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Peer Reviewed Cancer

NEWS RELEASE

Released: April 1, 2025

Department of Defense
Defense Health Agency Research and Development -
Medical Research and Development Command
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25)

The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 provides $650M in funding for the CDMRP. Congress provided further guidance for CDMRP program-level funding, including funding for the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP). The FY25 PRCRP intends to support innovative, high-impact cancer research. The CDMRP is part of the Defense Health Agency Research and Development at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) and is the program office managing these anticipated FY25 funding opportunities.

The PRCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY25 funding opportunities. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government. The FY25 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 FY25 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 FY25 PRCRP must address at least one of the FY25 PRCRP topic areas as directed by Congress.

The FY25 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 FY25 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.

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Clinical Trial 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 FY25 PRCRP topic areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 PRCRP Military Health focus areas.
  • 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 - Fellow and Resident Option For Fellow Option
Principal Investigator (PI): Independent investigators at or above the level of Research Assistant Professor or Instructor (or equivalent) and within seven 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.

For Resident Option
PI: Early-career clinician currently enrolled in an accredited graduate 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.
  • For the Fellow Option: Supports independent, early-career researchers or physician-scientists to conduct impactful research with the mentorship of an experienced cancer researcher.
  • For the Resident Option: Supports early-career physicians in an accredited graduate medical education program 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 FY25 PRCRP topic areas and clinical practice. The Resident must be able to commit one or two years from September 2026-2028 toward research.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 PRCRP topic areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 PRCRP Military Health focus areas.
  • 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 4 years.
Career Development Award - Scholar Option PI: Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor or Instructor (or equivalent) within seven 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. PIs may be early-career researcher or physician-scientist, must have independent laboratory space, and be on tenure track or equivalent position.

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 participate in the interactive virtual cancer center focused on bringing together two established investigators and a cohort of early career investigators
  • 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 FY25 PRCRP topic areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 PRCRP Military Health focus areas.
  • 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.
Idea Award Independent investigator with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent).
  • Preproposal 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 FY25 PRCRP topic areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 PRCRP Military Health focus areas.
  • 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 2 years.
Impact Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) are eligible to submit an application.

Partnering PI Option: Up to two investigators may collaborate on a single application, each of whom will be recognized as a PI and receive a separate award.
  • Preproposal 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 FY25 PRCRP topic areas.
  • Must address at least one of the FY25 PRCRP Military Health focus areas.
  • 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 funding of $1,250,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) for the Partnering PI Option.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 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 homepage at https://eBRAP.org. 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
dha.detrick.cdmrp.mbx.public-affairs@health.mil


Last updated Tuesday, April 1, 2025