DoD Prostate Cancer Postdoctoral Training Award

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The PCRP Postdoctoral Training Award mechanism was first offered as the Postdoctoral Traineeship Award in FY99 and was incorporated into the Prostate Cancer Training Award in FY06-FY10. In total, 1,575 Postdoctoral Training Award applications have been received, and 482 have been recommended for funding. The Postdoctoral Training Award supports prostate cancer research training opportunities for recent doctoral graduates. These awards primarily provide salary support for the Principal Investigator (PI); the postdoctoral trainee is considered the PI of the application. The PI must exhibit strong potential for, and commitment to, pursuing a career as an investigator at the forefront of prostate cancer research; however, the PI is not required to have previous prostate cancer research experience. Applications must include at least one mentor, appropriate to the proposed training and research project, who has experience in prostate cancer research and training as demonstrated by a record of active funding, recent publications, and successful mentorship. The selected mentor(s) should demonstrate a clear commitment to the PI’s training and be well qualified to contribute significantly to the development of the PI toward independence as a prostate cancer researcher. The PI must outline an individualized, prostate cancer-focused training plan, which may include coursework, laboratory techniques, conferences, seminars, journal clubs, teaching responsibilities, clinical responsibilities, grant writing, and/or other activities that will provide the PI with experience in key areas relevant to the proposed work and foster the PI’s development as an independent prostate cancer researcher. An environment appropriate to the proposed training and research project must be clearly described. If the PI is receiving postdoctoral training in the same environment where predoctoral training was received, the PI should provide a description of how the postdoctoral training is different from or additive to the predoctoral training. All applications for the Postdoctoral Training Award are to be written by the PI, with appropriate direction from the mentor(s). The PCRP seeks applications from investigators from a wide spectrum of disciplines including, but not limited to, basic science, engineering, bioinformatics, population science, translational research, and clinical research. Multidisciplinary projects and training are encouraged. In addition, applicants are expected to address at least one of the PCRP focus areas and are highly encouraged to address one of the PCRP overarching challenges. If the proposed project does not address any of the overarching challenges, the application should include a description to justify how the project will nevertheless address a critical need in the field of prostate cancer research and/or patient care.

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