Prostate Cancer, Early Investigator Research Award | W81XWH 18 PCRP EIRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 18 PCRP EIRA

The Prostate Cancer, Early Investigator Research Award (EIRA) is a Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) funding opportunity designed to help postdoctoral researchers launch a focused research project in prostate cancer while building the skills and track record needed to become independent investigators. The structure is intentionally career-development oriented: the postdoc leads the science as the Principal Investigator (PI), but does so with active guidance from one or more Mentors who have demonstrated experience in prostate cancer research and in training early career scientists. The overall aim is twofold: generate meaningful prostate cancer research that aligns with PCRP priorities, and accelerate the PI's transition into a future leader in the field.

A central feature of the award is that the postdoctoral investigator is the PI and is expected to take ownership of the application and project. All application components must be written by the PI, with appropriate input and direction from the Mentor(s). Eligibility is targeted to researchers who are truly early in training: the PI must have three years or less of postdoctoral research experience (not counting time spent in clinical residency or clinical fellowship training) as of March 31, 2019. Prior experience specifically in prostate cancer is not required, but the applicant must show strong potential and a clear commitment to pursuing a long-term research career that will contribute at the forefront of prostate cancer research.

Mentorship is required and is treated as a major pillar of the mechanism rather than a formality. Each application must include at least one Mentor with relevant prostate cancer expertise and a strong mentoring record, supported by evidence such as active funding, recent peer-reviewed publications, and prior successful trainees. The program allows the primary Mentor to be a junior faculty member, but in that case the PI is encouraged to add a secondary Mentor with a more established track record in prostate cancer research and mentorship. The Mentors are expected not only to advise on the project, but also to demonstrate a concrete commitment to the PI's progression toward independence, helping the applicant build the capabilities, judgment, and professional standing needed to compete for future independent awards.

On the research side, the proposed project must directly address one or more of the PCRP Overarching Challenges, meaning the work needs to align with the program's stated high-level problem areas and priorities in prostate cancer. Applications are expected to present a strong scientific rationale and a well-justified experimental strategy, including a thoughtful analysis of the research problem, clear methodology, and a realistic plan to accomplish the proposed aims. Feasibility matters: the design, methods, and access to required resources should be clearly defined and supported with documentation when appropriate. Preliminary data are encouraged but not required, lowering the barrier for new investigators; when included, any preliminary results should come from the PI, the Mentor(s), or collaborators on the team.

A required Researcher Development Plan makes this award more than just a small research grant. The PI must lay out an individualized, prostate cancer-focused plan for professional growth that explains how they will gain the specific skills and expertise needed to execute the project and to advance toward an independent career. The application must describe the research and mentoring environment that will support the PI, and it acknowledges that not every institution has every resource in-house. If gaps exist, they can be addressed through collaborations with other institutions; when substantial resources will be used at a collaborating site, the PI is strongly encouraged to name a co-Mentor at that institution to formalize training and oversight.

The announcement also signals several study quality expectations meant to improve rigor and impact. Investigators are strongly encouraged, when relevant, to authenticate cell lines, apply strong statistical rigor in preclinical animal studies, and incorporate experiments that test clinical relevance and translatability. The program points applicants toward established resources that can strengthen human relevance and data depth, including the PCRP-funded Prostate Cancer Biorepository Network (PCBN) and the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP), especially when retrospective human specimens and associated data are essential. The opportunity also encourages projects that leverage large patient datasets with long-term health records and biospecimen repositories, applying modern approaches such as genomic and proteomic analyses, bioinformatics, and mathematical modeling.

Programmatically, the proposed research must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the broader American public, reflecting the DoD mission and the public-purpose nature of these funds. Budget-wise, the anticipated direct costs for the entire period of performance may not exceed $200,000 for an FY18 EIRA, with additional details governed by the program's funding restrictions section. The funding instrument can be either a grant or a cooperative agreement, and which one is used depends largely on how much involvement the DoD anticipates having during performance. If no substantial agency involvement is expected, a standard grant is used; if substantial involvement is expected (such as collaboration, participation, or intervention by the agency), the award will be a cooperative agreement, with the specific nature of that involvement defined during negotiation.

Administratively, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-18-PCRP-EIRA) was issued by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). It falls under the science and technology/research and development category (CFDA 12.420), was posted May 21, 2018, and had an original closing date of September 6, 2018. The solicitation indicated an expectation of around 20 awards. Eligibility is described as unrestricted in terms of organizational type, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement, making it broadly accessible to qualified applicants through appropriate institutions.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Prostate Cancer, Early Investigator Research Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 06, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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