DoD Prostate Cancer, Exploration-Hypothesis Development Award | HT9425 23 PCRP EHDA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 PCRP EHDA

The DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) Exploration-Hypothesis Development Award (FY23; opportunity number HT9425-23-PCRP-EHDA) is a Department of Defense funding mechanism meant for very early-stage, high-risk ideas in prostate cancer research. The central purpose is to let investigators test highly innovative, largely unproven concepts that could pay off in a big way if they work, especially ideas that tackle an important problem tied to one or more of the FY23 PCRP Overarching Challenges. This is the kind of award built for exploring new theories, methods, or paradigms, and it is also explicitly positioned to support follow-up on unexpected or serendipitous observations that could open up entirely new directions. The expected outcome is not a fully developed project with extensive supporting evidence, but rather a scientific premise for a new hypothesis or an initial proof-of-principle that can justify bigger, more definitive studies later.

A defining feature of this opportunity is that preliminary data is strongly discouraged because it runs against the intent of the mechanism. Instead, applicants are expected to make a compelling case through logical reasoning and a sound scientific rationale, explaining why the idea is worth testing and how the approach could plausibly work. Another important feature is that peer review is conducted with reviewer blinding to the identity of the Principal Investigator, collaborators, and their institutions, which is designed to keep the evaluation focused on the idea and the proposed work rather than reputation or organizational prestige.

The award has firm boundaries around human research. Projects involving human subjects or human specimens are generally not supported unless they fall under an Institutional Review Board (IRB) category that is exempt or eligible for expedited review. Applicants are expected to understand and follow their institution's IRB processes and to align with the relevant federal regulations (for example, exempt status under 32 CFR 219.104(d) or expedited review under 21 CFR 56.110). If an application proposes human subjects or specimen work that does not qualify for exempt or expedited status, it will be administratively withdrawn rather than reviewed. On top of that, CDMRP-defined clinical research is not allowed, and neither are clinical trials. The program uses a broad definition of clinical research that includes patient-oriented research involving direct interaction with people, studies of disease mechanisms in humans when the investigator directly interacts with subjects, therapeutic intervention studies, and also epidemiologic, behavioral, outcomes, and health services research. An important nuance is that certain work that meets IRB Exemption 4 (research using existing, de-identified specimens or data that are publicly available) is not considered clinical research under CDMRP rules, which creates a narrow pathway for some human-derived data/specimen use as long as it stays within those constraints.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, awards are issued as federal assistance agreements, meaning they will be structured either as a grant or a cooperative agreement. The difference depends on how involved DoD expects to be during the project. If there is no substantial federal involvement anticipated, the award will be a grant (consistent with 31 USC 6304). If substantial involvement is anticipated, such as collaboration or participation by the agency in the research, the award will be a cooperative agreement (31 USC 6305), and the specific areas of involvement would be spelled out in the award. The final award type and start date are determined during negotiations.

Budget-wise, the anticipated direct costs for the entire period of performance are expected not to exceed $100,000, positioning this as a small, targeted investment aimed at generating the earliest signals that an unconventional idea is worth further development. Program-wide, the CDMRP expected to allocate about $2.24 million total to fund approximately 14 awards, though actual funding depends on federal fund availability, the number of applications received, and scientific/programmatic merit. The agency indicated awards would be made no later than September 30, 2024. Funds for awards made from this FY23 opportunity were anticipated to be FY23 funds, with an expiration for use on September 30, 2029, reflecting the limited period during which those appropriated dollars can be spent.

The opportunity also reflects broader DoD cancer research priorities and partnerships. Applicants are encouraged to consider recommendations from the congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force, particularly ideas that could help accelerate progress for advanced or recurrent disease, as long as the proposed work still fits the rules and priorities of this specific funding mechanism. Collaboration is strongly encouraged, especially partnerships that connect military or Veteran institutions with non-military organizations, leveraging complementary strengths such as infrastructure, expertise, and access to unique populations, with the overarching goal of producing prostate cancer research that matters to the Warfighter, military families, and the general public.

Finally, the announcement highlights special considerations for access and compliance. If the project depends on Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs resources, databases, or access to active-duty or VA populations, the application needs to describe that access up front and include a plan to maintain it throughout the work. For animal studies, IACUC approval is not required at the time of submission, but any funded animal research must go through both local IACUC review and DoD-level review by the USAMRDC Animal Care and Use Review Office (ACURO). Investigators are advised to plan for the regulatory timeline, with ACURO review and approval commonly taking 3 to 4 months, which can affect how quickly experimental work can begin after award.

• 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 "DoD Prostate Cancer, Exploration-Hypothesis Development 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 Apr 03, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 13, 2023. (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 14 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.

Apply for HT9425 23 PCRP EHDA

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: