DoD Prostate Cancer, Synergistic Population and Data Science Award | W81XWH 19 PCRP SPDSA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 19 PCRP SPDSA

The DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) Synergistic Population and Data Science Award (SPDSA) is a FY19 funding opportunity designed to support large, team-based prostate cancer studies that rely on already existing patient datasets and cohorts. The central idea is to bring multiple institutions together to combine and harmonize well-annotated datasets so investigators can answer high-impact questions that a single dataset or single institution could not tackle alone. Every application has to directly address at least one of the FY19 PCRP Overarching Challenges, meaning the project needs to clearly connect its aims and expected outcomes to a major program priority in prostate cancer. The work also needs to be relevant to Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the broader American public.

A key feature of this award is that it funds both collaboration infrastructure and the research itself. Applicants are expected to build the practical framework that allows multiple institutions to access, manage, and analyze the identified datasets in a coordinated way, and then use that framework to carry out a hypothesis-driven population science or data science study. To be eligible for this mechanism, the partnership must include at least three institutions and must leverage at least three well-annotated prostate cancer patient datasets or cohorts. The proposal must also demonstrate that the datasets (and any associated biospecimens, if applicable) are available to the team in sufficient numbers to achieve strong statistical power and robust significance.

Because multi-institution data work can break down without clear operating rules, the announcement requires a detailed dataset coordination plan. Applications must lay out administrative and management processes for decision-making and how resources will be allocated across partners. They must explain data logistics such as where data will be stored, how data will be shared among the PIs and institutions, and exactly how the team will harmonize variables and formats across cohorts. The submission needs to define the key team members and their roles, describe communication routines for coordinating progress and sharing results, and provide a regulatory strategy that includes coordinating local IRB requirements. Strong attention is also required for data security and integrity, an intellectual property approach, and a plan for disseminating information and distributing data products to the broader prostate cancer research community.

The award mechanism is structured around a “synergistic” research team model with a minimum of three Principal Investigators across three or more organizations. One investigator serves as the Initiating PI, who leads the overall administrative coordination of the application and is expected to have proven experience managing complex, multi-institution research efforts. The remaining investigators are Partnering PIs. While submission roles differ, all PIs are expected to materially contribute to the scientific plan and core application elements such as the project narrative and statement of work. If the project is funded, each PI receives an individual award made to their home organization, reinforcing that this is a true partnership rather than a subcontract-only model. The program also emphasizes that the team should clearly demonstrate epidemiologic and/or biostatistical expertise appropriate for rigorous large-scale retrospective analyses.

On the research side, the work must be retrospective and hypothesis-based, using the assembled multi-institution datasets/cohorts to answer a central question that genuinely requires pooled or coordinated analysis across sources. Acceptable designs include case-control studies, cohort studies, and other population/data science approaches, including studies that use biospecimens and information from established retrospective databases. However, prospective recruitment of human subjects and clinical trials are explicitly not allowed. The opportunity also includes a FY19 definition of a clinical trial to clarify boundaries: a clinical trial is a study in which human subjects are prospectively assigned to an intervention to evaluate health-related outcomes. Projects must stay on the non-prospective side of that line to remain responsive.

Applicants are encouraged to consider the recommendations from the Congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force, particularly ideas that could accelerate clinical and translational progress for advanced or recurrent cancer, as long as the proposed work fits within SPDSA limits and aligns with FY19 PCRP priorities. In practice, this means the program is looking for studies that can move the needle on major clinical challenges using strong data, thoughtful harmonization, and analyses that are large enough and coordinated enough to produce credible, actionable conclusions.

From a funding standpoint, the anticipated maximum direct costs for the entire project period are capped at $1.5 million. The program expected to allocate about $2.4 million total to fund approximately one award, making this a highly competitive opportunity. Awards were expected to be issued no later than September 30, 2020, and the DoD noted that FY19 funds would expire for use on September 30, 2025, which matters for timing and spending windows. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to entity types broadly), subject to the detailed requirements in the announcement text.

Awards under this program are issued as assistance agreements, meaning either grants or cooperative agreements. Which one is used depends on how much involvement the DoD anticipates having during the project. If substantial agency involvement is expected (such as active collaboration or participation), the award would be a cooperative agreement; if not, it would be a grant. The final instrument type and start date are determined during negotiations.

Finally, the opportunity highlights compliance requirements when research involves human anatomical substances, human subjects, or human cadavers. DoD-funded work in these areas must be reviewed and approved not only by local IRBs/ethics committees, but also by the USAMRMC Office of Research Protections, Human Research Protection Office (HRPO), before research can begin. Local IRB approval is not required at the time of application, but teams should plan for HRPO review to take at least 2 to 3 months, potentially longer for international components. If a project involves DoD or VA populations, resources, or databases, applicants must describe access plans at submission and, where required, include letters of support from appropriate authorities. The announcement also notes that some DoD/VA resources may require collaboration with a DoD or VA investigator and that funding can be withdrawn or revoked if access cannot ultimately be confirmed.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Prostate Cancer, Synergistic Population and Data Science 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 May 03, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 18, 2019. (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 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for W81XWH 19 PCRP SPDSA

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: