DoD Prostate Cancer, Clinical Consortium Award

The Fiscal Year 2025 Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) Clinical Consortium Award (CCA), administered by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), supports a collaborative framework of research institutions aimed at accelerating the execution of phase 2 and phase 1/2 clinical trials focused on high-impact prostate cancer therapies. The program was initiated by Congress in 1997, with cumulative appropriations through FY24 totaling $2.37 billion, and FY25 funding at $75 million. The FY25 Clinical Consortium Award continues the mission of eliminating death and suffering from prostate cancer, especially among high-risk groups including Service Members, Veterans, and their families. The award mechanism comprises two components: one Coordinating Center and multiple Clinical Research Sites. The Coordinating Center will also serve as a Clinical Research Site and will oversee consortium operations, including clinical trial coordination, regulatory compliance, and data management. Each Clinical Research Site, including the Coordinating Center, is expected to contribute significantly to consortium trials through patient accrual, data collection, and trial development. Emphasis is placed on patient recruitment from high-risk or military populations, ensuring the research addresses the overarching PCRP goals. Funding is substantial, with up to $10.5 million allocated for the Coordinating Center over four years and up to $2 million for each Clinical Research Site for the same period. The Coordinating Center is required to initiate at least two pre-funded clinical trials within the first three months of the performance period and must support at least two affiliated research sites. Sites must meet minimum performance metrics, including the enrollment of 25 patients per year, with a minimum of 5% from high-risk or military populations, and participation in a minimum of eight trials across four years. Eligible applicants include domestic and international academic institutions, nonprofit and for-profit entities, federal agencies (excluding DOD for extramural awards), and other public or private organizations. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be an independent investigator with a faculty-level appointment. No cost-sharing is required, and indirect costs must be included according to institutional rates. Applications must demonstrate access to relevant patient populations and prior success in multi-institutional clinical research. The application process includes a mandatory pre-application due by August 8, 2025, and a full application due by August 29, 2025. Pre-applications must be submitted through the eBRAP portal, while full applications from extramural entities are submitted via Grants.gov. Required application components include a detailed project narrative, impact and technical abstracts, a statement of work, data sharing plans, and other supporting documentation. The Coordinating Center must also submit detailed plans for two initial clinical trials. Applications are evaluated through a two-tier review process involving peer and programmatic review. Evaluation criteria emphasize personnel expertise, consortium infrastructure, clinical and data management capabilities, prior performance, and the proposed impact on the PCRP overarching challenges. Final funding decisions will be announced approximately six weeks after programmatic review. For assistance, applicants may contact the eBRAP Help Desk at [email protected] or call 301-682-5507.