The PRCRP Career Development Award mechanism was first offered in FY12. Since then, 105 Career Development Award applications have been received, and 20 have been recommended for funding. The Career Development Award supports independent, early-career investigators to conduct innovative research with the mentorship of an experienced cancer researcher (i.e., the Designated Collaborator) as an opportunity to obtain the funding, guidance, and experience necessary for productive, independent careers at the forefront of cancer research. This award supports innovative and impactful research projects with an emphasis on discovery. Under this award mechanism, the early-career investigator is considered the Principal Investigator (PI), and theapplication should focus on the PIÂ’s research and career development. It should be clear that theproposed research is intellectually designed by the PI and not a product of the established, experienced cancer researcher. Preliminary data are not required. However, logical reasoning and a sound scientific rationale for the proposed research must be demonstrated.