Department of Defense – pre-announcement of Prostate Cancer Research Program, FY19

March 28, 2019 by School of Medicine Webmaster

The Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/press.shtml has released this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY19 funding opportunities.

Applications submitted to the FY19 PCRP must address one or more of the program’s Overarching Challenges:

  • Improve the quality of life for survivors of prostate cancer
  • Develop treatments that improve outcomes for men with lethal prostate cancer
  • Reduce lethal prostate cancer in African Americans, Veterans, and other high-risk populations
  • Define the biology of lethal prostate cancer to reduce death

The following FY19 funding opportunities are anticipated:

Early Investigator Research Award

  • By March 31, 2020, Postdoctoral Principal Investigators (PIs):  must possess a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and have 3 years or less of postdoctoral research experience (excluding clinical residency or clinical fellowship training).
  • Supports research opportunities focused on prostate cancer for individuals in the early stages of their careers.
  • PIs must have a designated mentor who is an experienced prostate cancer researcher.
  • Maximum funding of $200,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 2 years.

Physician Research Award

  • At the time of application submission, the PI must be either: in the last year of an accredited medical residency or medical fellowship program, or within 5 years of having initiated a faculty appointment (including Instructor positions).
  • Supports a mentored research experience to prepare physicians with clinical duties for careers in prostate cancer research.
  • PIs must demonstrate a commitment to a career at the forefront of prostate cancer research and clinical practice.
  • PIs must have a designated mentor with an established research program in prostate cancer.
  • Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 4 years.

Idea Development Award

  • Established Investigators (independent investigators at all levels) or New Investigators (must meet the following criteria at the application submission deadline date):  have the freedom to pursue individual aims without formal mentorship; have not previously received a PCRP Idea Development Award and/or Health Disparity Research Award; have either completed at least 3 years of postdoctoral training or fellowship or are within 10 years after completion of terminal degree (excluding residency or family leave).
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports new ideas that represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain approaches to prostate cancer research and have the potential to make an important contribution to one or more of the FY19 PCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Emphasis is equally placed on Innovation and Impact.
  • Preliminary data are encouraged, but not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Each PI may submit only one application.
  • New Investigator Option supports applicants early in their faculty appointments or in the process of developing independent research careers.
  • Established Investigators:  Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 3 years.
  • New Investigators:  Maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 3 years.

Health Disparity Research Award

  • Established Investigators (independent investigators at all levels)or New Investigators (must meet the following criteria at the application submission deadline date):  have the freedom to pursue individual aims without formal mentorship;  have not previously received a PCRP Health Disparity Research Award and/or Idea Development Award; and have either completed at least 3 years of postdoctoral training or fellowship or are within 10 years after completion of terminal degree (excluding residency or family leave).
  • Supports new ideas for prostate cancer research that have the potential to make an important contribution to reducing and ultimately eliminating disparities in prostate cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality.
  • Primary emphasis will be placed on the potential impact of the proposed work.
  • Preliminary data are encouraged, but not required.
  • Proposed projects may include basic, translational, population science, or clinical research, including clinical trials.
  • New Investigator Option supports applicants early in their faculty appointments or in the process of developing independent research careers.
  • Established Investigators:  Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 3 years.
  • New Investigators:  maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over pa period of 3 years.

Translational Science Award

  • New for FY19
  • Independent investigators at all levels.
  • Supports translational studies that will advance promising ideas into clinical applications.
  • The potential impact of the research is expected to be significant and go beyond an incremental advance.
  • Preliminary data to support feasibility are required.
  • Proposed projects may include basic, translational, population science or clinical research, but must demonstrate clinical relevance.
  • Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 3 years.

Clinical Trial Award

  • Independent investigators at all levels.
  • Supports hypothesis-based, early-phase clinical trials (e.g., Phase 0, Phase I, pilot Phase II) to test interventions that will have a major impact on one or more of the FY19 PCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Interventions may include drugs, devices, biologics, surgical procedures, behavior modifications, or other types.
  • Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption approvals, if applicable, must be in place by the time of application submission.
  • Letter of support to demonstrate proof of possession of sufficient drug supply to conduct study must be provided (if appropriate).
  • Clinical trials are expected to be initiated within 12 months of the award date.
  • Maximum funding of $2,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 4 years.

Synergistic Population and Data Science Award

  • Independent investigators with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent).
  • Supports multi-institutional partnerships that will leverage existing prostate cancer patient databases and cohorts to address high-impact questions responsive to the FY19 PCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Allows for development of infrastructure to facilitate the implementation of research ideas across databases, as well as conducting hypothesis-based studies utilizing the multi-institutional databases/cohorts.
  • Minimum of three institutions and three patient databases and/or cohorts is required.
  • Maximum funding of $1,500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a period of 4 years.

Descriptions of each of the anticipated funding opportunities, eligibility, key mechanism elements, and funding can be found in the respective Program pre-announcement.  FY19 pre-announcements can be found in the CDMRP home page features at https://cdmrp.army.mil.

Subsequent notifications will be posted when the program announcements/funding opportunities are released.

Full press release:  https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2019/19pcrppreann

Filed Under: Funding Opportunities