer in general, we only fund research that specifically investigates reast cancer or applies knowledge about cancer as a whole to breast cancer in particular. We choose projects that can lead to breakthroughs, and projects that can open promising new channels for investigation that the rest of the research system can pick up and develop further. We also identify barriers to good research, and make grants to topple those barriers. For example, in 2000, we offered two new types of awards to encourage cross-disciplinary research collaboration. This type of research is not well funded by other agencies, and we believe bringing expertise from other disciplines into the fight against breast cancer holds strong promise for breakthroughs.

As other parts of the research system have adopted aspects of our strategy, CBCRP continually moves on, pushing the boundaries of breast cancer research even further.

Each project we fund must fit into two separate sets of categories, our Priority Subject Areas, and also our Types of Awards. CBCRP's Subject Areas are broad; our Award Types are narrowly targeted. The broad Subject Areas allow CBCRP to have an impact across a wide spectrum of breast cancer research. Our narrowly targeted Types of Award are carefully designed to jump-start under-funded areas of research, encourage creative new thinking, and bring new investigators into the fight against breast cancer.

We apply our research dollars to the most promising areas that aren't being covered by the larger funders.

Priority Subject Areas:

Including Minority Women in Research

In all the research studies CBCRP funds that involve women or tissues from women, we make it a practice to include minority women. In addition, some of the studies we fund are focussed solely on minority women. We also make it a practice to include low-income women, lesbians, older women and other groups who don't have equal access to health care and are often left out of research. California is a very diverse state, with many different ethnic groups, immigrant groups, and a mix of urban and rural dwellers. Some of the research CBCRP funds takes advantage of this diversity, and some of the studies we fund-such as research with Samoan-American or Hmong-American women-could only be done in our state.

Award Types

Collaboration Awards Targeted Awards (RFA's) Innovative Development and Exploratory Awards Career Development Awards

On the following pages, we explain our eight Priority Subject Areas for 2000 and provide statistics on the 70 projects we funded by subject. Then, we explain our Award Types and again provide statistics on the 70 projects, this time by Award Type.

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Priority Subject Areas

BCRP made grants in eight Priority Subject Areas for 2000. Each project we fund must fit under one of these subject areas, and also under one of our Award Types, described immediately following the Priority Subject Areas.

The Starting Point
Biology of the Normal Breast

Understanding the biology of the normal breast may provide important clues about how tumors develop, and point to ways to prevent or stop breast cancer. Yet very little research has been done on normal breast structure and physiology. This is why BCRP makes it a priority to expand knowledge in this area.

Biology of the Normal Breast
Number of projects funded in 2000: 6
Funds awarded: $1,366,968
Percentage of total projects funded: 8%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 8%

Types of awards: 3 Two-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards, 1 Joining Forces Conference Award, 1 Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, 1 Targeted Award.

Improving the Chances for a Cure Earlier Detection
Earlier Detection

Since there's still no effective way to prevent breast cancer, early detection remains the best line of defense. Present methods of detection are far from perfect. Mammograms miss some tumors, falsely indicate cancer in some cases, and expose women to ionizing radiation. Low-income and minority women are also less likely to have their cancer detected early, when treatment is most likely to succeed. BCRP concentrates funding for detection in areas not well addressed by other funding agencies, such as new detection technology, potential new detection methods (such as blood or urine tests), and ways to lessen the inequality of access to early detection.

Earlier Detection
Number of projects funded in 2000: 5
Funds awarded: $1,530,445
Percentage of total projects funded: 7%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 9%

Types of Awards: 2 Two-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards, 1 Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, 2 Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) Awards.

Finding the Causes
Etiology

Discovering the causes of breast cancer can lead to strategies to prevent, treat or cure it. BCRP emphasizes research in areas that haven't received enough study, including possible environmental causes, environment-gene interactions, as-yet-undiscovered genes that affect breast cancer risk, and finding the biological basis behind factors-such as early pregnancy or socio-economic status-that affect risk. We also look into the possible causal role of lifestyle, hormones and nutrition.

Etiology
Number of projects funded in 2000: 8
Funds awarded: $1,100,905
Percentage of total projects funded: 11%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 7%

Types of awards: 2 One-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards, 2 Two-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards, 1 New Investigator Award, 2 Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards, 1 Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) Award.

Serving Women's Needs
Health Care Delivery and Health Policy

In California, as in the nation and in the world, inequality increases the suffering breast cancer causes. Low-income women and women from some minority groups face a greater risk, or are less likely to get treatment, or are less likely to survive, or all three. Although BCRP funded only three projects for 2000 in this under-researched area, we encourage more study on how to address the often lethal problem of unequal access to the best in prevention, detection and treatment. We also encourage more work on ethical and legal issues surrounding breast cancer, and on finding the most effective and supportive ways to deliver health care.

Health Care Delivery and Health Policy
Number of projects funded in 2000: 3
Funds awarded: $201,389
Percentage of total projects funded: 4%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 1%

Types of awards: 2 Community Research Collaboration Awards, 1 One-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Award.

Search for a Cure
Innovative Treatments

Rather than fund more studies on new combinations of standard chemotherapy, BCRP puts our research dollars into alternative and novel medical approaches that hold potential to improve treatment or even point toward a cure.

Innovative Treatments
Number of projects funded in 2000: 16
Funds awarded: $4,030,703
Percentage of total projects funded: 22%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 25%

Types of awards: 1 One-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Award, 9 Two-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards, 1 New Investigator Award, 2 Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards, 1 Scientific Perspectives Research Collaboration (SPRC) Award, 2 Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) Awards.

Understanding the Disease
Pathogenesis

Using the tools of molecular biology, scientists can discover the gene and protein interactions that make breast cancer cells grow and spread. These discoveries may lead to new treatments, they may be dead ends, or their implications for breast cancer may only become apparent after further discoveries. The process of turning a discovery on the molecular, gene or cell level into a treatment can take 10-15 years and hundreds of millions of dollars, with hundreds of promising leads discarded. Other funding agencies adequately support this type of large scale research. To encourage scientists to try for breakthroughs, BCRP is willing to fund completely new paradigms and novel approaches.

Pathogenesis
Number of projects funded in 2000: 24
Funds awarded: $4,565,122
Percentage of total projects funded: 33%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 30%

Types of awards: 1 One-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Award, 11 Two-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Award, 4 New Investigator Awards, 8 Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards.

Ending the Danger
Prevention

According to current science, at most one in five cases of breast cancer is due to inherited abnormal genes. The other four are caused by environment and lifestyle. So changing our environment or lifestyle has great potential to prevent cancer. However, the question is, which changes? BCRP funds research into promising areas, including diet and ways women can take preventive action, especially women among under-researched communities. We also fund studies on the immune system and potential vaccines.

Prevention
Number of projects funded in 2000: 5
Funds awarded: $2,113,934
Percentage of total projects funded: 7%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 13%

Types of awards: 5 Targeted Awards

The Human Side
Socio-Cultural, Behavioral and Psychological Issues

California women with breast cancer, and those at high risk, get treatment or don't get treatment, make critical decisions or miss their chance to make them, and cope with the disease-all in a social and cultural context. This context has great impact on well-being and even survival. For this reason, BCRP encourages research on enhancing quality of life for women with breast cancer, improving doctor-patient interaction, and non-medical factors leading to long-term survival.

Socio-Cultural, Behavioral and Psychological Issues
Number of projects funded in 2000: 4
Funds awarded: $1,106,915
Percentage of total projects funded: 5%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 7%

Types of awards: 1 Targeted Award, 2 Two-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards, 1 New Investigator Award.

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Award Types

BCRP made ten types of awards in 2000. Two of our collaboration awards are new this year. Every project we fund must fit under one of these Award Types, and also under one of our Priority Subject Areas, described on the preceding pages.

Collaboration Awards

To encourage thinking outside traditional research modes, we offer four types of award to bring together new combinations of researchers. Two new types this year-Scientific Perspectives Research Collaboration (SPRC) Awards and the Joining Forces Conference Award - are designed to bring talented researchers from other scientific disciplines into breast cancer research. All collaboration awards except the Conference Award offer one-year grants to explore innovative ideas, and three-year grants to pursue promising full projects.

Scientific Perspectives Research Collaboration (SPRC) Awards

To spark creative new approaches to overcoming breast cancer, this award encourages researchers from other disciplines to team up with breast cancer researchers. The projects apply tools, insights and ideas from another field of study to breast cancer.

Scientific Perspectives Research Collaboration (SPRC) Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 1
Funds awarded: $147,001
Percentage of total projects funded: 1%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 1%

Subject area: Innovative Treatments.

Community Research Collaboration (CRC) Awards

We believe communities should take an active part in research about themselves. So this award brings community organizations or members of communities together with experienced scientists. The teams investigate breast cancer problems that are important to that community, using culturally-appropriate research methods. This award allows cancer service organizations, breast cancer advocates, organizations serving minority groups and community clinics to enrich the breast cancer research process with new expertise and ideas.

Community Research Collaboration (CRC) Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 2
Funds awarded: $161,598
Percentage of total projects funded: 3%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 1%

Subject areas: 2 Health Care Delivery and Health Policy.

Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) Awards

Lab scientists may have already discovered the key to curing breast cancer, and not even know it. That's a paradox of research. The basic scientists who make the discoveries need a laser-like focus. They may not see the potential of their discovery, and they may not have the interest or knowledge to apply it. Turning a discovery into a way to detect, treat or prevent breast cancer may need insights and expertise from several other fields. So this award generates creative research partnerships that might not otherwise occur. The goal is to move scientific discoveries as quickly as possible from the lab to the clinic.

Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 5
Funds awarded: $2,137,875
Percentage of total projects funded: 7%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 13%

Subject areas: 2 Earlier Detection, 2 Innovative Treatments, 1 Etiology.

Joining Forces Conference Awards

Creative thinkers working in fields far removed from breast cancer research may have concepts, methods and discoveries that could lead to breakthroughs. By bringing breast cancer researchers into dialog with experts from another field, the Conference Award is aimed at kindling new research across disciplines. In 2000, we held the first Joining Forces Conference. It brought breast cancer researchers together with experts in new computer modeling technology.

Joining Forces Conference Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 1
Funds awarded: $14,160
Percentage of total projects funded: 1%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 1%

Subject area: Biology of the Normal Breast

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Targeted Awards

In three of the eight subject areas we fund, little research funding is available nationwide. Yet these areas are crucial to progress against breast cancer. So we set aside $1 million to $1.5 million each to encourage creative research in:

Targeted Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 7
Funds awarded: $3,164,835
Percentage of total projects funded: 9%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 19.5%

Subject areas: 1 Biology of the Normal Breast, 5 Prevention, 1 Socio-Cultural, Behavioral and Psychological Issues.

Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards

The concept behind our IDEA awards is to fund research with a high potential for scientific payoff, understanding that trying out new concepts also means a high risk of failure. IDEA Awards open new research channels in the wider world of breast cancer research, because researchers who receive start-up IDEA awards from BCRP leverage them into larger grants from mainstream research funding agencies.

Two-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 29
Funds awarded: $7,282,889
Percentage of total projects funded: 41%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 45%

Subject areas: 3 Biology of the Normal Breast, 2 Earlier Detection, 2 Etiology, 9 Innovative Treatments, 11 Pathogenesis, 2 Socio-Cultural, Behavioral and Psychological Issues.

One-Year Innovative Developmental and Exploratory (IDEA) Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 5
Funds awarded: $442,499
Percentage of total projects funded: 7%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 2.5%

Subject areas: 2 Etiology, 1 Health Care Delivery and Health Policy, 1 Innovative Treatments, 1 Pathogenesis.

Career Development Awards

By investing in training for researchers early in their careers, we increase the pool of scientific talent working to end breast cancer.

New Investigator Awards

To launch careers in breast cancer research, we provide funding for new faculty members, and other entry-level scientists to set up their own research programs.

New Investigator Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 7
Funds awarded: $1,505,223
Percentage of total projects funded: 10%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 9%

Subject areas: 1 Etiology, 1 Innovative Treatments, 4 Pathogenesis, 1 Socio-Cultural, Behavioral and Psychological Issues.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

To encourage new talent to enter the field, we fund advanced training for Ph.D.s under a breast cancer research mentor.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: 14
Funds awarded: $1,160,301
Percentage of total projects funded: 23%
Percentage of total funds awarded: 7%

Subject areas: 1 Biology of the Normal Breast, 1 Earlier Detection, 2 Etiology, 2 Innovative Treatments, 8 Pathogenesis.

Training Program Awards

To increase the pool of excellent researchers working on breast cancer, we fund educational programs that train undergraduate or graduate students in disciplines important to breast cancer research.

Training Program Awards
Number of projects funded in 2000: None; however, we currently fund two training programs through 3-year grants made in previous years.