DoD Prostate Cancer Health Disparity Training Award | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the DoD Prostate Cancer Health Disparity Training Award (HDTA)?

The DoD Prostate Cancer Health Disparity Training Award is a funding opportunity within the Department of the Army's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), under the Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP). It supports structured training plus a related research project to help develop the next generation of investigators focused on understanding and reducing disparities in prostate cancer incidence, illness burden, and death rates.

What is the main goal of this award?

The main goal is career development: building investigators who will focus their careers on prostate cancer health disparities. Review emphasis is placed on the trainee/PI's potential and commitment, the mentor's qualifications and involvement, and the quality of the training plan and research environment, rather than on running a large standalone research program.

Who is considered the Principal Investigator (PI) for this mechanism?

The trainee is treated as the Principal Investigator (PI). A defining feature of this award is that the trainee is expected to write and submit the application themselves, with guidance from an established mentor.

What types of trainees are eligible to apply (predoctoral or postdoctoral)?

The award supports either predoctoral or postdoctoral trainees, as described in the opportunity summary provided.

What does the funding primarily support?

The award is primarily intended to provide salary support for the trainee/PI, alongside support for a structured training plan and a related research project.

What are the expectations for the mentor?

The mentor is expected to be actively and hands-on involved. The mentor should have a strong track record in prostate cancer health disparity research, demonstrated through prior funding and peer-reviewed publications, and be positioned to guide the trainee toward independence in this research area.

What do reviewers focus on when evaluating applications?

Reviewers explicitly focus on the combination of (1) the PI's potential and commitment to a career in prostate cancer health disparities, (2) the mentor's qualifications and engagement, and (3) the strength of the proposed training plan and institutional research environment.

Does the proposed research need to address prostate cancer health disparities directly?

Yes. Competitive applications must clearly connect the proposed training and research to an identifiable area of prostate cancer health disparity.

What types of health disparities are considered relevant under this award?

The opportunity identifies several disparity dimensions, including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, access to health care, insurance status, age, geography, and cultural beliefs. It also allows for other disparity factors if they are well justified.

What scientific approaches are allowed (basic, clinical, etc.)?

The program accepts a broad range of scientific approaches spanning basic through clinical research, as long as the work is responsive to at least one PCRP focus area.

Is alignment with PCRP overarching challenges required?

Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to align their proposal with one or more PCRP overarching challenges.

What are the two central elements the application must clearly describe?

The application must clearly lay out: (1) the PI and mentor plan, including the trainee's preparation and long-term commitment and the mentor's ability to guide the trainee toward independence; and (2) the training program and environment, including an individualized training roadmap (skills, activities, mentorship structure, and career milestones) and why the host setting fits the research and training needs.

What should be included in the individualized training roadmap?

The roadmap should specify skills to be gained, planned activities, how mentorship will be structured, key career milestones, and how the institutional environment will support the trainee's growth and progression toward independence.

Are there recommended resources to help applicants develop their project and mentorship network?

Yes. The opportunity points to several resources, including the CDMRP awards database, the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP), NIH RePORTER, the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), NCI's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, PubMed, and information on institutions serving disproportionately affected populations.

Is community or real-world engagement encouraged for health disparity research?

Yes. The opportunity encourages trainees and mentors to develop connections with relevant community and professional organizations (such as groups focused on minority health, rural health, patient advocacy, and prostate health education), reflecting an expectation that disparity research is often strengthened by engagement with affected communities.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this award?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is W81XWH-10-PCRP-HDTA.

When was this funding opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on March 3, 2010. The original and final closing date was May 26, 2010. The archive date was June 25, 2010.

How many awards were anticipated and what was the estimated total funding?

The program anticipated making about three awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $400,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that it did not require cost sharing or matching.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement.

Where could applicants get help with the application or electronic submission?

Contact support was available through CDMRP help desks for application and electronic submission issues.

Is this a discretionary, competed mechanism?

Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary, competed grant/cooperative agreement mechanism.

Is this award intended to fund a large, independent research program?

No. The emphasis is on structured training and career development with a related research project, rather than running a large standalone research program.