DoD Prostate Cancer, Translational Science Award | W81XWH 20 PCRP TSA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 PCRP TSA

The DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) Translational Science Award (TSA) is a FY20 funding opportunity designed to push promising prostate cancer discoveries closer to real clinical use. The program is focused on advanced translational research, meaning projects should intentionally connect basic science with clinical observations and patient-relevant evidence. The goal is not just to generate new knowledge, but to translate existing, promising concepts into applications that can address one or more of the FY20 PCRP Overarching Challenges. Importantly, the opportunity emphasizes that translation is not a one-way path from lab bench to bedside; it can also work in reverse, where clinical insights guide lab work and findings cycle back to improve clinical approaches.

This award is meant for later-stage, application-driven work rather than early exploratory biology. Examples of responsive projects include advanced preclinical studies that build on animal-model results by validating or extending them using human samples or well-defined human cohorts, as well as late-stage preclinical development that prepares the groundwork for a future clinical trial (for instance, generating data needed for an Investigational New Drug, or IND, submission). The mechanism also supports correlative studies tied to an existing or completed clinical trial (such as biomarker-response associations or resistance analyses), and projects that develop or refine endpoints that could be used in clinical trials. What it does not support is initial mechanistic work on a brand-new target; applicants are expected to be beyond the earliest discovery phase.

A key requirement is preliminary data. Applications must include feasibility-supporting evidence for the core hypothesis and the proposed research approach, and applicants are strongly encouraged to include additional preliminary data that demonstrates clinical relevance. Because the award is explicitly translational, every application also has to include a detailed transition plan. This plan should spell out what the next development step will be after the award ends, how findings will be advanced into the next phase (for example, additional preclinical validation, regulatory-enabling studies, or movement toward a clinical trial mechanism), and how the team will continue driving toward patient impact even if the award itself does not directly deliver an immediate clinical outcome.

Human subjects research is allowed under this opportunity, but clinical trials are not. The program particularly encourages correlative studies connected to an open, ongoing, or completed clinical trial, as long as the work is judged to be no greater than minimal risk by the relevant Institutional Review Board (IRB) and by the USAMRDC Office of Research Protections/Human Research Protection Office (ORP/HRPO). If an investigator wants support for an actual interventional clinical trial, the announcement points them instead to the FY20 PCRP Clinical Trial Award (W81XWH-20-PCRP-CTA).

Collaboration is a strong theme, and the announcement includes a formal Partnering PI option structured for two principal investigators. One PI serves as the Initiating PI and handles most submission and administrative responsibilities, while the Partnering PI is expected to make distinct, substantial scientific contributions. The intent is to promote genuinely integrated team science, especially partnerships that bridge basic researchers and clinicians. If funded, each PI will be named on an individual award within the recipient organization, reflecting the shared leadership structure.

For studies that rely on retrospectively collected human specimens or associated data, applicants are encouraged to use established resources supported by the program, including the Prostate Cancer Biorepository Network (PCBN) and the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP). When proposing use of these or any similar resources, applicants are strongly encouraged to include letters of support confirming access and availability, helping reviewers assess feasibility and timelines.

The opportunity also aligns with broader federal priorities around metastatic and recurrent cancer. It references recommendations from a Congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force and encourages applicants to shape ideas that accelerate clinical and translational progress for advanced-stage and recurrent patients, as long as proposals remain within the TSA scope and fit FY20 PCRP priorities.

On the administrative side, awards are made as assistance agreements, either as grants or cooperative agreements. Which one is used depends on how much substantial involvement the DoD anticipates during performance. If the agency expects little to no direct involvement, the award is typically a grant; if the agency expects active collaboration, participation, or intervention, it may issue a cooperative agreement. The total anticipated direct costs for the entire period of performance are capped at $1,000,000. The opportunity (W81XWH-20-PCRP-TSA; CFDA 12.420) was open broadly to eligible entities (listed as unrestricted in the notice), expected to make around six awards, and targeted award issuance no later than September 30, 2021 (with the original application closing date of July 16, 2020).

• 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, Translational Science 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 07, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 16, 2020. (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 6 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 W81XWH 20 PCRP TSA

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