DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 17, 2014

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2014

The Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14) Defense Appropriations Act provides $25 million (M) to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) to support innovative, high-impact cancer research. This program is administered by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) through the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The PRCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY14 PRCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in April 2014. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.

Congressionally Directed Topic Areas: To be considered for funding, applications for the FY14 PRCRP must address at least one of the Topic Areas as directed by Congress. Research applications in the areas of breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer will not be accepted. The FY14 PRCRP Topic Areas are listed below:

  • Blood cancers
  • Cancers related to radiation exposure1 (New for FY14)
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Genetic cancer research
  • Kidney cancer
  • Listeria vaccine for cancer
  • Melanoma and other skin cancers
  • Mesothelioma
  • Myeloproliferative disorders2 (New for FY14)
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Pediatric brain tumors

1Investigations into cancers related to radiation exposure should include research directed to improve the understanding of elevated cancer risk among military service members exposed to increased levels of ionizing radiation including:

  • Modulation by host factors
  • Occupational and environmental exposure
  • Assessment of risk among active duty and veterans
  • Routes of exposure
  • Dose and risk estimates

2Studies within the scope of myeloproliferative disorders as defined by the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/myeloproliferative) will be accepted.

Revised for FY14 - Military Relevance Focus Areas:

  • Assessment of militarily-relevant risk factors (e.g., ionizing radiation, chemical and environmental carcinogens) associated with the susceptibility, early detection, progression, and treatment of cancer
  • Examination of cancer diagnosis and prognosis effects on the psychosocial well-being of military and their beneficiaries
  • Gaps in cancer prevention, diagnosis, early detection, or treatment that may affect the general population but have a particularly profound impact on military health

Applications that address exposures, conditions, or circumstances that are unique to the military, or disproportionately represented in a military beneficiary population, are the highest priority, though any applications that address the above focus areas will be considered.

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Career Development Award Principal Investigator: Independent investigator at the level of Assistant Professor, Instructor, or equivalent within 7 years of first faculty appointment (or equivalent) at the time of application deadline

Designated Collaborator: Investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must have a proven publication and funding record in at least one of the FY14 PRCRP Topic Areas. May not have a major research focus on breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer
  • Supports independent, early-career investigators to conduct innovative research with the mentorship of an experienced cancer researcher
  • Must address at least one of the FY14 PRCRP Topic Areas
  • Strongly encouraged to address at least one of the FY14 PRCRP Military Relevance Focus Areas
  • Must not address breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer research
  • Preliminary data not required
  • Clinical trials not allowed
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $360,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Idea Award with Special Focus Independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Supports innovative, untested, high-risk/potentially high-reward concepts, theories, paradigms, and/or methods in cancer research that are directly relevant to service members, their families, and other military beneficiaries
  • Emphasis on innovation and military relevance/impact
  • Must address at least one of the FY14 PRCRP Topic Areas
  • Must address at least one of the FY14 PRCRP Military Relevance Focus Areas
  • Must not address breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer research
  • Preliminary data discouraged
  • Clinical trials not allowed
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $300,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years

All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that will be available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website. The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov. A listing of all USAMRMC funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the CDMRP electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) (https://eBRAP.org) prior to the pre-application deadline. Applications must be submitted through the federal government's single-entry portal, Grants.gov. Submission deadlines are not available until the Program Announcements are released. Requests for email notification of the Program Announcements release may be sent to help@eBRAP.org. Email notifications of funding opportunities are sent as a courtesy and should not be used as a sole source of notification; applicants should monitor Grants.gov for official postings of funding opportunities.

For more information about the PRCRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.health.mil)..

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-9783
usarmy.detrick.medcom-cdmrp.mbx.cdmrp-public-affairs@mail.mil