DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer, Impact Award | HT942524PRCRPIPA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT942524PRCRPIPA

The DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) Impact Award (FY24) is a discretionary grant mechanism from the Department of the Army, administered through USAMRAA, designed to push mature cancer research projects toward real-world clinical use. The core aim is to fund high-impact work that builds on strong prior findings and accelerates them toward clinical applicability, with the expectation that the results can matter in the near term. Projects must directly address at least one FY24 PRCRP Topic Area and at least one FY24 PRCRP Overarching Challenge, and they need to be framed around a critical scientific or clinical problem where progress would be especially meaningful for patients.

This opportunity is specifically for established, later-stage efforts rather than early exploratory science. The program is looking for research that goes beyond incremental next steps and instead has a credible path to making a major near-term difference in cancer research and/or patient outcomes. Translational and clinical research are explicitly in scope, including clinical trials, as long as the work is positioned to move promising discoveries closer to patient care. The applicant is expected to clearly explain what makes the project impactful, why it is ready now, and how it could change practice or meaningfully improve outcomes rather than simply add another small piece of knowledge.

A major requirement is the inclusion of preliminary data to demonstrate feasibility. The application must show that the proposed approach is supported by existing evidence, and any unpublished preliminary results must come from the Principal Investigator or members of the research team (not borrowed indirectly from outside groups without direct involvement). This reflects the program's emphasis on continuity of research: the Impact Award is meant to extend and capitalize on prior work that has already progressed beyond basic research, not to serve as a starting point for generating foundational observations.

The program also emphasizes rigor and patient-relevant evaluation. Proposals must include a solid statistical plan and a data analysis plan, and these should be written with clinical relevance in mind. In other words, the design should be able to support clear conclusions, and the analysis should connect results to patient-focused significance, such as outcomes, response measures, meaningful biomarkers, or other endpoints that plausibly inform clinical decisions. The overall expectation is a well-controlled, well-justified study plan that can credibly support near-term translation.

If the project includes a clinical trial or clinical study, there is an added timeline expectation: the clinical study must be initiated within the first year of the award. In addition, if the study requires FDA regulatory actions, plans for an Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) submission must be in place, with submission planned within 60 days of the award. This requirement reinforces that the Impact Award is meant for projects that are operationally ready to move quickly, not those that still need lengthy setup before they can begin.

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, and the funding instrument is a grant under CFDA 12.420 (science and technology and other research and development). The funding opportunity number is HT942524PRCRPIPA. The original application closing date was September 26, 2024, and the program anticipated making around 10 awards. The award ceiling is not stated in the provided summary, so applicants would need to confirm budget limits and cost rules in the full announcement and related program guidance.

Finally, the announcement makes a clear distinction between this mechanism and earlier-stage funding paths. The Impact Award is not intended for basic research, preliminary exploratory work without a mature foundation, or high-risk/high-gain concept testing. Applicants whose projects are still at that stage are directed instead to the FY24 PRCRP Idea Award (HT942524PRCRPIA).

• The 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 2024-05-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-26. (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 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for HT942524PRCRPIPA

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