The FY21 PCRP Health Equity Research and Outcomes Improvement Consortium (HEROIC) Award supports a synergistic, multi-institutional collaboration incorporating innovative and translational approaches that have the potential to make a major impact on specific FY21 PCRP Overarching Challenges. Therefore, all applications are required to address one or both of the following FY21 PCRP Overarching Challenges:
• Improve quality of life to enhance outcomes and overall health and wellness for those impacted by prostate cancer
• Advance Health Equity and Reduce Disparities in Prostate Cancer
Each application must outline and identify all key members of the consortium, which must include four to six Research Teams total; one Research Team will be led by a Consortium Director, and the remaining three to five Research Teams will be led by Research Team Principal Investigators (PIs). A minimum of three institutions must be represented. The consortium must include leading scientists and/or clinicians who have specific expertise related to prostate cancer, health disparities, and/or survivorship research or other areas of expertise related to addressing the overarching theme of the proposal. All consortia must include at least one prostate cancer consumer advocate that has an active role in every aspect of the proposed consortium’s work.
Consortia funding will be offered in two phases. Phase 1 of the HEROIC Award will enable the consortium to lay the groundwork for the research effort, including the conduct of preliminary research projects to demonstrate proof of concept of the proposed central hypothesis. Phase 2 of the HEROIC Award will enable the execution of the full research effort, including multiple, parallel projects supported by the preliminary data generated in phase 1, which approach the research problem from a variety of perspectives. Phase 1 awardees will be eligible to compete for phase 2 funding in FY23 pending availability of funds. It is the program’s intent that all phase 1 recipients will receive phase 2 funding pending successful achievement of phase 1 goals.
Deadlines:
• Required Pre-Application Deadline: July 15, 2021
• Application Submission Deadline: July 29, 2021
The mission of the FY20 PCRP is to fund research that will lead to the elimination of death from prostate cancer and enhance the well-being of Service members, Veterans, and all the men and their families who are experiencing the impact of the disease. Within this context, the PCRP is interested in supporting research that addresses specific gaps in prostate cancer research and clinical care, with an emphasis on investing in research that will benefit patients diagnosed with lethal prostate cancer or improve quality of life for men diagnosed with this disease. Therefore, applications are required to address one or more of the following FY20 PCRP Overarching Challenges:
• Improve the quality of life for survivors of prostate cancer
• Develop treatments that improve outcomes for men with lethal prostate cancer
• Reduce lethal prostate cancer in people of African descent, Veterans, and high-risk and underserved populations
• Define the biology of lethal prostate cancer to reduce death
Independent investigators with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent) or higher are eligible to be named as a Consortium Director or Research Team PI on an application.
An investigator may be named as a Consortium Director on only one application.
There are no limits on the number of applications for which an investigator may be named as a Research Team PI for this HEROIC Award program announcement. Investigators are discouraged from being named on multiple applications unless they are clearly addressing distinct research questions.
The anticipated combined direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY21 phase 1 HEROIC Award will not exceed $2.70M. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.
