Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The Defense Health Agency awarded a $140,000 Project Grant to the University of California Irvine, effective September 15, 2026, through September 14, 2028, under the Military Medical Research and Development program (CFDA 12.420). The grant supports research investigating Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier (SUMO)-Specific Protease 3 as a novel therapeutic target for improving actinomycin D-based therapies in Wilms tumors. This basic and applied biomedical research initiative aligns with the Defense Health Agency's mission to advance medical solutions addressing Service Member health and conditions affecting the military population through innovative research methodologies.

The project will be performed at UC Irvine's campus in Irvine, California. As a major federally funded research institution, UC Irvine serves as the prime grant recipient responsible for executing the research activities, managing project finances, and delivering research findings and outcomes through the two-year award period. The funding supports UC Irvine's substantial research portfolio in biomedical sciences, which includes recent work across cancer therapeutics, molecular imaging, and disease pathogenesis spanning multiple federal agencies.