DoD Prostate Cancer, Data Science Award

The DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program Data Science Award is a forecasted federal funding opportunity administered by the Department of Defense through the Department of the Army U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity under the Military Medical Research and Development Assistance Listing 12.420. The opportunity is part of the fiscal year Prostate Cancer Research Program portfolio and is designed to support innovative research projects that use advanced data science methodologies to improve understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and management of prostate cancer. The funding mechanism emphasizes interdisciplinary and computational approaches that can derive actionable knowledge from large, complex, and clinically relevant datasets. The forecast notice indicates that the program is expected to support approximately four awards with an estimated total program funding amount of $5,600,000. The purpose of the award is to fund research that develops or applies quantitative and analytical methods, systems, and processes to prostate cancer data. The announcement specifically identifies several eligible scientific focus areas, including analysis of clinically annotated datasets, analysis of omics data, artificial intelligence and machine learning, bioinformatics, computational biology, digital pathology, epidemiology, and medical imaging. All applications submitted under this mechanism must directly address at least one of the fiscal year Prostate Cancer Research Program Overarching Challenges. This requirement indicates that applicants will need to align their proposed work with strategic research priorities established by the Department of Defense prostate cancer research initiative. The award is intended to advance translational and clinically meaningful discoveries through sophisticated computational and analytical approaches. The funding mechanism includes a distinctive collaborative structure that permits multiple Principal Investigators. Under this structure, one initiating Principal Investigator is responsible for submitting the pre-application, while all Principal Investigators associated with the project must submit full applications for their respective portions of the work. Partnering Principal Investigators are required to submit abbreviated application packages specific to their contributions to the collaborative project. The notice also cautions applicants that all associated applications tied to a collaborative research effort may be administratively withdrawn if either the initiating or partnering application is rejected or withdrawn. This structure suggests that the program strongly values integrated collaborative research teams and coordinated project management across institutions or disciplines. The opportunity is categorized as a federal discretionary grant supporting science and technology research and development activities. The forecast indicates that no cost sharing or matching requirement is required for applicants. The notice does not currently specify award floor amounts, award ceiling amounts, or a period of performance. Similarly, the forecast notice does not yet provide detailed application instructions, evaluation criteria, allowable cost guidance, indirect cost limitations, or required submission components beyond the collaborative submission structure described in the summary. Applicants are therefore expected to monitor the official funding release and related program announcement materials for detailed guidance when the full opportunity is posted. The estimated application timeline indicates that the forecasted opportunity was released on May 5, 2026, with an estimated posting date of May 20, 2026. The estimated application due date is September 15, 2026. Estimated awards and project start dates are both listed as September 30, 2027. Because the opportunity is currently forecasted rather than officially open for submissions, applicants should use the forecast period to develop collaborations, define data science methodologies, and prepare for eventual submission requirements. The notice references an additional official pre-announcement page hosted by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs website that may contain supplemental program context and strategic priorities for applicants. Eligibility for the opportunity is listed as unrestricted and open to any type of entity, subject to clarifications that may appear in the final announcement. Because the eligibility language is broad and unrestricted, the opportunity may potentially accommodate institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, private research institutions, government entities, and for-profit organizations, though applicants should verify final eligibility requirements once the official solicitation is released. The forecast does not identify any geographic limitations, indicating a nationwide federal competition. Applicants seeking additional technical or submission assistance are directed to contact the eBRAP Help Desk by phone at 301-682-5507 or by email at help@eBRAP.org. The program announcement does not currently identify a named grant officer or program manager contact.

Align the proposal with one of the FY26 PCRP Overarching Challenges and emphasize innovative quantitative or analytical approaches involving clinically relevant prostate cancer datasets, machine learning, bioinformatics, epidemiology, digital pathology, or medical imaging.