The overall goal of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to encourage research grant applications to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which oncogenic fusion genes and their gene products contribute to pediatric sarcoma initiation, progression, and metastasis. Better understanding of the molecular pathways activated by chromosomal translocations in pediatric sarcomas, and their relationship to oncogenesis and tumor progression, can elucidate mechanisms of cancer pathogenesis and potentially lead to novel therapeutics.
This FOA will utilize the exploratory/developmental research grant (R21) mechanism to foster cancer etiology and epidemiology research. While these studies may involve considerable risk, they may also lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, and to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of cancer research (epidemiologic, biomedical, behavioral, or clinical).