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Advancing Drug Discovery to Identify New Therapies for Acral and Uveal Melanoma

Melanoma Research Alliance

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) to support studies to identify new therapeutic modalities including small molecules, antibodies, protein degraders, and cell therapies against validated melanoma targets specifically in acral and/or uveal melanoma. This RFP is the fourth Priority Area Announcement to be released as part of MRA's Next Steps Program, a separate and distinct grant mechanism from the MRA’s annual RFP.

MRA’s Next Steps program intends to help advance translation of discoveries into the clinic by supporting: 1) needed preclinical resources and tools for the research community to identify and begin to develop new therapies and 2) infrastructural support to analyze and build large datasets and/or develop associated technologies for better detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management of melanoma.

RFP Background

Treatment of advanced melanoma has dramatically improved over the past decade, with 17 new therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Even with these treatment advances, 50% of patients with advanced melanoma will either not respond to any of these treatments or their disease will progress. Furthermore, the approved therapies do not appear to be as effective in patients with acral and uveal melanomas, two rare melanoma subtypes. Therefore, there is a critical need to find new therapeutics. Through extensive genomic analyses of the different subtypes of melanoma, new targets have been identified and validated that have the potential to lead to novel therapeutic entities. Much of this discovery research was funded, in part, through prior MRA grant awards. Furthermore, in the last decade drug discovery has significantly advanced using new technologies and approaches showing promising results for targets that have previously been considered “undruggable”, several of which have been identified in melanoma. The goal of this RFP is to provide initial support to identify new therapeutic modalities including small molecules, antibodies, protein degraders, and cell therapies against validated melanoma targets specifically in acral and/or uveal melanoma. Support from this RFP will be geared towards early stages of the drug discovery continuum that could result in an optimized lead compound or biologic showing activity in acral and/or uveal melanoma preclinical models. It is anticipated that achieving the aims of the proposal may require the expertise from different departments at a given institution or collaborations across multiple institutions and core facilities.

RFP Deadline: Two Step Process

Step 1: Letter of Intent

A letter of intent (LOI) must be emailed to Sara DiNapoli (sdinapoli@curemelanoma.org) no later than June 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. The LOI is a maximum of one page that includes 1) a description of the scientific aims; and 2) the members of the study team and the specific role of each participant.

LOIs are used for reviewer recruitment and will not be reviewed. An invitation to submit a full application will NOT be provided after LOI submission. Applicants are encouraged to develop LOI and full application concurrently and submit a full application AFTER successful submission of the LOI.

Step 2: Full applications

Full applications must be submitted through Proposal Central and are due on July 25, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. Late applications WILL NOT be accepted under any circumstances. More detailed instructions on how to submit the LOI and full application are listed in the RFP.

Please note that investigators may apply as PI on only one application in the two mechanisms in this Next Steps cycle. Investigators may serve as co-investigators on other proposals.

Award Duration:

1-2 years.

Funding Level and Additional Support:

Up to $250,000, with potential for follow-on funding.

How to Apply:

Additional information is available in the program RFP—including details about eligibility, funding priorities, and instructions for LOI and full application submission.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

🎯 1. Translational & High-Impact Focus

MRA funds translational projects aimed at near-term clinical impact—covering prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of melanoma .

👉 What to Do:
Highlight how your work closes gaps between bench and bedside in melanoma care or prevention.

👩‍🔬 2. Career- and Stage-Appropriate Mechanisms

Young Investigator Awards: early faculty (≤5 years into first appointment), require mentorship commitment .

Pilot Awards: bold, high-risk ideas with limited data & strong translational goal.

Established Investigator Awards: for senior researchers with proven track records .

🤝 3. Team Science & Multidisciplinary Collaboration

The Team Science Awards are central to MRA, favoring projects with complementary expertise across institutions, enabling rapid, transformational progress .

⚙️ 4. Specialized, Strategic Focus Areas

MRA issues targeted RFPs around areas like acral, uveal, pediatric melanoma, and radiation oncology, often with co-funding partners .

👉 What to Do:
Apply to calls aligned with your area and consider partnership funding opportunities.

🔍 5. Robust Peer Review Process

A rigorous, multi-stage review:

Admin check for completeness

Scoring by Grant Review Committee (33 experts)

Top proposals undergo full oral review at MRA’s annual retreat

Board approval follows peer recommmendation.

👉 What to Do:
Ensure your proposal is meticulously formatted, clear, and fully compliant before administrative screening.

💸 6. Seed Funds Leading to Further Support

Pilot Awards (up to ~$100K) help generate proof-of-concept data for future funding 

Next Steps Program supports infrastructure/preclinical model development and data resources ($50K–250K) .

🌍 7. Diversity & Global Reach

MRA encourages applicants from all backgrounds and regions—explicitly guarding diversity in race, gender, geography, and career stage .

📈 8. Track Record of Translation & Collaboration

Successful awards frequently lead to FDAs approvals, clinical trials, and additional NIH or pharma co-funding .

Emphasis is placed on multidisciplinary groups that combine academic, clinical, and industry strengths .

✅ Summary Table

Predictor	How to Reflect It
Translational impact	Explicitly link aims to clinical outcomes
Career-appropriate mechanism	Choose Young, Pilot, Established, Team grants
Multidisciplinary teams	Include co-PIs from diverse expertise/institutions
Alignment with targeted RFPs	Apply to relevant calls (acral, uveal, etc.)
Proposal completeness	Fully formatted, compliant, and polished
Proof-of-concept readiness	Present exploratory data when needed
Diversity & inclusion	Highlight diverse team composition
Demonstrated potential for growth	Show past or projected translation to trials or approvals

🛠️ Strategic Tips to Improve Your Application

Match your research to the ideal mechanism: e.g., Pilot for high-risk data-deficient work; Team Science for multidisciplinary breakthrough projects.

Leverage RFPs and co-funding opportunities: e.g., pediatric or acral melanoma, including industry partnerships.

Prepare for rigorous peer review: draft early, anticipate reviewer questions, ensure compliance and readability.

Seed to scale strategy: Use Pilot or Next Steps funding to build momentum toward larger grants or clinical translation.

Structure strong teams: Include clinicians, translational experts, and if applicable, industry partners.

Demonstrate diversity and collaboration: reflect global perspectives and inclusive scientist teams.

Show translational track record or potential: cite clinical trials, patents, or FDA milestones where possible.

Specialties

Cancer

Dermatology

Eligibility Requirements

Support from this RFP will be geared towards early stages of the drug discovery continuum that could result in an optimized lead compound or biologic showing activity in acral and/or uveal melanoma preclinical models. It is anticipated that achieving the aims of the proposal may require the expertise from different departments at a given institution or collaborations across multiple institutions and core facilities.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Melanoma Research Alliance

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 730 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 336-8935 info@curemelanoma.org

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