Abstract B31: Strategic investments by the Melanoma Research Alliance in research and career development accelerate progress in melanoma prevention, diagnostics, and treatment
Authors: Kristen L. Mueller, Marc Hurlbert, Louise M. Perkins
Journal: Cancer Research (2020)

Abstract Non-governmental entities, such as foundations, charities, philanthropists, and corporations, represent a growing source of research funding (1). The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) was founded in 2007 by Debra and Leon Black under the auspices of the Milken Institute with the mission to end suffering and death due to melanoma by collaborating with all stakeholders to accelerate powerful research, advance cures for all patients, and prevent more melanomas. Since its founding, MRA has invested a total of $101 million in 266 research awards to 126 academic institutions in 15 countries. Award mechanisms include Team Science Awards, Established Investigator Awards, Young Investigator Awards for newly independent faculty, and Pilot Awards. A key challenge among research funders is measuring the effectiveness of their grants in achieving the organizational mission. In 2018, MRA assessed the impact of its multimillion-dollar investment in research by conducting an in-depth analysis of the 107 research projects completed between 2009 and 2016. The evaluation included the following: 1) analysis of progress towards scientific aims; 2) a post-award survey sent to all administrative principal investigators (response rate 74% of 107 awards); and 3) research on quantitative outcomes such as follow-on funding, publications, and patents using award progress reports, PubMed, Uber Research Dimensions, Google Patents, www.uspto.gov, and www.clinicaltrials.gov. The evaluation demonstrated that the research areas funded by MRA reflect the swift progress of melanoma research as a whole over the past 11 years. MRA awards informed current thinking in the field and impacted clinical practice. Survey responses indicated MRA funding positively impacts the career and research trajectories of funded researchers, for example, by fostering collaborations, obtaining additional funding, and securing promotions or new positions. Both team and individual awards yielded high returns; however, their specific impacts differed. For example, Team Science Awards contributed to more patents (16 of 28 total) and publications (212 of 543 total) than individual awards, which garnered significant follow-on funding. While team awards resulted in a 2.6x multiplier effect in follow-on funding, Established Investigator, Young Investigator, and Pilot Awards yielded a 6.8x, 5.4x and 4.7x multiplier effect, respectively. While most projects conclude in the expected timeframe, clinical research projects typically experience greater delays and involved greater risk than their nonclinical counterparts. Collectively, this analysis suggests that foundation funding of a diverse portfolio of research grants can catalyze preclinical, translational, and clinical research as well as aid in the career development of academic researchers. Reference 1. Private Funding of Basic Science Survey conducted by the Science Philanthropy Alliance, https://tinyurl.com/y927npz7. Citation Format: Kristen L. Mueller, Marc Hurlbert, Louise M. Perkins. Strategic investments by the Melanoma Research Alliance in research and career development accelerate progress in melanoma prevention, diagnostics, and treatment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr B31.