MAY 2025
 
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

  • From the Cancer Consortium
  • Consortium Kudos
  • Current Funding Opportunities
  • Save the Date - Upcoming Events
  • From Shared Resources
  • From Clinical Research Services
 

FROM THE CANCER CONSORTIUM

Consortium Kudos

Consortium Investigators Receive Implementation and Outcomes Research Funding from Andy Hill CARE Fund
Last month, the Andy Hill CARE Fund announced that it had awarded more than $10 million in funding "to support innovative investigators from eligible organizations to translate promising research and scientific discoveries into the development of tools, devices, technologies, therapeutics, or interventions, that have the power to address cancer care across the cancer continuum that will ultimately advance cancer care, lessen the burden of cancer, and improve health outcomes."

The grants awarded this year are the first cycle of the Implementation and Outcomes Research Grants. Of the ten awardees, six are members of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium. Consortium awardees and their projects are listed below:

  • Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, MPH (Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention & Control Program) in collaboration with Amanda Fretts, PhD, MPH: Partnering with Washington State Tribal Communities to Develop Culturally-Tailored Nutrition Resources and Reduce Cancer Health Disparities.
  • Jim Olson, MD, PhD (Cancer Basic Biology Program): Converting an Immunotherapy Resistance Mechanism into a Vulnerability Using Slow-Release Local Immunotherapy.
  • Jonathan Tang, PhD (Cancer Basic Biology Program): Advanced Platform for Developing Conditionally Stable Sensors and Effectors for Cancer Applications.
  • Peggy Hannon, PhD, MPH (Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention & Control Program): Workplace Cancer Prevention and Screening: Scaling Up Connect to Wellness for Employees in Low-Wage Industries Across Washington State.
  • Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD (Pathogen Associated Malignancies Program): Advancing Merkel Cell Carcinoma Management: Improved Recurrence Detection and New Approaches for Immunotherapy-Refractory Disease.
  • Sarah Psutka, MD, MSc (Prostate Cancer Program) in collaboration with Cindy Lin, MD, FACSM, FAAPMR: Phase II Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial evaluating a Scalable, Personalized Home-Based Activity Intervention with ExerciseRx in Survivors with Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: The EMPOWER Trial.
Please join us in congratulating these investigators!
Do You Have Good News to Share?
We welcome news of exciting accomplishments by Consortium members! This includes:
  • Significant research advancements (news of large grants, groundbreaking publications, important clinical trials, etc.)
  • Honors, recognitions, or awards
  • New roles or leadership opportunities.
Submitting your news not only allows us to celebrate them here, but also helps us track Consortium member accomplishments for CCSG purposes. Please send submissions to amiller2@fredhutch.org.
 

CURRENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

HICOR Expanding Clinical Trials Funding Mechanism

Funds are available from the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research (HICOR) Trials Expansion Initiative for pilot studies that focus on improving cancer care delivery and/or the care experience for patients in Washington state. Our goal is to support the launch of pilot studies in partnership with community oncology clinics that are directly responsive to clinic and patient identified needs. If awarded, the HICOR team can assist PIs in identifying local clinic partners.

Based on input from community clinics, we particularly interested in submissions with a focus on:
  • Patient Navigation
  • Telehealth
  • Survivorship
Click here to see the RFA. Applications open on May 1st and will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

 Questions? Contact Talor Hopkins (thopkins@fredhutch.org) for more information.  

Fred Hutch Bench-to-Bedside (B2B) Adult Oncology Awards

Funds are available to support three unique funding mechanisms available over the next three years for projects in adult oncology.

In 2022, the Bezos family pledged a landmark gift to Fred Hutch Cancer Center to dramatically increase the pace and scale of cancer research, with the goal of driving collaborations amongst clinical, laboratory, and population scientists. To facilitate transdisciplinary bench-to-bedside cancer research in adult oncology, Fred Hutch is using these philanthropic funds to offer three unique funding mechanisms available over the next three years to support:

1. Small, investigator-initiated, proof-of-concept trial in humans using a novel therapy.
  • Click here to view the full RFA and submit your application via InfoReady.
2. Non-interventional cross-disciplinary studies.
  • Click here to view the full RFA and submit your application via InfoReady.
3. Preclinical projects to enable the next generation of cellular therapies.
  • Click here to view the full RFA and submit your application via InfoReady.
Proposed projects should be focused on adult cancers and should represent a new project or new research direction for the principal investigator that will provide preliminary data needed to seek external funding and continue scientific investigation. Collaborations amongst clinical, laboratory, and population scientists across disciplines as well as inclusion of patient advocates in study design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of results are highly encouraged where relevant, if not explicitly required. Faculty can only serve as PI on one application per year for any of the three mechanisms; however, they may be collaborators/co-Investigators on more than one application.

To be eligible for these funding opportunities, principal investigators (PIs) must:*
  • Have a primary or joint faculty appointment at any rank (i.e. assistant, associate, or full professor) at Fred Hutch Cancer Center
  • Be a member of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium.
Applications may be submitted via InfoReady and are due May 9th at 5pm.

*Update Regarding Eligibility:
We have received a few questions regarding eligibility for the Bench-to-Bedside (B2B) grant mechanisms and would like to provide clarification for eligibility.

Applicants who are affiliate members but who do not have a primary or joint appointment at Fred Hutch will be eligible to apply as the PI if the planned research is being done in collaboration with a co-PI who is a Fred Hutch-primary or joint appointed faculty member (and a Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium member) and who contributes substantially to the proposed research plan and implementation.   

Cancer Consortium New Investigator Awards

Funds are available from the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) to provide developmental support to new or junior faculty who are establishing their research within the Cancer Consortium. These funds provide a flexible source of funding designed to allow new investigators to work toward obtaining future, independent research funding. Departments are also eligible to apply for this funding to support new faculty being hired by a Consortium institution.

Two to three New Investigator Awards of up to $100,000 direct costs each (plus F&A/indirect costs) will be awarded from Consortium funds. All proposed research must be cancer-focused and may include projects aligned with Cancer Consortium strategic priorities (see the appendix section of the RFA to learn more about priority areas). Financial need will be taken into consideration for those who did not receive substantial research funds as part of their negotiated start-up package.

More information about this award, including the full RFA, can be found on this page of the Cancer Consortium website. Applications are due May 16th by 5pm PST and may be submitted via InfoReady.

Additional questions can be directed to cancerconsortium@fredhutch.org.

NCI Administrative Supplements

Early Onset Cancer
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) announces an administrative supplement funding opportunity to support research aimed at understanding and addressing Early-Onset Cancer (EOC). Applications are due by June 4th, 2025.

 The goals of this funding opportunity are to:
  1. Support research that addresses critical unanswered scientific questions aimed at understanding the causes of EOCs. Investigators are encouraged to consider multiple associated factors (e.g., environmental, lifestyle, social determinants of health, geographical risk factors) and their connectivity. Additionally, the research may explore novel risk factors contributing to the rise in EOC. Investigations focused on population-wide screening, and/or changes in technology are of interest, as are modeling studies to understand important risk factors that may contribute to the rise in EOC. 
  2. Support exploratory research that investigates the mechanistic differences underlying the biology of EOC compared to cancers with later onset. This research is highly encouraged to address scientific questions related to the molecular pathogenesis and molecular phenotyping of EOC, focusing on distinct characteristics not seen in cancers diagnosed in older populations.  
  3. Support research to examine and address reproductive health, mental health, concerns related to the life stage (such as new reliance on parents or delaying educational goals), financial toxicity, or survivorship care for younger patients. Investigators are encouraged to develop, refine, and pilot test strategies to address these challenges, considering the unique needs of patients at younger ages.
While NCI encourages supplemental applications across early-onset cancer types, special consideration will be given to applications focusing on cancers of the breast, colorectum, uterus, kidney, and pancreas. Additional consideration will also be given to applications that focus on non-hereditary cancers.

The Cancer Consortium is allowed to submit one application under each of the following NCI-funded parent grants: P30 Cancer Center Support Grant, Prostate P50 SPORE, and Lung P50 SPORE. If you are interested in applying for this funding opportunity, please submit a letter of interest (LOI) to cancerconsortium@fredhutch.org by 12pm PST on Friday, May 2nd. 

The LOI should include an overview of the research plan and address how the plan is responsive to the respective RFA (PDF format, 1” margins, 11-point font). Kindly specify whether your proposed project pertains to prostate or lung cancer, so your LOI can be directed to the appropriate leadership team. Consortium leadership will select one applicant per eligible parent grant to apply by the June 4th deadline.
Long-Term Cancer Survivorship
The objective of this supplement notice is to support research that fills gaps in knowledge pertaining to long-term or late-occurring adverse effects or unmet needs of long-term cancer survivors. The goal is to expand the existing knowledge and evidence base in long-term cancer survivorship. Administrative supplement applications focusing on under-resourced settings and medically underserved populations served by the parent award are of particular interest.

For more information about this supplement, click here.

The Cancer Consortium may submit one application per opportunity under the CCSG P30 parent grant. Consortium investigators who would like to apply under the P30 should submit a one-page (1” margin, 11-point font, PDF format) letter of Interest (LOI) to cancerconsortium@fredhutch.org by 5pm PST on Tuesday, May 6th. The LOI should:
  • Indicate which opportunity the applicant is interested in applying for
  • Include an overview of the research plan
  • Address how the plan is responsive to the respective RFA
Consortium leadership will select one applicant per opportunity to apply by the June 6th deadline.
Transdisciplinary and Large-Scale Population Science and Cancer Control Research Projects
The research objectives of this supplement notice are to:
  1. Examine and develop a research plan for a large cancer control and population science research project
  2. Carry out an environmental scan of key collaborators and the research landscape in these areas that are related to partnership for a large-scale program project and capacity for the research team in developing a synergistic plan for interrelated research projects
  3. Develop a model, methods or approach for synergistic integration of at least three future research projects to address a common thematic research question. Applications that are responsive will specify deliverables and how these scientific products would contribute to a future program project. Applications must have or demonstrate a collaboration plan for investigative teams involved in the supplement.
For more information about this supplement, click here.

The Cancer Consortium may submit one application per opportunity under the CCSG P30 parent grant. Consortium investigators who would like to apply under the P30 should submit a one-page (1” margin, 11-point font, PDF format) letter of Interest (LOI) to cancerconsortium@fredhutch.org by 5pm PST on Tuesday, May 6th. The LOI should:
  • Indicate which opportunity the applicant is interested in applying for
  • Include an overview of the research plan
  • Address how the plan is responsive to the respective RFA
Consortium leadership will select one applicant per opportunity to apply by the June 6th deadline.
Leveraging Novel Data Science Approaches to Address Integration of Modifiable Risk Factors on Cancer Outcomes
This administrative supplement allows currently funded NCI extramural investigators to develop and apply novel computational models that analyze the joint effects of three or more temporally co-occurring modifiable risk factors on cancer outcomes. Applicants must clearly demonstrate adequate access to temporal data at the individual level for each risk factor whether it be via existing data, integration through data linkages, and/or in combination with synthetic data. Modifiable risk factor data collected outside of the standard 24-hour temporal window must be scientifically justified. Applications are encouraged across study designs and populations. Applications focusing on high-risk, understudied, and/or underserved cancer populations, including but not limited to individuals with early-onset cancers, rare cancers, pediatric cancer survivors, older cancer patients with comorbidities, and rural patient communities, are encouraged.

For more information about this supplement, click here.

The Cancer Consortium may submit one application per opportunity under the CCSG P30 parent grant. Consortium investigators who would like to apply under the P30 should submit a one-page (1” margin, 11-point font, PDF format) letter of Interest (LOI) to cancerconsortium@fredhutch.org by 5pm PST on Tuesday, May 6th. The LOI should:
  • Indicate which opportunity the applicant is interested in applying for
  • Include an overview of the research plan
  • Address how the plan is responsive to the respective RFA
Consortium leadership will select one applicant per opportunity to apply by the June 6th deadline.

For questions about any of the above supplements, please reach out to cancerconsortium@fredhutch.org.
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

» [Ongoing] Steam Plant Seminar Series

Please join us in the Steam Plant O’Mack Suites (Fred Hutch Campus) at 4pm on Wednesdays for a seminar series organized by Steam Plant trainees. 

  • May 7: Michelle Bault (Bleakley Lab)
  • May 14: Rebecca Reeves (Flow Cytometry Core)
  • May 21: Alex Wolfe (Markey Lab)
  • May 27: Zheng Wei (Lin Lab) [*note that this is a Tuesday]
A schedule of talks can be found on the Steam Plant’s Community CenterNet site (*requires FH credentials). To receive notifications, please join the mailing list at https://lists.fhcrc.org/postorius/lists/steamplant-seminar.lists.fhcrc.org/. You will need to copy and paste this link into your browser, if using a Mac. If you are working remotely, you will need to be on VPN to access the listserv.

Contact Becca Jourdan (rjourdan@fredhutch.org) for more information.  

» [Ongoing] Monthly Shared Resources Seminar Series

Please join the shared resources team for their new monthly seminar series. Each hour-long seminar will be presented by a different shared resource, and will focus on a topic pertinent to the work of that core.
Upcoming Seminar Dates:
  • May 14 (11:30am): "Introduction to Image Analysis," hosted by Cellular Imaging (B1-072, Weintraub Building, Fred Hutch Campus)
  • June 11 (11:30am): IVIS & MicroCT Applications (full talk title TBD), hosted by Preclinical Imaging & Revity (D1-080, Sze Suites, Thomas Building, Fred Hutch Campus
Click here to sign up for the upcoming May seminar.

All seminars are hybrid. Attendees will receive a Teams link once they sign up. Please contact Tony Bohn (abohn@fredhutch.org) with any questions.

» May 1: STTR Innovation Retreat 2025

The Office of Translational Research is proud to host the next Seattle Translational Tumor Research (STTR) Retreat, bringing together a network of researchers and clinicians for an engaging and collaborative event. The event will take place on Thursday, May 1st, at the Museum of Flight. The theme for the retreat is "Innovation." The event will feature scientific talks, a poster session, and a late afternoon reception. 

Click here to RSVP for the retreat. For questions or additional information, please reach out to STTRCancer@fredhutch.org.

» May 6: Seattle DROP (Discover Research Opportunities for Postdocs)

Explore engaging postdoc opportunities in Seattle, Washington! Join us on Tuesday, May 6th, from 8am-1pm PST for Seattle DROP (Discover Research Opportunities for Postdocs), a virtual postdoc recruitment event for biomedical researchers seeking the next step in your scientific journey. This event is a collaboration between the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Washington, and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. All postdoc candidates are invited to attend.

Click here to learn more about this event or register to attend. Enjoy lunch on us via a delivery voucher for the first 250 registrants within the US!

Here's a sample of what you can expect from the event:
  • Enjoy a stimulating conversation about “The Importance of Choosing the Right Mentor,” with Dr. Harmit Malik, Dr. Beth Lawlor, Dr. Christy McKinney and Dr. Bill Mahoney
  • Engage with current postdocs about their research, our vibrant scientific community and life in Seattle
  • Explore the research of faculty who are recruiting postdocs
Questions? Please contact seattledrop@cancerconsortium.org.

» May 13: Pathways to Health Symposium

You are invited to the 2025 Pathways to Health Symposium!

  • Date: Tuesday, May 13th, 2025
  • Time: 8:30am-4:00pm
  • Location: Behnke Suites (Arnold Building, Fred Hutch Campus) and Zoom
Please note that in-person registration is now full; however, online attendees are welcome!

This annual event is hosted by the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and brings together researchers, community members, and providers to learn best practices and share experiences to address cancer inequities. This year’s theme is "Mountains, Valleys, and Islands: Bridging Access to Care in Washington State" with a keynote address by Yamilé Molina, PhD, MS, MPH, from the University of Illinois Chicago.

To learn more about the event, click here. To register for virtual attendance or be added to the waitlist for in-person attendance, click here.  

» May 15: Spring Open House

More than 45 Fred Hutch and University of Washington teams who support scientific and clinical research will be hosting a fun and collaborative gathering in May. Last year, we had more than 500 attendees!

  • Date: Thursday, May 15th, 2025, 12-2pm
  • Where: Sze-Suites (Thomas Building) and B-Suites (Weintraub Building), Fred Hutch Campus
  • Who is invited? Everyone! Faculty, clinicians, postdocs, grad students, technicians, administrators, operations
Snacks will be provided, and you will have an opportunity to enter a raffle for a prize!

Teams hosting this event include Shared Resources, Clinical Research Support, Integrated Research Centers (IRC), Office of Scientific Career Development, Cancer Consortium Programs, Seattle Translational Tumor Research (STTR), Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research (HICOR), Arnold Library and many more!

Questions? Please contact Liz Hirunmetakij (ehirunme@fredhutch.org) or Audrey Heintz (aheintz@fredhutch.org).

» May 20: Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute AI Symposium

Join us on May 20th, 2025, at Fred Hutch Cancer Center for a symposium to explore Artificial Intelligence and computational healthcare. AI is rapidly innovating and holds great potential for more precise and personalized treatment, diagnosis and prevention strategies for cancer and other diseases. The AI Symposium is organized in partnership with our Data Science Lab (DaSL) and co-hosted by Dr. Jeff Leek, Vice President and Chief Data Officer, Fred Hutch Cancer Center.

  • Date: Tuesday, May 20th, 2025
  • Time: 8:30am-3:40pm
  • Location: Pelton Auditorium, Weintraub Building, Fred Hutch Cancer Center (1100 Fairview Ave N)
  • Reception: 3:40-4:40pm in Sze Suites (Thomas Building, Fred Hutch Campus).
We have invited a panel of local and national leaders in the field to deliver talks and join in discussion on the latest advances in AI and its applications to cancer care. A primary focus of the symposium will be on clinical data utilization and sessions will cover AI in Healthcare, AI in EMR, and Multimodal Data. Following talks, all attendees are invited to meet the speakers and enjoy a selection of food and beverages at a reception from 3:40-4:40pm in Sze.

To learn more and register for the event, click here. Registering by Tuesday, May 13th, will help us plan appropriately for the symposium and reception.

Please direct all questions to precisiononcology@fredhutch.org.

» June 19-21: 4th International Symposium on Late Complications after Childhood Cancer (ISLCCC)

Please join us this summer for the 4th ISLCCC Conference, hosted by the Fred Hutch Survivorship Program. This in-person event will take place at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle.

The 2025 symposium will provide a venue for the multidisciplinary exchange of innovative ideas among clinicians and researchers engaged in pediatric and adolescent cancer survivorship care and research. This year's topics will include emerging research results and insights from real-word clinical experience to promote research collaborations and improve survivorship care throughout the world, and will include the following keynote presentations and panels:
  • Dr. Les Robison (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital): "Ann Mertens & Marilynn Stovall memorial lecture on childhood cancer survivorship, past, present, and future."
  • Dr. Joshua Hill (Fred Hutch Cancer Center): "Immune reconstitution following cancer therapy."
  • Dr. Angela Bradbury (University of Pennsylvania): “Cancer predisposition and genetic considerations in long-term cancer survivors."
  • Dr. Ruth Etzioni (Fred Hutch Cancer Center): “Current evidence and future implementation of multi-cancer detection screening."
  • Panel: "Transition of AYA survivors to adult care."
  • Panel: "Development of survivorship care and research in LMIC settings."
The meeting will immediately follow the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) Investigators' Meeting and a meeting of the International Guideline Harmonization Group (IGHG).

Registration is now open for ISLCCC 2025. Click here to register.

For more information, visit the event web page or contact islccc25@fredhutch.org.

» June 27: Dr. Rainer Storb Symposium

The Fred Hutch Cancer Center Clinical Research and Translational Science and Therapeutics Divisions invite colleagues and friends of Dr. Rainer Storb to a scientific symposium and reception in his honor. 

  • Date: Friday, June 27th, 2025
  • Location: Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Thomas Building (1100 Fairview Ave N., Seattle, WA)
  • Schedule: Scientific Talks: 8am-4pm; Reception: 4-6pm
Click here to learn more and RSVP. For additional questions about the Dr. Rainer Storb Symposium, contact Sara Kraft (skraft@fredhutch.org).
 

FROM SHARED RESOURCES

Shared Resources User Satisfaction Survey Campaign 

The Shared Resources of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium appreciate your engagement with our services. We want to hear your feedback, experiences, and perspectives!  
The purpose of this survey is to gather actionable feedback on our Shared Resources and their services. We want to learn what’s important to our users!  Please complete the survey at this link by 5pm on Saturday, May 31st. The survey will only take about five minutes, and your feedback will help us to direct the continued improvement of Shared Resources. 
 
To thank you for your feedback, we are offering the chance to win some great prizes! 

  • Early submission prize (survey completed by end of day, May 7): Coffee/tea and donuts for your team!  
  • YETI cooler prizes: all participants who complete the Shared Resources User Satisfaction Survey will be entered to win either a YETI Hopper M20 Backpack Soft Cooler or YETI Daytrip Lunch Box! (see below)
  • Grand prize: everyone who completes a survey will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a lab lunch provided by Shared Resources!  
If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to Shared Resources Administration at SRAdmin@fredhutch.org. 

Thank you! We look forward to your participation.  
 

FROM CLINICAL RESEARCH SERVICES

AYA Oncology Clinical Trials Dashboard

Please note that Seattle Children's supports a dashboard containing information about clinical trial opportunities for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer. The dashboard can be accessed at this link, and can also be found on the "Patient Care" page of the Consortium's website.

Updates to the Research Group Review Form

The Research Group Review form has been updated to include a question on the use of Radiology or Cancer Imaging services (see screenshot below). If a new protocol requires PRMS review and may include services from Radiology or Cancer Imaging, ensure the RGR form indicates this involvement so they may be notified prior to implementation. If you have questions for Radiology or Imaging, please contact them at imagingresearch@fredhutch.org.
 
FRED HUTCH/UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON/SEATTLE CHILDREN'S CANCER CONSORTIUM
1100 FAIRVIEW AVE. N., SEATTLE, WA 98109
https://www.cancerconsortium.org/

Award number P30 CA015704-50