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Peer Reviewed Cancer

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 10, 2023

Department of Defense
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23)

The FY23 Defense Appropriations Act provide funding for the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) to support innovative, high-impact cancer research. The managing agent for the anticipated funding opportunities is the CDMRP at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

The PRCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY23 funding opportunities. The FY23 PRCRP funding opportunity announcements for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the announcements are released.

Congressionally Directed Topic Areas: The FY23 PRCRP appropriation will provide funds for research into cancers not addressed in the other CDMRP cancer programs (https://cdmrp.health.mil/researchprograms). To be considered for funding, applications for the FY23 PRCRP must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas as directed by Congress. Research applications in the areas of breast, kidney, lung, prostate, pancreatic, ovarian, and rare cancer or melanoma are prohibited and will not be accepted. The inclusion of the individual rare cancer research program shall not prohibit the PRCRP from funding the below-mentioned cancers or cancer subtypes that may be rare by definition.

The FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas are:

  • Bladder cancer
  • Blood cancers
  • Brain cancer
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Endometrial cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Germ cell cancers
  • Head and neck cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Lymphoma
  • Mesothelioma
  • Metastatic cancer1
  • Myeloma
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancers (PAYAC)2
  • Pediatric brain tumors
  • Sarcoma
  • Stomach cancer
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome malignancies
    (excluding cancers of the kidney and pancreas)

1Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from its original location to another place in the body, representing what is known as stage III and stage IV cancer diagnoses. While recent research has revealed that there is a genetic basis for susceptibility or resistance to metastasis, more research is needed to develop a comprehensive understanding of this complex process.

2The National Cancer Institute definition of adolescents and young adults (https://www.cancer.gov/types/aya) includes persons between 15–39 years of age. Cancers studied under this Topic Area should be within the scope of the congressional language and the intent of the program announcement(s). Research should be targeted toward children (ages 0–14 years), adolescents (ages 15–24 years), and/or young adults (ages 25–39 years).


The FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas are listed below:

It is central to the vision and mission of the PRCRP that applications address how the proposed research is related to military health, mission readiness, and the cancer health needs of both deployed and non-deployed military personnel, their dependents, Veterans, and other military beneficiaries (i.e., family members of retirees). The FY23 PRCRP requires all applications to answer at least one of the following Military Health Focus Areas:

  • Environmental/exposure risk factors associated with cancer
  • Gaps in cancer research that may affect mission readiness
    • Gaps in cancer prevention, early detection/diagnosis, prognosis, and/or treatment that may affect the general population but have a particularly profound impact on the health and well-being of military Service Members, Veterans, and their beneficiaries.
    • Gaps in quality of life and/or survivorship that may affect the general population but have a particularly profound impact on the health and well-being of military Service Members, Veterans, and their beneficiaries.

FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges

The PRCRP has developed a strategy to address multiple issues in cancer research over the spectrum of different cancer topics considered for funding. These Overarching Challenges are critical gaps in cancer research, care, and/or patient outcomes that, if addressed, will advance mission readiness of U.S. military members affected by cancer and will improve quality of life by decreasing the burden of cancer on Service Members, their families, Veterans, and the American public. To reference the PRCRP Overarching Challenges:  https://cdmrp.health.mil/prcrp/


Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Advancing Clinical Care Through Clinical Trials Award

NEW FOR FY23		 Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports clinical trials that will progress to the next stage of study or improve the standard of care.
  • Requires a clinical trial to advance previously completed clinical research to the clinic.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data required.
  • Investigational New Drug/Investigational Device Exemption required by application submission deadline
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $3,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Patient Well-Being and Survivorship Award

(Formerly Behavioral Health Science Award)		 Independent investigator with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent).
  • Letter of Intent is required. An invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports studies to advance preservation of function, quality of life, supportive care, symptom management, resilience, relief from neurocognitive deficits, and support for psychosocial issues related to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data required.
  • Pilot clinical trials are allowed.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $1,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Career Development Award – Fellow Option Principal Investigator (PI): Independent investigators at or above the level of Research Assistant Professor or Instructor (or equivalent) and within 7 years after completion of their terminal degree (excluding time spent in residency or on family medical leave) by the time of the application submission deadline.

Career Guide: Investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must have a proven publication and funding record in cancer research.
  • Letter of Intent is required. An invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports independent, early-career investigators to conduct impactful research with the mentorship of an experienced cancer researcher.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $400,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance up to 3 years.
Career Development Award – Resident Option PI: Early-career physician-scientist currently enrolled in an accredited medical education program.

Career Guide: Investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must be an experienced physician-scientist with a strong record of funding and publications.

  • Letter of Intent is required. An invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports early-career physician-scientists with mentorship to prepare for impactful clinical cancer research.
  • The Resident Option will require the candidate to demonstrate a commitment to a career at the forefront of one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas and clinical practice.
  • The Resident must be able show a level of protected time for research within a 1 to 2 year span from September 2024-2026 with respect to the proposed project.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
 Research Funding Level I:
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $200,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 1 year.
Research Funding Level II:
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $400,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years.
Idea Award Independent investigator with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent).
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports innovative, untested, high-risk/potentially high-reward concepts, early basic science, and/or methods in cancer research.
  • Emphasis on innovation.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $400,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is up to 2 years.
Impact Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) are eligible to submit an application.
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports hypothesis-driven, high impact research.
  • Supports research projects which, if successfully addressed, have the potential to make a near-term, major impact on one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical Trials are allowed.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $1,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Translational Team Science Award At least two, and a maximum of three, PIs must partner in one overarching correlative or translational research study.

At least one of the PIs is encouraged to be a military or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigator.
  • Letter of Intent is required. An invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Emphasizes multi-PI, multidisciplinary collaborations.
  • Supports translational studies associated with an ongoing or completed clinical trial that can lead to a future clinical trial or clinical application in cancer research.
  • Not intended to support high-throughput screenings, sequencing, etc.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY23 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical Trials are allowed.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $2,500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final funding opportunity announcements that will be available for 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 CDMRP and other USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using Assistance Listing Number (ALN, formerly CFDA) 12.420.

Submission deadlines are not available until the funding opportunity announcements are released. For email notification when announcements are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage. 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@health.mil


Last updated Thursday, March 16, 2023