LLS IMPACT guidelines

Making an Impact on Clinical Trial Access

For information about other programs, and about applying for LLS research funding, click here.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's IMPACT program is intended to expand access to high-quality clinical trials to patients served by community health settings, particularly rural, minority, and/or economically disadvantaged blood cancer patients. As many more clinical trials now use precision medicine, based in part on mutational profiles of patients, this is an outstanding opportunity to educate community-based hematologists/oncologists about careful and appropriate use of this new information. The program will also accelerate development, initiation, and completion of these clinical trials.

 

Award 

Each LLS IMPACT award will be comprised of a “trials hub” that will establish a network of partnerships with community-based oncologists. The hub will be based at a major cancer research and treatment center (the host institution) sponsoring the clinical trials and will coordinate recruitment of patients into the clinical trials. The hub must present plans to increase, by a minimum of 20%, the number of patients currently served by the hub that are from community centers, as well as to increase the number of rural, minority, and economically disadvantaged patients. Applicants should strive to develop plans wherein patients can participate in major cancer center trials at their local community centers, rather than traveling to the hub to receive treatment, and interact with their community doctors at that center. However, if the disease focus of the selected trial renders treatment at the community center infeasible, LLS is open to other innovative ideas to increase community participation.

The host institution/trial leaders will participate in educational outreach to community physicians and patients. They will serve as anchors for educating other physicians in the community about precision medicine and genomic initiatives using this community platform.

The maximal award value is $250,000.00 for each year of the five-year grant, which may include overhead costs of up to 5%. All trial costs must be supported by other sources.

 

 

Application Information

 

LLS grant applications are conducted through the LLS Research Portal, hosted by FLUXX, at https://lls.fluxx.io/. Contact researchprograms@lls.org if you need to create a new account or update information on an existing account.

Guidelines & Instructions (It is strongly recommended that applicants read these guidelines in full before applying.)

Application Template (For reference only. Applications will not be accepted via email. Applicants must complete the full application process in the LLS Research Portal.)

 

Application Timeline

Phase

Date
Call for Proposals July 2019
Letter of Intent deadline September 13, 2019, 3:00 PM (EDT)
Notifications of Full Application Invitation September 2019
Full Application deadline November 30, 2019, 3:00 PM (EST)
Notification of Awards April or May 2020
Grant Agreement, Lay Abstract, and Milestones due to LLS June 1, 2020
Funding start date July 1, 2020

Mission Score

During the review process, each application shall receive two Mission Scores (in addition to the Priority Scores), which reflect the purpose of the program within LLS’s overall Mission. 

Community center participation:

  • Mission Score 1: High likelihood of increasing participation of patients at community centers in clinical trials above 20% within the grant timeframe.
  • Mission Score 2: Moderate likelihood of increasing participation of patients at community centers in clinical trials above 20% within the grant timeframe.
  • Mission Score 3: Low likelihood of increasing participation of patients at community centers in clinical trials above 20% within the grant timeframe.

Underserved community participation:

  • Mission Score a: High likelihood of increasing the participation of underserved communities in the community center-associated clinical trials.
  • Mission Score b: Moderate likelihood of increasing the participation of underserved communities in the community center-associated clinical trials. 
  • Mission Score c: Low likelihood of increasing the participation of underserved communities in the community center-associated clinical trials. 

Missions Scores of 1, 2, a, and b are fundable. Mission Scores of 3 and c are not fundable.