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Peer Reviewed Cancer

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 19, 2024

Department of Defense
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)

The FY24 Defense Appropriations Bill has not been signed into law. CDMRP is unable to release new funding opportunities under the current Continuing Resolution. CDMRP is providing pre-announcement information to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to anticipated funding opportunities should CDMRP receive FY24 appropriations. Pre-announcements should not be construed as an obligation or promise by the government. Once funding is available, CDMRP funding opportunities will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when opportunities are released, contingent upon future funding.

The FY24 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to 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 FY24 funding opportunities. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government. The FY24 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 FY24 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 FY24 PRCRP must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas as directed by Congress. At the time of this pre-announcement, the final FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas are not known. To reference past PRCRP Topic Areas, please reference https://cdmrp.health.mil/prcrp/topicareas/topicareas. When the FY24 Defense Appropriations Act has been signed into law, the PRCRP will update this announcement with the FY24 Topic Areas.


The FY24 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 FY24 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.

FY24 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 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 for individuals living with cancer.
  • Requires a clinical trial to advance previously completed preclinical research to the clinic.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Investigational New Drug/Investigational Device Exemption application 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.
Career Development Award – Virtual Cancer Center Scholar Option Principal Investigator (PI): Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor or Instructor (or equivalent) on tenure track 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 the addition of a new early-career investigator (Scholars) to the unique, interactive virtual cancer center focused on fostering the next generation of cancer researchers.
  • The Scholars will be required to interact within the virtual cancer center and with the Virtual Cancer Center Director and Deputy Director.
  • The Scholar Option provides intensive mentoring, national networking, and peer group for junior faculty.
  • A Career Guide – an experienced cancer researcher with cancer funding – is required.
  • The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Scholar.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $800,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Convergent Science Cancer Consortium Award PI for Coordinating Center (Consortium Director): Investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must have a proven record of accomplishment for leading and scientific ability to direct and oversee multi- institutional research effort

Co-PI for the Research Site: Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent); must have a proven record of accomplishment of collaboration

  • Preproposal required; application submission is by invitation only.
    • required.
  • Supports convergent science infrastructure – Coordinating Center.
  • Supports novel approaches to ending cancer through convergent science research.
  • Proof of principle (convergent science) research projects support.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least three different FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $20,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is up to 4 years.
Idea Award Independent investigator with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent).
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports innovative, basic research that may introduce a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other highly creative qualities.
  • Emphasis on innovation.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 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 mature research projects that specifically focus on critical scientific or clinical cancer issues and have the potential to make a major near-term impact.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 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.
Patient Well-Being and Survivorship 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 innovative research studies to advance studies in preservation of function (physical ability), quality of life, 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 FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Military Health Focus Areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY24 PRCRP Overarching Challenges.
  • Preliminary data are 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.
Virtual Cancer Center Director Award Investigator at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must have a proven publication and funding record in cancer research

Deputy Director must be at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must have a proven publication and funding record in cancer research. Deputy Director must be at a different institution and must be in a different cancer discipline than the Director
  • Preproposal required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports visionary individuals who are established cancer researchers with a strong record of mentoring and commitment to leadership.
  • The PRCRP Virtual Cancer Center Director Award is an opportunity to establish a virtual cancer center focused on fostering the next generation of cancer researchers across the spectrum of cancers included under the PRCRP.
  • Director, with Deputy Director, will oversee an interactive virtual cancer center of early-career investigators (Scholars) and their designated Career Guides, facilitate regular interactive communication among all members, and assess research progress and career progression of the Scholars.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $1,750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://ebrap.org/ 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 CFDA Number 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 at https://ebrap.org/ 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 Monday, March 25, 2024