DoD Prostate Cancer Physician Research Training Award
The PCRP Physician Research Training Award mechanism was first offered in FY03. Since then, 175 Physician Research Training Award applications have been received, and 75 have been recommended for funding. The Physician Research Training Award supports a mentored training experience to prepare physicians with clinical duties and/or responsibilities for productive careers in prostate cancer research. This award emphasizes equally the quality of both the research and the training proposed. The trainee is considered the Principal Investigator (PI) of the application. All applications for the Physician Research Training Award are to be written by the PI, with appropriate direction from the mentor(s). The PI must demonstrate a commitment to a career as an investigator at the forefront of prostate cancer research and clinical practice; however, the PI is not required to have previous prostate cancer research experience. Applications must include a robust description of an individualized, prostate cancer-focused training plan that will provide the PI with experience in key areas relevant to the proposed work and will foster the PIâ₏™s development as a prostate cancer researcher. PIs who already possess extensive training and/or experience in cancer research may not be viewed as fitting the intent of this award mechanism. This award requires the involvement of at least one designated mentor with an established research program in prostate cancer, evidenced by recent publications, active funding, and successful mentorship. The PI and mentor(s) should work together to design robust training and mentoring plans, which may include coursework, laboratory techniques, conferences, seminars, journal clubs, teaching responsibilities, clinical responsibilities, grant writing, and/or other activities appropriate to the area of study. Training plans are expected to prepare physicians for careers in basic, population science, translational, or clinical research. In addition, applicants are expected to address at least one of the PCRP focus areas and are strongly encouraged to address one of the PCRP overarching challenges. If the proposed project does not address any of the overarching challenges, the application should include a description to justify how the project will nevertheless address a critical need in the field of prostate cancer research and/or patient care. The award is intended to provide aggressive protection of at least 40% of the PIâ₏™s time for prostate cancer research. In addition, salary for up to a 50% combined level of effort from no more than two key support personnel may be provided by this award. Up to $15,000 in funds per year from this award may be used for research supplies, but may not be used to support costs for studies with laboratory animals, human biological substances, human subjects, or to support clinical trials. PIs may participate in clinical trials as part of their training, but funding for such clinical trials must come from sources other than this award.
Office: U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity
301-682-5507
