DoD Prostate Cancer, Prostate Cancer Pathology Resource Network Award | W81XWH 20 PCRP PCPRNA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 PCRP PCPRNA

The DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) Prostate Cancer Pathology Resource Network (PCPRN) Award (FY20) is designed to fund the creation and long-term operation of a shared, multi-institution prostate cancer biorepository. The core idea is to build network-wide infrastructure that makes it easier for researchers to access consistently collected, well-processed, clinically annotated human prostate cancer specimens, along with the associated data needed to run meaningful studies. Rather than supporting a single research project, this opportunity supports the backbone resource itself: the coordinated systems, staffing, standard procedures, informatics, and governance required to collect, store, and distribute biospecimens at scale to the broader prostate cancer research community.

A central requirement is that the network prioritize specimens that are both scientifically high value and historically hard to obtain in sufficient numbers. This includes advanced and treatment-resistant disease states such as castration-resistant prostate cancer and metastatic disease, as well as primary untreated "de novo" metastatic cases defined in major clinical trial frameworks like STAMPEDE, and high-risk disease defined by CHAARTED. The award also emphasizes tumors with aggressive variant phenotypes, which can be particularly challenging to study due to rarity and heterogeneity. Beyond disease subtype, the program puts strong weight on equity and representation: the network is expected to significantly improve access to specimens from disproportionately affected and underserved populations, including African American and African-descent patients, Veterans, uninsured patients, and people in rural communities. The opportunity also calls for specimens from active surveillance populations and for longitudinal or sequential collections, meaning repeated samples over time that can reveal how disease evolves and responds to treatment.

The network is expected to distribute not only physical biospecimens but also a robust set of data products derived from those specimens. That includes digital pathology assets such as scanned images of hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) stained slides, and blood-based germline assessment data. In practice, this is meant to enable modern, data-rich research workflows where investigators can pair tissue material with high-quality clinical context and digital pathology, and where downstream results can be integrated back into shared data systems.

Structurally, the PCPRN must be a consortium of three to five Pathology Resource Sites, with one site also serving as the Coordinating Center. The Coordinating Center is the operational hub: it manages network-wide planning, administration, policy implementation, and data management, and it is responsible for developing and maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs) for specimen collection, processing, and quality assurance. The expectation is that the Coordinating Center brings capabilities that benefit the entire network, including the informatics and connectivity needed for secure, reliable data transfer and harmonization across sites. The Pathology Resource Sites, meanwhile, are selected for unique contributions to the biorepository and do not need to contribute equally, as long as the overall network is stronger because of their specialized strengths. If contributions differ substantially, applicants are expected to justify corresponding differences in site budgets.

On the technical side, Pathology Resource Sites are expected to have strong laboratory and pathology capabilities, including the ability to derive DNA, RNA, and proteins from collected biospecimens. They should also be able to apply both standard and advanced processing methods such as laser capture microdissection and tissue microarray construction so that the bank can support a wide range of research needs, from basic pathology studies to molecular and translational projects. The biorepository can include prospectively collected samples (which are required) as well as high-quality legacy collections (which are encouraged), as long as quality standards and documentation are maintained.

A major component of the program is rigorous clinical annotation and data quality assurance. The network must establish common data elements (CDEs) and standardized terminology so that specimens are annotated consistently across institutions. Expected clinical annotation includes patient demographics and history, detailed pathology characterization (such as grade, TNM staging, zonal origin, specimen size, storage conditions, and whether matched normal tissue exists), treatment history (including neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapies and clinical trial participation), and outcomes such as progression, recurrence, and PSA or other biochemical markers. Because these data are most useful when current, the network must plan for regular updates over time. The program also expects formal quality control and quality assurance policies to ensure that both biospecimen integrity and data accuracy are consistent across all sites, including during data transmission to shared systems.

Informatics is treated as a first-order requirement rather than an afterthought. The network must develop and maintain a comprehensive data management plan and a common informatics platform to manage inventory, data ingestion, retrieval, security, and data integrity. The system should be responsive to the research community, enabling both access to existing data and deposition of new data generated from the use of network specimens. Importantly, investigators who receive specimens are expected to share resulting data back into a common information grid after publication and in line with network rules and journal policies. The award also pushes openness beyond raw results: protocols, assays, and methods developed using banked specimens are expected to be made broadly available to maximize reproducibility and community benefit, typically through an open, internet-accessible resource administered by the Coordinating Center.

Because this is human biospecimen work, informed consent and human subjects protections are central. Applications are expected to lay out how sites will ensure compliance with institutional review boards (IRBs), how consent will be obtained (including tiered consent when appropriate), and how patient identities will be disassociated from specimens. The program specifically calls for attention to specimens collected outside of surgical settings, such as those obtained during routine medical care that may later be used for future research, which often requires careful consent language and governance.

The opportunity also anticipates the practical barriers that can derail multi-institution biobanking, especially around intellectual property, material transfer agreements (MTAs), and institutional restrictions. Applicants must show evidence of institutional commitment to sharing, including documented willingness to send specimens collected at network sites to investigators at non-network institutions. The intent is to prevent the resource from becoming siloed and to ensure it functions as a national (and potentially international) research enabler rather than a closed consortium asset.

Governance is formalized through a Steering Committee and an External Advisory Board (EAB). The Coordinating Center PI serves as the Scientific Director of the network and chairs the Steering Committee, which includes the Pathology Resource Site PIs and key personnel and is responsible for operational oversight and policy setting, including SOPs aligned with the National Cancer Institute Best Practices for Biospecimen Resources. Representatives from the PCRP, CDMRP, and/or USAMRDC must be invited to participate on the Steering Committee. Separately, an External Advisory Board provides independent oversight and guidance; applicants must identify proposed members, their roles, evidence of agreement to serve, and a plan for interaction at least twice per year, with budget support included for that engagement. The government retains the right to require changes to EAB membership and may direct the location of in-person meetings.

From an applicant and award mechanics standpoint, this is a cooperative agreement/grant mechanism with a multi-PI structure. The network is built through a partnership between one Coordinating Center PI (the Initiating PI) and two to four additional Pathology Resource Site PIs (Partnering PIs). Each PI submits a separate application, and if selected for funding, each receives their own award, while still being jointly responsible for delivering a unified, interoperable network resource. The solicitation is open to a broad range of eligible applicants (unrestricted), and it encourages inclusion of both U.S. and international organizations where they add clear value. The FY20 posting was issued by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army (USAMRAA) under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-20-PCRP-PCPRNA, with CFDA 12.420, and anticipated making a single overall network award.

• 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, Prostate Cancer Pathology Resource Network 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 08, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 24, 2020. (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 20 PCRP PCPRNA

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