DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer Career Development Award | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer Career Development Award (PRCRP CDA) is a Department of the Army/USAMRAA funding opportunity under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) that is designed to help independent, early career investigators build strong, self-sustaining cancer research careers. The program is structured to give promising junior faculty and physician-scientists the resources and guided mentorship needed to launch or accelerate an independent research trajectory, while producing research that is impactful and aligned with the FY14 Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) priorities. The award emphasizes discovery-focused cancer research and is meant to position the applicant to become a leader in the field, not simply to extend a senior mentor's existing program.

A defining feature of this mechanism is that the early career scientist is the Principal Investigator (PI) and the application is expected to center on the PI's ideas, potential, and career development. Reviewers are looking for clear evidence that the proposed work is intellectually driven and designed by the PI, rather than being a direct offshoot of the Designated Mentor's research. While preliminary data are explicitly not required, the application still needs to make a compelling case through strong scientific logic, a well-supported rationale, and a credible plan for executing the proposed aims. In other words, the program lowers the barrier for early-stage independence by not demanding extensive prior results, but it does not lower expectations for rigorous thinking, feasibility, or potential impact.

Eligibility for the PI is tightly tied to career stage. The PI must be an independent early career research scientist or physician-scientist who is within seven years of their first faculty appointment (or an equivalent position). The PI is evaluated both on their existing record of accomplishments and on the promise of the proposed research to contribute to one or more FY14 PRCRP Topic Areas. Because the core purpose is career development, the applicant's institution must also show meaningful commitment to the PI. This includes confirmation of appropriate laboratory space and at least 30 percent protected time dedicated to the proposed research effort, with the announcement indicating that more protected time is strongly preferred. This requirement is meant to ensure the PI has real bandwidth to build an independent program rather than trying to fit the award into an already overcommitted schedule.

Mentorship is required, but it is structured to support the PI's independence. Each application must include a Designated Mentor who is an established, experienced cancer researcher with a strong funding and publication record and a demonstrated commitment to advancing the PI's career. The mentor must show substantial contributions relevant to the FY14 PRCRP Topic Area(s) and must also have experience tied to at least one of the FY14 PRCRP Military Relevance Focus Areas, reflecting the program's defense health mission. At the same time, there is a specific restriction intended to keep this award focused on non-overlapping cancer portfolios: the Designated Mentor may not have a major research focus in breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer. This constraint is notable because it shapes mentor selection and signals that the PRCRP CDA is intended to complement, rather than duplicate, other large DoD cancer programs dedicated to those diseases.

Another required component is a formal Career Development Plan, developed with guidance from the Designated Mentor. This plan needs to go beyond general statements about professional growth and instead lay out a clear strategy for building the skills, competence, and expertise the PI needs to lead an independent, cutting-edge cancer research program. The plan should be explicitly tied to at least one FY14 PRCRP Topic Area and should explain how the award period will be used to gain new technical capabilities, refine scientific leadership and independence, strengthen collaborations, and position the PI for the next stages of funding and impact. Because the mechanism is as much about developing a researcher as it is about funding a project, the career development narrative and training strategy are central to competitiveness.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity is listed as Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-14-PRCRP-CDA and uses a Cooperative Agreement/Grant structure within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category. The agency anticipated making about 20 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $11,520,000, and it carries no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details in the full announcement. The posting date was April 22, 2014, with an original and current closing date of September 17, 2014, and an archive date of October 17, 2014. The CFDA number associated with the program is 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development), which reflects its alignment with military medical priorities and relevance.

For applicant support, the announcement directs individuals who have trouble accessing the full posting to the CDMRP Help Desk, reachable by phone at 301-682-5507 or by email at help@eBRAP.org. This is consistent with CDMRP's typical submission and applicant support ecosystem, where eBRAP is commonly used for pre-application and submission-related processes.

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