DoD Prostate Cancer Biomarker Development Award | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the DoD Prostate Cancer Biomarker Development Award?

The DoD Prostate Cancer Biomarker Development Award (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-12-PCRP-BDA) is a U.S. Department of the Army funding opportunity managed by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). It is designed to support high-impact prostate cancer research focused on moving biomarkers closer to real-world clinical use.

What is the main purpose of this award?

The central goal is to accelerate prostate cancer biomarkers toward clinical application by supporting studies that qualify and/or validate biomarkers in ways that enable rapid transfer into clinical practice. The emphasis is on generating evidence that a biomarker is ready for the next steps toward clinical use.

What kinds of projects are favored under this opportunity?

The program explicitly favors projects that are strongly translational and clinically oriented, rather than exploratory concepts without a clear pathway to patient impact. Projects should be designed to move biomarkers toward being clinically actionable tools.

Does the award support exploratory or early-discovery biomarker research?

Based on the program description, the award is not positioned as a discovery mechanism. It favors translational efforts with a clear path to patient impact and focuses on qualifying and/or validating biomarkers rather than purely exploratory concepts.

Are applicants required to include preliminary data?

Yes. Applicants are required to include preliminary data showing that the proposed biomarker or biomarker set is suitable for further testing. Examples described include evidence of analytical performance, biological relevance to prostate cancer, or early clinical association that warrants expanded validation.

What does the opportunity mean by "qualifying" and/or "validating" biomarkers?

The opportunity emphasizes building evidence that a biomarker is ready for next steps toward clinical application. This includes work aimed at demonstrating performance and relevance and producing results that can be transferred into clinical practice quickly.

Does the program encourage using multiple biomarkers instead of a single biomarker?

Yes. The announcement encourages studies that examine multiple biomarkers, recognizing that prostate cancer detection, prognosis, and treatment selection may benefit from biomarker panels or integrated signatures rather than a single marker.

Are multi-institutional collaborations encouraged?

Yes. The opportunity strongly encourages multi-institutional collaborations. Proposals that leverage broad expertise, diverse patient populations, and multiple clinical sites are suggested as potentially more competitive and more likely to produce generalizable findings.

Do applicants need to have patient samples and/or datasets already available?

Yes. Principal Investigators must demonstrate that necessary patient samples and/or datasets are available and accessible for the work. This is presented as a practical expectation tied to feasibility and readiness.

Does the award encourage use of existing repositories or biospecimen banks?

Yes. Applicants are encouraged to leverage existing resources such as established biospecimen banks and pre-existing repositories to reduce startup delays, strengthen study power, and improve the chances that results can be replicated and adopted.

How quickly are funded studies expected to begin after an award is made?

Funded studies are expected to begin within six months of the award date. This indicates the program focus on near-term progress and projects that can move quickly without relying on lengthy infrastructure build-outs or uncertain sample acquisition plans.

What funding instrument is used for this opportunity?

The opportunity uses either a cooperative agreement or a grant funding instrument, as described in the administrative details.

Which agency and program administer this funding opportunity?

This is a U.S. Department of the Army opportunity administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

What is the activity category for this funding opportunity?

The award falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.

When was this opportunity posted and what were the closing dates?

The opportunity was posted on March 20, 2012. The original closing date and final closing date were both August 23, 2012. The archive date was September 22, 2012.

How much total funding was estimated for this opportunity, and how many awards were expected?

The estimated total funding was $3.6 million, with an expectation of one award.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The listing states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to a wide range of applicant entity types, subject to any clarifications that may have appeared in the full announcement text.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this award?

The Funding Opportunity Number is W81XWH-12-PCRP-BDA.

Where can applicants get help if they cannot access the full announcement electronically?

The listing provides a point of contact through the CDMRP Help Desk for difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically at 301-682-5507.