DOD Pancreatic Cancer Idea Development Grant: Supporting Innovative Research

The PCARP Idea Development Award supports the development of innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate progress in improving outcomes for individuals with pancreatic cancer. This award mechanism is designed to support innovative ideas with the potential to yield impactful data and new avenues of investigation.

Significant features of the Idea Development Award:

• Impact: The proposed research is expected to make an important and original contribution to advancing the understanding of pancreatic cancer and ultimately lead to improved outcomes for individuals with pancreatic cancer. The project’s impact on both pancreatic cancer research and patient care should be articulated, even if clinical impact is not an immediate outcome.

• Innovation: Research deemed innovative may represent a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other highly creative qualities. Research may be innovative in study concept, research methods or technology, or adaptations of existing methods or technologies. Research that represents an incremental advance on previously published work is not considered innovative.

• Personnel: Personnel are considered a crucial element of the FY24 PCARP Idea Development Award. At least one member of the research team should have experience in pancreatic cancer research, as demonstrated by recent publications and funding. Inclusion of a biostatistician in the study team is encouraged.

• Research must be based on preliminary data: Although the proposed research must have direct relevance to pancreatic cancer, the required preliminary data, which may include unpublished results from the laboratory of the Principal Investigator(s) (PI[s]), research team, or collaborators named on the application, may be from outside the pancreatic cancer research field. Research should also be based on a sound scientific rationale that is established through logical reasoning and critical review and analysis of the literature.

Partnering PI Option for Early-Career Investigator: The FY24 Idea Development Award mechanism is offering a higher level of funding for applications that propose to partner an experienced PI (i.e., Initiating PI, who will serve as the mentor) with an Early-Career Investigator (i.e., Partnering PI) wishing to pursue a career in pancreatic cancer research. The Initiating PI on the Idea Development Award must mentor and collaborate with the Early-Career Investigator (Partnering PI) to promote their career development in pancreatic cancer research. The Early-Career Investigator must meet the specific eligibility criteria described in Section II.C, Eligibility Information. The Initiating PI will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The Initiating and Partnering PIs each have different submission requirements, as described in Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission; however, both PIs should contribute significantly to the development of the proposed research project, including the Project Narrative, Statement of Work (SOW), and other required components. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named to an individual award within the recipient organization. Projects involving convergence science partnerships are encouraged.