FY09 DOD Prostate Cancer Physician Research Training Award | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The FY09 DOD Prostate Cancer Physician Research Training Award (PRTA) is a Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) funding opportunity designed to help early-career physicians build a strong, mentored pathway into prostate cancer research while they continue to manage clinical duties. The core purpose of the award is career development: it supports a structured training and research experience that equips physicians to become independent, productive investigators in prostate cancer, rather than simply funding a standalone research project. Since the mechanism began in FY03, the program has been relatively selective, with 93 applications received and 40 recommended for funding, reflecting a track record of supporting a limited number of trainees who show clear potential and strong mentoring environments.

Eligibility is centered on physicians at a specific transition point where protected time and formal research training can have the biggest impact. The principal investigator must be either in the final year of an accredited medical residency or fellowship, or within the first three years after being appointed to a junior faculty role such as Instructor or Assistant Professor (or an equivalent position). A key expectation is that the applicant is not merely exploring research on the side, but is making a credible commitment to a long-term career that integrates prostate cancer research with clinical practice.

A defining feature of the PRTA is its emphasis on mentored development and a deliberate training plan. Applications must include a training program appropriate to the proposed area of study, and this can include coursework and seminars. The announcement specifically highlights training in areas like statistics and bioethics, as well as relevant basic science disciplines, signaling that the program values strong research fundamentals and responsible conduct of research, not just clinical exposure. Just as important, the award requires a designated mentor who already has an established prostate cancer research program. In practice, this means the mentor is expected to provide not only guidance and oversight, but also an environment with the resources, expertise, and ongoing work that can realistically support the physician trainee as they develop research skills and begin generating meaningful outputs such as abstracts, manuscripts, and future grant applications.

The funding structure is designed to protect time for research in a way that is often difficult for physicians to secure. The award is intended to provide aggressive protection of the PI's time, with at least 40 percent devoted to research. This is a central commitment of the mechanism, reflecting the program's recognition that clinical demands can otherwise prevent early-career physicians from building a research trajectory. The award also allows support for a key support person, covering up to 50 percent of that individual's salary, which can be important for research coordination, technical support, or project continuity. In addition, up to $10,000 per year may be used for research supplies and equipment, giving trainees modest but meaningful flexibility to carry out experiments, sample processing, or other research needs.

In terms of what research activities are supported, the PRTA is broad in scientific scope but clear about what it will and will not pay for. The PCRP welcomes applications spanning basic, preclinical, behavioral, and epidemiological research, as long as the work is responsive to one or more of the FY09 PCRP focus areas (detailed in the full program announcement). The supply and equipment funds may be used for studies involving laboratory animals, human biological substances, and human subjects research, as long as the human subjects work does not involve clinical trials. The opportunity draws a firm boundary around trial funding: the trainee may participate in clinical trials as part of the training experience, but the clinical trial itself must be supported by another funding source. This distinction reinforces the training-centered nature of the award and keeps the PRTA focused on mentored development rather than underwriting trial operations.

Administratively, this is a discretionary federal funding opportunity offered by the Department of the Army through USAMRAA, within the CFDA listing 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development). The funding instrument is listed as a cooperative agreement/grant, and the opportunity anticipated making about five awards with an estimated total funding level of $3.5 million. Cost sharing or matching is not required, and eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility language in the full announcement. For FY09, the opportunity was posted February 11, 2009, with an application closing date of May 20, 2009, and it was later archived June 19, 2009. Applicants who needed access or submission help were directed to the CDMRP support contacts (PA HELP and eReceipt HELP), reflecting the standard submission and helpdesk structure used for CDMRP-managed opportunities.

Overall, the PRTA is best understood as a mentored physician-scientist training mechanism focused on building the investigator, not just funding a short project. It prioritizes structured training, strong mentorship in an active prostate cancer research program, meaningful protected time for research, and a clear career commitment, while allowing a limited level of direct research support and explicitly excluding clinical trial funding from the award itself.

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Previous opportunity: FY09 DOD Prostate Cancer Training Award

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