The FY24 PRCRP CSCCA supports a transdisciplinary collaboration of scientists, clinicians, and consumer advocates, working to illuminate and address urgent and complex issues of importance in cancer research. This mechanism seeks to promote novel approaches to ending cancer through convergent science cancer research. Convergent science as defined by the National Science Foundation (https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/convergence/index.jsp) “is a means of solving vexing research problems, in particular, complex problems focusing on societal needs. It entails integrating knowledge, methods, and expertise from different disciplines and forming novel frameworks to catalyze scientific discovery and innovation.” Convergent science taps into a variety of disciplines to answer the issues in cancer (i.e., prevention, diagnosis/detection, treatment, quality of life, disparities) including but not limited to biomedical sciences, data science, engineering, psychology, and chemistry. Convergent science breaks down the barriers of cancer research and builds a whole answer with tools from different areas of expertise.
The CSCCA application must identify one of the FY24 Overarching Challenges as a unifying Focal Point for the consortium, and a minimum of three research projects addressing the Focal Point. Additionally, applicants must clearly define how their application investigates at least three different FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas. For example, brain cancer, neuroblastoma, and pediatric brain tumors are three of the FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas and would be acceptable. Three different types of pediatric brain tumors (i.e., pediatric medulloblastomas, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, and pediatric astrocytomas) are not considered three different FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas and would not be acceptable. The proposed Convergent Science consortium should demonstrate the potential to catalyze scientific discovery and innovation, significantly advance cancer research, and have a profound positive impact on the lives of cancer patients or those at risk for cancer including Service Members, their Families, other military beneficiaries, and the American public.
Deadlines:
• Pre-Application Deadline: July 24, 2024
• Application Submission Deadline: October 15, 2024
To be considered for funding, applications for the FY24 PRCRP Convergent Science Cancer Consortium Award (CSCCA) must address at least three of the congressionally directed FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas. Congressional language stipulates the FY24 PRCRP must not address research in melanoma, glioblastoma, or cancers originating in the breast, pancreas, prostate, ovary, kidney, or lung. In addition, FY24 PRCRP funds must not be used to study rare cancers except for subtypes of the FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas that are rare by definition. Applicants are directed to apply to the individual CDMRP cancer programs in those disease areas. The FY24 PRCRP Topic Areas are listed below.
• Bladder cancer
• Blood cancers
• Brain cancer (excluding glioblastoma)
• Colorectal cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Germ cell cancers
• Liver cancer
• Lymphoma
• Mesothelioma
• Metastatic cancers
• Myeloma
• Neuroblastoma
• Pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancers1
• Pediatric brain tumors
• Stomach cancer
• Sarcoma
• Thyroid cancer
• PI for the Coordinating Center (Consortium Director):
To be named as the (Initiating) PI for the Coordinating Center on the application, the Consortium Director must:
○ Be at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent).
○ Commit at least 25% level of effort to direct and manage a project of this magnitude.
○ An investigator may be named as Consortium Director on only one pre-application or full application under this funding opportunity.
• PIs for the Research Sites:
To be named as the Research Site (Partnering) PI on the application, the PI must:
○ Be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).
○ Commit at least 10% level of effort to direct and manage a Research Site.
The Initiating PI or one of the Partnering PIs must have experience in convergent science theory.
The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY24 PRCRP CSCCA Award should not exceed $20M. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.