DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer, Idea Award with Special Focus | W81XWH 19 PRCRP IASF

FY19 DoD PRCRP Idea Award with Special Focus (Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program) - FAQs

What is the FY19 PRCRP Idea Award with Special Focus?

It is a Department of Defense (DoD) Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) funding opportunity intended to accelerate bold, early-stage cancer research ideas that have not yet been tested. The award is designed for high-risk, high-reward concepts and aims to generate strong, usable preliminary data that can support later, larger studies.

What is the main purpose of this award?

The main purpose is to provide seed funding for genuinely innovative cancer research that opens new directions. The expected end product is credible proof-of-concept and preliminary results that can justify follow-on research aligned with DoD and Military Health System needs.

What does "Idea Award" mean in this context?

In this program, an "Idea Award" supports exploratory work that proposes new theories, paradigms, or research methods. The intent is not to extend ongoing research programs but to test untried, creative approaches that could reshape how a cancer question is investigated.

What makes this Idea Award different because it has a "Special Focus"?

The "Special Focus" requirement means the research must center on exposures, conditions, or circumstances tied to military life. The military connection should be clear, such as factors unique to military environments, more common in military beneficiary populations, or issues with implications for force readiness and the Military Health System mission.

What kinds of military-related factors are expected under the Special Focus?

Applications are expected to focus on exposures, conditions, or circumstances linked to military life. That includes factors that are unique to military service, occur at higher rates among military beneficiaries, or matter for operational readiness. The research should connect to real military-relevant realities rather than being purely general-population cancer research.

Who is the research intended to benefit?

The opportunity emphasizes military relevance, including active duty personnel, Veterans, and other military beneficiaries. It also highlights total mission readiness, which can include cancers or cancer-related risks that affect the support system around Service members, such as military families.

What does the program mean by "total mission readiness"?

"Total mission readiness" refers to the broader impact of health on military capability, including effects on Service members and the support networks that enable readiness. The program signals interest in research that can inform care, prevention, or risk understanding in ways that matter to readiness and Military Health System priorities.

How important is innovation for this award?

Innovation is described as the core review expectation. Competitive proposals are expected to challenge existing assumptions, re-frame an established problem in a new way, or introduce creative approaches that could significantly change how the research question is approached.

What types of projects are considered not innovative enough?

The announcement explicitly discourages incremental work. Examples include straightforward next steps from an established project, small extensions of prior findings, or simply applying an existing model system to a different cancer type. Those approaches are not viewed as sufficiently innovative for this mechanism.

Is scientific rigor still expected even though the work is exploratory?

Yes. Even though the research may be high-risk and early-stage, it is expected to be scientifically sound, built on a well-formulated and testable hypothesis, supported by strong rationale, and carried out with a rigorous study design.

Are preliminary data required to apply?

No. Preliminary data are not required for this mechanism.

Can the project be based heavily on existing preliminary datasets?

Heavy reliance on existing preliminary datasets may be viewed as inconsistent with the exploratory purpose of the award, except in cases involving unexpected or serendipitous observations. The program is not meant to fund work that is already underway in the applicant's laboratory.

Is this award intended to fund ongoing research already in the applicant's lab?

No. The solicitation indicates it is not meant to fund ongoing work already underway in the applicant's laboratory.

If an investigator already has substantial preliminary evidence, is this the right mechanism?

The opportunity suggests that investigators who already have substantial preliminary evidence and are positioned for a direct next-step study should consider a different PRCRP mechanism: the FY19 PRCRP Impact Award.

What kinds of outcomes are expected from funded projects?

Projects are expected to produce strong, usable preliminary data and a defensible proof-of-concept. The program frames these outcomes as a launching point for later, more fully developed studies, rather than a completed clinical solution.

What research topics does the award aim to enable in later stages?

The announcement describes follow-on directions such as understanding how cancers start or progress, improving quality of life during and after treatment, and strengthening care and treatment options within the Military Health System.

Which agency is offering and administering this opportunity?

It is a discretionary federal opportunity offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and administered through USAMRAA.

What funding instruments are available under this opportunity?

The opportunity allows funding through either grants or cooperative agreements.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility details that may be included in the full announcement.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 12.420.

How many awards were anticipated?

The government anticipated making around 40 awards under this call.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted in March 2019 and closed in September 2019.

Is there an award ceiling?

The listing shows an award ceiling of 0. In summary records, this typically indicates that applicants should consult the full solicitation for actual budget limits and constraints rather than relying on a single universal cap.

What should applicants do if budget limits are not clear from the summary?

Because the summary record shows an award ceiling of 0, applicants are expected to consult the full solicitation for the actual budget limits, allowable costs, and any constraints that apply to this mechanism.

Is the goal to deliver a finished clinical solution by the end of the award?

No. The opportunity describes the award as seed funding. The goal is to generate credible preliminary results and proof-of-concept that can support larger follow-on efforts aligned with DoD and Military Health System priorities.

How should a proposal demonstrate military relevance?

Proposals should clearly connect the research question to military-relevant exposures, conditions, or circumstances, and explain why the issue is unique to military life, more common in military beneficiaries, or important for force readiness and Military Health System needs.