SNMMI-Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Imaging Research Grant

Applications will open in October

Amount: $100,000

Sponsor: SNMMI Mars Shot Fund and the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA)

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), also known as lobular breast cancer, is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer of women in the US with nearly 44,000 new patients diagnosed each year. Research indicates that ILC is a unique histological subtype of breast cancer with distinct biological and behavioral differences. It’s time to advance research to better understand ILC and its differences and refine treatments for patients with lobular breast disease.

Selection Criteria/Review Process

The SNMMI Committee on Awards Chair will appoint SNMMI members with expertise in the subject matters of the proposed research to assess and evaluate the applications, along with the LBCA Scientific Committee and two (2) ILC patient advocates.

Research projects that focus on ILC studies and that include radionuclide imaging or therapy are of a particular interest and will be favored during the review process. Priority projects may have radionuclide imaging as the primary focus of the proposed research, or alternatively, research may investigate methods that integrate other imaging and/or molecular science with radionuclide methods, including research focusing on hybrid imaging techniques such as PET/CT, SPECT/CT and PET/MRI.

In assessing the applications evaluators will consider the following questions:

1. How relevant are the research goals and the project to advancing ILC imaging?
2. How original and innovative is the proposed project?
3. Is the protocol based on good scientific reasoning? Is the proposed methodology appropriate?
4. Is the applicant well prepared to carry out and complete the research in the timeframe proposed?
5. Does the applicant have adequate support from his or her institution/department?

SNMMI grant proposals are reviewed in confidence; reviewers agree to not share the proposals that they are assigned to review, unless requested by the SNMMI Committee on Awards; furthermore, SNMMI is not authorized to release the identities of the proposal reviewers to the applicants.

Support Provisions/Restrictions

1. New, innovative pilot projects in any area of ILC imaging research
2. Funds may supplement other funds, but not duplicate other support
3. The grant will not pay institutional overhead costs or indirect costs
4. Salary support in part for the principal investigator will be considered
5. Grants extensions (NCE) are not often allowed, but will be reviewed and at the discretion of the SNMMI Committee on Awards if requested

Grant Payments

1. Funds will be awarded to the institution.
2. $60,000 will be disbursed at the beginning of the one-year research period. The remaining $40,000 will be disbursed upon receipt of an interim report, submitted 6 months through the research period.

Grant Report Requirements

1. A summary report and accounting of funds will be requested halfway through the research period and upon the completion of the research project. The final report is due within 60 days after completion of the research project
2. Grantees are expected to submit results of the research as an abstract for presentation at the SNMMI Annual Meeting and/or as a scientific manuscript to the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Publications

All posters, publications and oral presentations must contain appropriate acknowledgement of this grant support by identify SNMMI and the LBCA