DoD Prostate Cancer, Idea Development Award by the Department of Defense

The FY20 PCRP Idea Development Award is intended to support new ideas that represent innovative

approaches to prostate cancer research and have the potential to make an important contribution to

the PCRP mission. The key components of this award mechanism are:

• Innovation: Research deemed innovative may represent a new paradigm, challenge current paradigms,

look at existing problems from new perspectives, leverage unique study populations, or exhibit

other highly creative qualities. Research that is an incremental advance upon published data is not

considered innovative. Projects involving multidisciplinary and/or data science approaches are

especially encouraged.

• Impact: Applications are required to address and provide a solution to one or more of the FY20

PCRP Overarching Challenges. The potential impact of the research, both short-term and long-term,

in addressing the FY20 PCRP Overarching Challenge(s) should be clearly described. High-impact

research will, if successful, significantly advance prostate cancer research and/or patient care.

• Preliminary Data: Due to this award’s emphasis on innovation, the presentation of preliminary

data relevant to prostate cancer and the proposed project is encouraged, but not required. Any

unpublished, preliminary data provided should originate from the laboratory of the Principal

Investigator (PI) or a member(s) of the research team. Regardless of whether preliminary data are

included, applications should be based on a sound scientific rationale that is established through

logical reasoning and/or critical review and analysis of the literature.

To maximize the potential for impact, investigators are strongly encouraged to incorporate the

following components into their study design where appropriate: authentication of proposed cell

lines; statistical rigor of preclinical animal experiments and epidemiological studies;

incorporation of experiments to assess clinical relevance and translatability of findings; and

validation in patient cohorts. As such, the PCRP-funded Prostate Cancer Biorepository Network

                  atebiorepository.org) and/or the North Carolina – Louisiana Prostate

Cancer Project (PCaP) (https://pcap.bioinf.unc.edu) are important resources to consider if

retrospectively collected human anatomical substances or correlated clinical data are critical to

the proposed studies. Investigators considering use of these or other resources are highly

encouraged to provide a letter of support indicating access to and availability of the desired

resources to support the study. Studies utilizing data derived from large patient studies that

include long-term health records, biospecimen repositories, and pre-existing research and apply

state-of-the-art genomic and/or proteomic analysis, bioinformatics, and/or mathematical models to

such data are also encouraged.

New Investigator category: The FY20 PCRP Idea Development Award mechanism encourages research ideas

from investigators in the early stages of their careers. The New Investigator category of this

award mechanism is designed to allow applications naming PIs who are early in their faculty

appointments or in the process of developing independent research careers to compete for funding

separately from Established Investigators. All New Investigator PIs must meet specific eligibility

criteria as described in Section II.C, Eligibility Information. PIs using the New Investigator

category are required to include a collaborator (or collaborators) appropriate to the application

who has (have) experience in prostate cancer research as demonstrated by a record of funding and

publications in prostate cancer research. It is the responsibility of the PI to describe how the

collaboration(s) will augment his or her expertise to best address the research question.

Multidisciplinary projects are encouraged, and multi-institutional projects are allowed. Each

proposed study must include a clearly stated plan for interactions among all team members and

organizations involved. The plan must include communication, coordination of research progress and

results, and data transfer. Additionally, multi-institutional applications must provide an

intellectual property plan to resolve potential intellectual and material property issues and to

remove institutional barriers that might interfere with achieving high levels of cooperation to

ensure the successful completion of this award.

Research involving human subjects is permitted under this funding opportunity; however clinical

trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity. Correlative studies associated with an

existing clinical trial are particularly encouraged, provided they are determined to be no greater

than minimal risk by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of record and the U.S. Army Medical

Research and Development Command (USAMRDC), Office of Research Protections (ORP), Human Research

Protection Office (HRPO).

Investigators seeking funding for a clinical trial are encouraged to consider submitting an

application to the FY20 PCRP Clinical Trial Award (Funding Opportunity Number: W81XWH-

20-PCRP-CTA).

A Congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force was formed with the purpose of identifying

ways to help accelerate clinical and translational research aimed at extending the lives of

advanced state and recurrent patients. As a member of the Metastatic Cancer Task Force, the CDMRP

encourages applicants to review the recommendations

(https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Congressional-Testimonies/2018/05/03/Metastatic-Cancer-

Research) and submit research ideas to address these recommendations provided they are within

the limitations of this funding opportunity and fit within the FY20 PCRP priorities.

The types of awards made under the Program Announcement will be assistance agreements. An

assistance agreement is appropriate when the Federal Government transfers a “thing of value” to a

“state, local government,” or “other recipient” to carry out a public purpose of support or

stimulation authorized by a law of the United States instead of acquiring property or service for

the direct benefit and use of the U.S. Government. An assistance agreement can take the form of a

grant or cooperative agreement. The level of involvement on the part of the Department of Defense

(DoD) during project performance is the key factor in determining whether to award a grant or

cooperative agreement. If “no substantial involvement” on the part of the funding agency is

anticipated, a grant award will be made (31 USC 6304). Conversely, if substantial involvement on

the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a cooperative agreement will be made (31 USC 6305),

and the award will identify the specific substantial involvement.

Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, collaboration, participation, or

intervention in the research to be performed under the award. The award type, along with the start

date, will be determined during the negotiation process.

The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY20 PCRP Idea

Development Award will not exceed $600,000 for New Investigators or $750,000 for Established

Investigators.

Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.

Awards will be made no later than September 30, 2021.

 For additional information refer to Section II.F.1, Federal Award Notices.