DOD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program New Investigator Award

The PRCRP New Investigator Award supports independent Principal Investigators (PIs) in theearly stages of their careers, and it strongly encourages a designated collaborator. The PRCRPseeks to support the career transition and/or continued development of promising PIs who haveinnovative, high-impact ideas or new technologies applicable to genetic cancer research and itsrelation to exposures to the various environments that are unique to a military lifestyle. No othertopic areas will be allowed. Proposals must not address breast, prostate, or ovarian cancerresearch.Preliminary data are not required. However, research projects should include a wellformulated,testable hypothesis based on a strong scientific rationale.For FY09, the PRCRP New Investigator Award will support applications that address one ormore of the Focus Areas listed below. Applications to the FY09 PRCRP New InvestigatorAward will be rated on their responsiveness to these Focus Areas.Focus Areas: Identification and characterization of changes in gene structure and/or expressionresulting from physical, biological, chemical or psychological exposures, and stressfulenvironments that, alone or in concert, are known or suspected to increase cancer risk.Although not all inclusive, hazards encountered by the military population include:o Radiation (UV and other radiation sources)o Biological Agentso Chemicalso Physical and/or Psychological Stresso Other Environmental Conditions (e.g., noise, heat, altitude) Investigation of biological pathways involved in carcinogenic mechanisms which areaffected by military exposures Investigation of the trans-generational cancer risk of military exposures Evaluation of differences in genetic susceptibility to cancer among ethnic groupsaffected by military exposuresIt is the responsibility of the applicant to clearly and explicitly articulate the project’s military relevance. See the Program Announcement for the full Funding Opportunity Description.