DoW Prostate Cancer, Physician Research Award

The FY26 Prostate Cancer Research Program Physician Research Award supports early-career clinicians with active clinical duties in developing independent research careers focused on prostate cancer, requiring applicants to align their proposals with one of the program’s overarching challenges. Eligible principal investigators must be within one year of completing an accredited medical residency or fellowship, or within five years of starting a faculty appointment, and must secure mentorship from an established prostate cancer researcher with a demonstrated track record in guiding early-stage investigators. Each application must include a detailed Researcher Development Plan outlining a personalized strategy for acquiring the skills and expertise necessary to complete the proposed project and advance the PI’s career, alongside a comprehensive set of attachments including a 10-page project narrative, a three-page statement of work, a two-page development plan, and a one-page impact statement, among others. All submissions must be formatted as clearly named PDF files and submitted through Grants.gov or eBRAP, depending on institutional affiliation, with a strict deadline of September 2, 2026, and require active SAM.gov registration with a valid UEI. Awarded projects are limited to a total cost ceiling of $1.1 million over a maximum four-year period, with funding obligated by September 30, 2027, and must include plans for data and resource sharing, inclusion of women and minorities in applicable studies, and a transition plan to ensure continuity of research activities beyond the award period. Applications are evaluated in two tiers: first by peer review for scientific and technical merit, including innovation, approach, and investigator qualifications, followed by programmatic review assessing alignment with the PCRP’s strategic priorities and potential impact on Service Members, Veterans, and caregivers. While higher-scoring proposals are favored, the award decision is based on a trade-off process that balances scientific excellence with programmatic relevance and available funding, not a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable model. Special requirements include mandatory disclosure of foreign affiliations under NSPM-33, compliance with DHA R&D ORRC reviews for human or animal research, and restrictions prohibiting support for mentor salaries and limiting travel to one scientific meeting per year per investigator. Organizational transfers of awards are forbidden during the final year, and entities receiving over $10 million in federal funds must provide semiannual disclosures of any legal proceedings. No standard FAR or DFARS contract clauses apply; instead, administrative and compliance obligations are governed by CDMRP directives, DoD Instruction 3200.12, and NIH standards for scientific rigor, including cell