DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command



Point of Contact:
Chuck Dasey, (301) 619-7071

February 23, 2000
For Immediate Release:
Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program for 2000

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 Defense Appropriations Act provides $75M to the Department of Defense (DOD) Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP). This program has been administered since FY97 by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) through the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The programmatic strategy for the FY00 PCRP is to fund proposals in two research award categories (Idea Development Awards and New Investigator Awards) and in three training award categories (Postdoctoral Awards, Minority Population Focused Collaborative Training [MPFCT] Awards, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions [HBCU/MI] Academic Development Awards). A proposal body limit of 10 pages (to include all figures, tables, and graphs) applies to proposals in all award categories.

Detailed descriptions of each award category, evaluation criteria and proposal submission requirements can be found in the FY00 Program Announcement (PA). This document may be downloaded from the CDMRP web site (https://cdmrp.army.mil/pcrp).

Idea Development Awards are designed for independent investigators at the Assistant Professor level or higher who are established prostate cancer investigators or are established investigators in other fields who desire to move into prostate cancer research. Funding may be requested for up to $375,000 per award (direct costs) for a 3-year period. Preliminary data in prostate cancer research relevant to the proposed project are required. Investigators submitting Idea Development proposals have an option of applying for additional funds to support HBCU/MI pre- and/or postdoctoral Trainees. Funds for these Nested HBCU/MI Training Awards may be requested for up to $44,000 for predoctoral candidates and up to $98,000 for postdoctoral trainees. Both pre- and postdoctoral traineeships are inclusive of direct and indirect costs and are for a 2-year period.

New Investigator Awards are designed for independent investigators at the Assistant Professor level or equivalent in the early phase of their research careers. Funding may be requested for up to $225,000 per award (direct costs) for a 3-year period. Preliminary data are not required, but proposals must demonstrate a solid scientific rationale.

Postdoctoral Training Awards are designed for recent doctoral degree graduates with limited postdoctoral experience (3 years or less). Funding may be requested for up to $98,000 per award, inclusive of both direct and indirect costs, for a 2-year period.

MPFCT Awards are designed for independent investigators at the Assistant Professor level or equivalent who have had little or no research support. The intent of this award is to provide applicants with the opportunity to design and initiate a prostate cancer research concept that focuses on the disparity in prostate cancer incidence and mortality among different ethnic groups. Development of this concept is to be the product of a collaboration between the applicant and an established prostate cancer research investigator. Funding may be requested for up to $75,000 per award, inclusive of direct and indirect costs, for up to 1 year.

HBCU/MI Academic Development Awards are designed to provide education, training, or scientific development in prostate cancer for pre- and postdoctoral trainees currently at HBCU/MIs. This award seeks to accomplish this by supporting trainee attendance at scientific meetings, conferences or training symposia. Funding may be requested for up to $20,000 per award, inclusive of direct and indirect costs, for a 1-year period.

Receipt date for proposals in all award categories described in the FY00 PA is 17 May 2000.

Please consult the CDMRP web site (https://cdmrp.army.mil) for further information on the PCRP and other CDMRP programs.