Announcements

A great opportunity to get involved in the fibrolamellar fight!

The Department of Defense (DOD) is seeking 2021 PATIENT & CAREGIVER grant reviewers for two cancer categories appropriate for the Fibro community:

  1. Liver Cancer, and
  2. Pediatric, Adolescent And Young Adult Cancers.

Over the last several years, friends from the fibrolamellar community have been very active participants in the DOD’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP), working alongside prominent scientists to provide input on how the DOD’s research funds should be allocated. Since 2009, the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) has been charged by U.S. Congress to fund innovative basic, applied, and translational cancer research to support Service members, their families, and the American public.

Past participants:

In 2020, Jennifer Strickland, Jenny Carroll, Ben Saksa, Linda Spink and Kurt Losert served as patient advocates for the DOD’s PRCRP or its similar Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP). When commenting on serving as a consumer reviewer, Jennifer said that, “it’s very rewarding to present the patient experience when considering cancer research and its impact on the patients battling the disease.”

Impact of the program on FLC:

The impact of these consumer advocate’s effort is making a difference for our community. Fibrolamellar research proposals have received approximately $2 million in funding from the PRCRP program over that time – so the need for innovative FLC research is being recognized and supported.  In 2021, the total PRCRP budget will be at an all-time high of $115 million.

Application information for 2021:

Ideal reviewers for the 2021 PRCRP program are patients or caregivers. If a participant is accepted by the DOD as a reviewer, the work to read and comment on submitted proposals will start in late August or September. The program’s peer review meetings will be held in October and November. All peer review meetings will be held virtually for the safety of reviewers and DOD staff.  Individuals wishing to serve as Consumer Reviewers are required to submit the following materials:

  • The electronic E-nomination form (click to download
  • A current resume
  • A letter of nomination. 

FCF will be happy to write a letter of recommendation for those interested in participating, and can forward any completed nomination packs to the DOD. The deadline to apply is April 15. Please see the nomination form for more details. Feel free to contact Lynn O’Malley at lomalley@fibrofoundation.org or Kurt Losert at klosert@fibrofoundation.org if you have any questions or are interested in applying.

Note: an additional $15 MM Rare Cancer category for grants will be announced mid-summer.  FCF will forward similar information for those wishing to participate in that round of grant reviews, after we receive more information from the DOD.