The Foundation awards funds raised through the sale of the End Breast Cancer specialty license plate for basic, clinical and translational breast cancer research, epidemiological studies of breast cancer, research on links between breast cancer and the environment, psycho-immunological research, innovative awards and ideas grants.

The Foundation reviewed its first research grant applications in late summer, 2004, through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense (DOD) Breast Cancer Research Program under its Concept Award Category. The Board of the Foundation has approved five concept award grants of $90,000 each, along with two pre-doctoral grants.

You will need Acrobat Reader to download the Letter of Intent, which gives instructions on the application process; an Application Cover Sheet; and a Grant Agreement Form that outlines what will be expected of grantees. The FBCCRF will announce its 2006 awards process in early 2006.

2006 Grant Awards

Cancer Risk Determination in carriers of BRCA 1 missense mutations

In this grant application researchers propose to develop an alternative strategy to evaluate cancer association of BRCA1 alleles with missense variants using a functional assay that can interrogate variants anywhere in the coding region and examine global biological functions ascribed to BRCA1. The rationale for this application is that the development of a reliable comprehensive functional assay to classify variants in BRCA1 will be important for the early identification of women at risk. In order to establish and validate this functional assay we will accomplish the following specific aims: 1.) To develop a global assay system based on the ability of transfected full length wild type BRCA1 or mutants to restore radiation sensitivity and cell cycle checkpoint activation in BRCA1 null cells; 2) Analyze a series of 25 unclassified variants using optimized assay.

Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs)

In this grant application researchers propose to develop Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs). SCPs are a toll that in theory could increase rates of early diagnosis of secondary cancers and improve quality of care for cancer survivors. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently recommended that oncologists provide patients with SCPs that (a) include information on diagnosis, treatment received, potential side effects, timing of recommended follow-up care, recommended prevention and health maintenance strategies, legal protections for employment and insurance, and availability of local psychosocial support services, and (b) present this information in a clear and effective format to patients. The purpose of this research will be to develop and test the feasibility and effectiveness of SCPs. Effective SCPs need to be comprehensive, standardized, accessible to providers and patients and yet feasible to produce and modify according to patients' specific medical and treatment histories. Also, they need to be understandable to patients of various levels of education and ethnic background. Funding is sought for the concept and development phases of an SCP prototype for use with breast cancer survivors. This preliminary work will lead to future testing of feasibility and outcomes.

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