The U.S. Department of Defense has asked FCF to help to recruit community members to serve as consumer reviewers for the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program’s FY24 peer review panels. Participation in this program is a great way to influence research into FLC and other cancers! 

The Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program has been funded by Congress as part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) to support innovative, high-impact cancer research. Since 2009. the PRCRP has funded approximately 1,021 awards. Fibrolamellar research has received approximately $2.65 million in awards from the CDMRP since 2016.

This year, the PRCRP peer review panels are expected run between July to September or August to October.

Overview of the role

Consumer reviewers work with prominent scientists to provide input on how the DOD research funds should be allocated. They act as subject matter experts on their disease, bringing their unique experiences and perspectives to the review panel. This input is critically important to ensure that funded research is relevant and has the potential to make a substantial impact on the patient community.

To be eligible to serve as a consumer reviewer for the PRCRP, the individual must be a survivor/patient or a parent/caregiver. Qualified individuals should be comfortable utilizing their lived experience and community involvement to represent the voice of the patient community as they focus their review on the potential impact of the research proposed in the applications. Many members of the FLC community have served as consumer reviewers for the PRCRP in prior years.

Please view the linked CDMRP Introductory Overview video to learn more about the peer review process and this unique service opportunity.

Application process:

Patients or caregivers wishing to serve as consumer reviewers are required to submit the following materials:

• A completed nomination form (click to download) 
• A personal statement on advocacy and education (specific questions to answer are included in the downloadable form)
• A current resume
• A letter of nomination. 

If you are interested in applying, please let us know. FCF will complete the “nominating organization information” part of the form, write the required letter of recommendation, assemble the completed application packs and forward them to the DOD.  

Feel free to contact Lynn O’Malley at lomalley@fibrofoundation.org or Kurt Losert at klosert@fibrofoundation.org if you have any questions about the program or are interested in applying.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to help advance cancer research!