DoD Prostate Cancer, Early Investigator Research Award | HT942524PCRPEIRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT942524PCRPEIRA

The FY24 DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) Early Investigator Research Award is a grant opportunity designed to help postdoctoral researchers in the early stage of their careers launch an independent, prostate cancer-focused research trajectory while working under the guidance of one or more experienced mentors. The intent is both scientific and career-building: applicants propose a specific prostate cancer research project and, at the same time, use the award period to strengthen their skills, publication record, and readiness to become independent investigators in the field. A notable feature is that the postdoctoral researcher serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) and is expected to write the entire application, with mentors providing direction and support rather than serving as the primary drivers of the proposal.

Eligibility centers on career stage and promise. The PI must be a postdoctoral investigator with strong potential and commitment to a research career, and they are not required to have prior prostate cancer research experience. The key time limit is postdoctoral experience: the PI must have 3 years or less of postdoctoral research experience as of March 31, 2025 (clinical residency and clinical fellowship time does not count toward this limit). The program also places a clear emphasis on health equity, strongly encouraging applications from investigators who are committed to careers that include prostate cancer health disparity research.

Mentorship is a required cornerstone of the mechanism. Each application must include at least one mentor with demonstrated expertise in prostate cancer research and mentoring, supported by evidence such as active funding, recent publications, and a track record of successful trainees. If the primary mentor is a junior faculty member, applicants are encouraged to include a second mentor with a stronger or longer-established record in prostate cancer research and mentorship. For projects focused on health disparities, at least one mentor should have direct experience in prostate cancer health disparity research. Across all applications, mentors are expected to show a clear commitment to moving the PI toward research independence, not simply providing lab space or general oversight.

On the research side, proposed projects must address one or more of the FY24 PCRP Overarching Challenges, with particularly strong encouragement for projects that advance health equity and reduce disparities in prostate cancer. The application is expected to present a well-reasoned scientific rationale, a thoughtful and thorough approach to the research problem, and a feasible experimental plan with defined methods and a credible path to achieving the stated aims. Preliminary data may be included but is not required; if preliminary data are provided, they should come from the PI, mentor(s), or collaborators. The opportunity allows research involving human subjects and human anatomical substances, but it explicitly prohibits clinical trials. In this context, the program distinguishes observational clinical research (permitted) from clinical trials (not permitted). Clinical trials are defined under 45 CFR 46.102 as studies that prospectively assign human subjects to interventions to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes. By contrast, allowable clinical research can include observational studies of disease mechanisms, diagnostics and detection (including biomarkers or imaging), health disparity studies, technology development, epidemiologic or behavioral studies without intervention efficacy testing, and outcomes or health services research that does not meet the clinical trial definition.

A required component is a prostate cancer-focused Researcher Development Plan. The PI must lay out an individualized plan describing how they will gain the skills, competencies, and expertise needed to complete the project and transition toward independence. The application must also describe the mentoring and research environment, including how the institution supports the PI and how any gaps in resources or mentorship will be addressed. Collaborations with other institutions are explicitly acceptable as a way to fill resource or expertise gaps, and if the PI will rely on another institution for key resources, the program strongly encourages naming a co-mentor at that collaborating site.

The solicitation also highlights best practices meant to strengthen rigor, reproducibility, and translational relevance. Where appropriate, applicants are encouraged to include measures such as authenticating cell lines, ensuring statistical rigor in preclinical animal studies, and adding experiments that evaluate clinical relevance and translatability. The program encourages projects that leverage large patient datasets with long-term records, biospecimen repositories, and existing research resources, especially when paired with modern genomic/proteomic approaches, bioinformatics, or mathematical modeling. Applicants are also urged to include letters of support documenting access to essential resources, datasets, or specialized infrastructure, and to explain how they will maintain access throughout the project if the work depends on unique databases or populations.

Several topic areas and collaborative directions receive explicit encouragement. Applicants are invited to align ideas, where relevant, with recommendations from the congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force aimed at accelerating clinical and translational progress for advanced and recurrent cancers, so long as the work fits within this award’s limits (including the prohibition on clinical trials) and the FY24 PCRP priorities. The program also encourages innovative nuclear medicine and related techniques that could improve early diagnosis, treatment effectiveness, and outcomes, particularly for active-duty Service Members and their families, including advances in noninvasive precision imaging and targeted therapies. Multidisciplinary collaborations are viewed favorably, especially those that connect academia, industry, military services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other federal agencies, because these partnerships can provide specialized expertise, infrastructure, and access to distinctive clinical populations relevant to Service Members and Veterans.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, awards are made as grants under 31 USC 6304. The anticipated maximum direct costs for the entire period of performance are capped at $300,000. For FY24, the program expects to allocate about $6.24 million total to fund roughly 13 awards, with final funding dependent on federal funds availability and the outcome of peer and programmatic review. The application closing date listed for this opportunity is August 30, 2024. Awards supported with FY24 funds are expected to be made no later than September 30, 2025, and FY24 funds are anticipated to remain available for use until they expire on September 30, 2030.

• The Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Prostate Cancer, Early Investigator Research Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 13 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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