Nonprofit Gives $800,000 for Melanoma Research in 2009

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J., Feb. 24, 2009 — Today the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF), the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the U.S., announced the recipients of five new research grants as part of its Career Development Grant Program and Established Investigator Grant Program. The MRF's Research Grant Programs support promising medical research that furthers the development of effective treatments and a possible cure for malignant melanoma, while encouraging scientists and clinicians to join in this mission.

"People with melanoma desperately need new and improved treatment options. Recognizing that scientific advancements begin in the lab, it is imperative that we support researchers to ensure their work continues," said Tim Turnham, executive director, the Melanoma Research Foundation. "Each year, the Melanoma Research Foundation is able to provide emerging and established scientific investigators with highly sought-after grants that will allow them to explore new avenues in melanoma biology and treatments ultimately leading to a cure."

Approximately seven years ago, the cancer research community began unlocking the underlying genetic malfunctions that occur in cells causing melanoma. Today, researchers are beginning to correlate those discoveries to therapies that may have a meaningful impact on the survival of patients. Although the melanoma research community is poised to make unprecedented strides in the understanding, prevention and treatment of melanoma, these research efforts have been hindered by the fact that melanoma research is woefully underfunded.

The MRF's Career Development Grant provides funding of up to $50,000 per year for two years to investigators who are beginning a research career emphasizing melanoma-related projects. The MRF's Established Investigator Grant provides funding of up to $100,000 per year for two years to established researchers in melanoma or those in closely related fields who wish to move into melanoma research. Grant recipients are selected through a scientific peer-reviewed system comprised of leading clinical and pre-clinical melanoma researchers.