DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer, Impact Award | W81XWH 18 PRCRP IPA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 18 PRCRP IPA

The DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) Impact Award (FY18) is a Department of Defense funding opportunity designed to support hypothesis-driven cancer research that is positioned to deliver a meaningful, near-term payoff in patient care. The program is aimed at projects that tackle critical scientific and clinical problems in cancer and that, if successful, would make a major difference in at least one of the PRCRP FY18 Topic Areas. A central theme is moving beyond incremental progress: proposals are expected to show how the work could rapidly accelerate promising ideas toward real clinical use, such as improved treatments, prevention strategies, or other actionable approaches that can translate into better outcomes.

A defining feature of this mechanism is its emphasis on impact and clinical relevance. Applicants have to clearly spell out why the proposed work matters, what major cancer problem it addresses, and what concrete change it could produce in research and/or patient care. Projects may be translational or clinical in nature, including clinical trials, but they must demonstrate clear clinical applicability rather than staying purely in discovery-stage science. Reviewers are directed to weigh whether the proposed outcomes are significant and achievable in the near term, and whether the study is likely to move the field forward in a noticeable way within the targeted topic area(s).

The award also prioritizes transformative research that builds on prior findings to "leapfrog" the field. This means the proposal should not simply extend earlier work; it should use existing evidence as a launchpad to shift thinking or practice toward improved patient care. Applications are encouraged to challenge established paradigms with a clear focus on patient-centered endpoints and outcomes. In addition, the program highlights an interest in identifying commonalities across multiple cancers, with the goal of generating insights that can benefit the broader cancer research landscape while still anchoring the proposal within at least one of the FY18 PRCRP Topic Areas. Another stated goal is to help reduce cancer funding disparities by building foundations for cures in under-funded, under-studied, and/or particularly lethal cancers that are militarily relevant.

Continuity of research is a major evaluation factor. The Impact Award is intended for established lines of work that have already progressed beyond basic research and are ready to be pushed toward clinical research settings or direct clinical application. In practical terms, applicants are expected to show a credible trajectory from what is already known to what will be accomplished next, and why the next step is poised to produce a tangible clinical effect. This is reinforced by the requirement for preliminary data: every application must include feasibility-supporting results, and any unpublished preliminary data must come from the principal investigator's laboratory or from members of the proposed research team.

Military relevance is not optional. Each proposal must address at least one FY18 PRCRP Military Relevance Focus Area and explain how the work is relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, and their beneficiaries. The opportunity explicitly frames relevance broadly, noting that research may also be pertinent to military beneficiaries and/or the American public, but it must still connect back to the military health context. The funding agency is the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, USAMRAA), and the opportunity was offered as either a grant or a cooperative agreement under CFDA 12.420.

From a practical funding standpoint, the anticipated direct cost limit for the full period of performance is up to $1,000,000. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any entity type unless additional eligibility language in the full announcement narrows it. The FY18 announcement (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-18-PRCRP-IPA) listed an expected total of 9 awards, with an original application closing date of September 26, 2018.

• 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 Peer Reviewed Cancer, Impact 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 02, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 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 9 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 18 PRCRP IPA

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