FY15 Peer Reviewed Cancer Career Development Award | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The FY15 Peer Reviewed Cancer Career Development Award (PRCRP CDA) is a U.S. Army Medical Research program funding opportunity designed to help independent, early career investigators launch strong, long-term careers in cancer research. The award is built around the idea that promising researchers often need a mix of protected time, resources, and structured mentorship to become fully independent and competitive at the front edge of the field. Projects supported under this mechanism are expected to be impactful and discovery-oriented, with a clear line of sight to improving cancer research and, ideally, influencing future patient care. Although mentorship is required, the program is explicit that the intellectual leadership must come from the early career investigator; the application should read as the PI's research vision and career trajectory, not an extension of the mentor's established program.

A key feature is that the early career investigator serves as the Principal Investigator (PI). Eligibility is tied to career stage: the PI must be within 10 years of completing a terminal degree, with certain exclusions such as time spent in residency or family medical leave. Reviewers evaluate both the PI's record and the proposed work for signs of high potential and for alignment with the FY15 PRCRP Topic Areas. Because the goal is true career development rather than a side project, the PI's institution also has to show real commitment by confirming laboratory space and providing at least 30 percent protected time for the PI to pursue the proposed research (with the program noting that more protected time is preferred). Another important point is that preliminary data are not required, lowering the barrier for bold or emerging ideas; however, the application still needs strong logical reasoning, clear hypotheses, and a sound scientific rationale that demonstrates the project is feasible and worthwhile.

Mentorship is structured through a required Designated Mentor who must be an established cancer researcher with a strong history of funding and publications. Beyond credentials, the mentor has to show a genuine commitment to advancing the PI's career. The mentor's experience must also connect to the program's priorities: they should be able to document meaningful contributions to the relevant FY15 PRCRP Topic Area(s) and to at least one FY15 PRCRP Military Relevance Focus Area. The solicitation also includes a specific restriction meant to keep this award focused on the cancers prioritized by PRCRP rather than duplicating other large DoD cancer programs: the Designated Mentor must not have a major research focus in breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer.

Applicants must include a Career Development Plan, prepared with guidance from the Designated Mentor, that lays out an intentional strategy for building the skills, expertise, and scientific independence needed to lead a cutting-edge cancer research program. This plan is not just a formality; it is central to the award's purpose. It should explain what training, experiences, collaborations, and milestones will move the PI from early independence toward a sustained research career, and it should be clearly tied to at least one of the FY15 PRCRP Topic Areas. In parallel, the scientific proposal must directly address one or more of those Topic Areas, ensuring the research fits the program's defined priorities.

The award strongly emphasizes military relevance. Proposed work should be framed in terms of how it could benefit active duty Service members, their families, and other military beneficiaries, and how it supports the broader needs of the Military Health System. This does not necessarily mean the work must be conducted in a military setting, but the application should make a convincing case for why the problem matters to military populations or operations, and how the knowledge gained could expand cancer research, patient care, or treatment options in ways that align with the Defense Health Program and PRCRP mission.

Impact is a major review driver. The application must clearly state how the research, if successful, could influence cancer research and/or patient care, with an emphasis on accelerating progress toward clinical application. In other words, the program is looking for projects that can move the field forward in a meaningful way, even if they are at a discovery stage, as long as the rationale is strong and the potential payoff is clear.

From an administrative standpoint, this FY15 opportunity was posted April 24, 2015, with an application deadline of August 25, 2015, and it was managed by the Department of the Army through USAMRAA under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-15-PRCRP-CDA. The mechanism supports awards as grants or cooperative agreements in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category. The program anticipated around 20 awards with an estimated total funding level of $11.52 million, and it did not require cost sharing or matching. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. For application or technical access issues, the listed help resource was the CDMRP Help Desk (help@eBRAP.org, 301-682-5507).

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