Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 PCARP TRPA
The DoD Pancreatic Cancer, Translational Research Partnership Award (FY21 PCARP TRPA) is a Department of Defense funding opportunity designed to speed up the translation of promising pancreatic cancer ideas into real-world clinical use. Its core purpose is to build strong, genuinely collaborative teams that connect laboratory discovery with patient-focused clinical insight, so that advances in prevention, detection, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and survivorship can move more quickly toward application. The program emphasizes that translational progress is not just a one-direction path from bench to bedside; instead, it expects a two-way, ongoing exchange where clinical observations shape laboratory questions and laboratory findings meaningfully influence clinical strategy.
A central requirement of this award is a true partnership between two independent investigators: one must serve as a research scientist and the other must serve as a clinician investigator. The application has to make it obvious that both partners contributed equally and intellectually to the project design, rather than one person simply “supporting” the other. Multi-institutional and multidisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged, and the program explicitly welcomes collaborators who are not traditionally in the pancreatic cancer field, as long as their expertise strengthens the science and accelerates translation. At the same time, at least one of the two partners must bring direct experience in pancreatic cancer research or pancreatic cancer patient care to ensure the work stays anchored to the disease and its clinical realities.
The award mechanism is aimed at projects that are difficult to accomplish through separate, parallel efforts, meaning the success of the proposed research should depend on the unique skills and contributions of each partner. A key point is that the clinician partner cannot be included only to provide patient access, tissue samples, or a pathway to recruitment; that kind of limited role does not match the intent of the program. Instead, the clinician should be substantively involved in shaping the hypotheses, interpreting findings, and steering decisions based on real patient needs and clinical constraints, while the research scientist provides complementary expertise in mechanistic biology, model systems, technology development, analytics, or other discovery-driven approaches.
From a research scope standpoint, the program supports translational studies that may include correlative analyses, retrospective tissue work, and small pilot clinical trials, but it does not expect to fully support large-scale clinical trials. Applications are encouraged to incorporate clinical information in a way that closes knowledge gaps, clarifies outcomes, validates key findings, or extends potentially transformative early results toward practical use. The opportunity also recognizes that translational work may involve creating, improving, or using annotated biorepositories, and it values projects that thoughtfully connect biospecimens, clinical metadata, and outcomes to answer questions that matter for patients.
The opportunity highlights several major evaluation priorities. Partnership is a defining feature: reviewers will look for evidence that each investigator is essential and that the combined team can accomplish something neither could do alone. Translation is equally central: the proposal should demonstrate a reciprocal flow of information between basic and clinical science as the research plan is developed and executed, rather than treating the clinic as a simple source of materials or the lab as a one-time testing service. Impact is another key criterion, meaning the work should have a credible potential to significantly advance pancreatic cancer research and/or patient care and to accelerate movement into clinical applications. Feasibility must also be clear, including access to required specimens, datasets, patient populations, and/or interventions, depending on the project design.
Preliminary data is required and can be published or unpublished, as long as it is relevant to pancreatic cancer and the proposed work. The program also allows that the feasibility-supporting data do not need to originate directly from pancreatic cancer studies; preliminary observations can come from laboratory discoveries, population-based research, or real clinical experience, including patterns noticed in patient care. What matters is that the data support the rationale and practicality of the approach, and that the team can credibly execute the plan.
Because coordination is central to this mechanism, applications must spell out how the two principal investigators and their institutions will work together in practice, including plans for communication, coordination of progress, sharing results, and transferring data. If the project involves multiple institutions, the application must also include an intellectual property plan intended to prevent institutional barriers from undermining cooperation, and to proactively address potential intellectual and material property issues that could interfere with completing the project effectively.
Administratively, the award requires two PIs: an Initiating PI, who takes primary responsibility for the submission and many administrative aspects, and a Partnering PI. Both are expected to contribute meaningfully to core components such as the Project Narrative and Statement of Work, and if funding is recommended, each PI will receive an individual award made within their respective organization. The application must clearly justify why the research question is best tackled through this linked partnership model rather than through separate, independent projects.
In terms of the basic opportunity details, this is a discretionary DoD program administered through the Department of Defense, Department of the Army (USAMRAA), with funding instruments that may include cooperative agreements and grants. The CFDA number listed is 12.420, eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to entity types, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full announcement), and the expected number of awards is four. The original FY21 posting was created on May 18, 2021, with an original closing date of October 1, 2021, under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-21-PCARP-TRPA.Apply for W81XWH 21 PCARP TRPA
- 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 Pancreatic Cancer, Translational Research Partnership 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 18, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 01, 2021. (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 4 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.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
FAQs: DoD Pancreatic Cancer, Translational Research Partnership Award (FY21 PCARP TRPA)
What is the FY21 PCARP Translational Research Partnership Award (TRPA)?
The FY21 PCARP TRPA is a Department of Defense (DoD) pancreatic cancer funding opportunity designed to accelerate translation of promising pancreatic cancer research ideas into real-world clinical use. It emphasizes team-based translational work that connects laboratory discovery with patient-focused clinical insight.
What is the main goal of this award?
The core goal is to speed progress toward clinical application in pancreatic cancer by building genuinely collaborative partnerships between a research scientist and a clinician investigator. The intent is to move advances in prevention, detection, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and survivorship more quickly toward practical use.
How does the program define "translational" research?
The program stresses that translation is not a one-way "bench to bedside" process. Instead, it expects a two-way, ongoing exchange where clinical observations shape laboratory questions and laboratory findings meaningfully influence clinical strategy as the project is planned and carried out.
Is a partnership required to apply?
Yes. A central requirement is a true partnership between two independent investigators: one serving as the research scientist and the other serving as the clinician investigator.
Who are the required investigators on the application?
Two PIs are required: an Initiating PI (who leads submission and many administrative aspects) and a Partnering PI. One PI must be a research scientist and the other must be a clinician investigator, and the application must show they contributed equally and intellectually to the project.
Do both investigators need pancreatic cancer experience?
No. However, at least one of the two partners must have direct experience in pancreatic cancer research or pancreatic cancer patient care to keep the work grounded in the disease and its clinical realities.
Can the team include multiple institutions or disciplines?
Yes. Multi-institutional and multidisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged, and the opportunity welcomes collaborators who are not traditionally in the pancreatic cancer field if their expertise strengthens the science and accelerates translation.
What does the program mean by a "true partnership"?
A true partnership means both investigators are essential and that the project depends on the unique skills and contributions of each partner. The application should make it clear that both PIs shaped the hypotheses, study design, interpretation plan, and translational strategy, rather than one PI simply supporting the other.
Can the clinician partner be included only to provide patient access or samples?
No. The program explicitly states that the clinician partner cannot be included only to provide patient access, tissue samples, or a recruitment pathway. The clinician must be substantively involved in shaping hypotheses, interpreting findings, and steering decisions based on patient needs and clinical constraints.
What types of research activities are supported under this award?
The opportunity supports translational studies that may include correlative analyses, retrospective tissue work, and small pilot clinical trials. It also recognizes translational efforts that create, improve, or use annotated biorepositories and that connect biospecimens with clinical metadata and outcomes.
Does this award support large-scale clinical trials?
The program indicates it does not expect to fully support large-scale clinical trials. It is oriented toward translational work that advances promising findings toward practical use, including smaller pilot clinical trials when appropriate.
What role can clinical data play in the proposed research?
Applications are encouraged to incorporate clinical information to close knowledge gaps, clarify outcomes, validate key findings, or extend potentially transformative early results toward clinical application.
Are annotated biorepositories allowed or encouraged?
Yes. The opportunity recognizes that translational research may involve creating, improving, or using annotated biorepositories, and it values projects that thoughtfully link biospecimens, clinical metadata, and outcomes to answer patient-relevant questions.
What are the major evaluation priorities for this award?
The opportunity highlights several key priorities: (1) Partnership (evidence each investigator is essential and the team can do what neither could do alone), (2) Translation (reciprocal flow between clinical and basic science), (3) Impact (credible potential to advance pancreatic cancer research and/or patient care and accelerate clinical application), and (4) Feasibility (clear access to specimens, data, patient populations, and/or interventions needed for the plan).
Is preliminary data required?
Yes. Preliminary data is required and may be published or unpublished, as long as it is relevant to pancreatic cancer and the proposed work.
Does the preliminary data need to come from pancreatic cancer studies?
Not necessarily. The program allows feasibility-supporting data that do not originate directly from pancreatic cancer studies, including observations from laboratory discoveries, population-based research, or clinical experience (such as patterns noticed in patient care), as long as the data support the rationale and practicality of the proposed approach.
What collaboration details must the application include?
Because coordination is central, the application must describe how the two PIs and their institutions will collaborate in practice, including communication plans, coordination of progress, sharing results, and transferring data.
Is an intellectual property (IP) plan required for multi-institution projects?
Yes. If multiple institutions are involved, the application must include an intellectual property plan intended to prevent institutional barriers from undermining cooperation and to address potential intellectual and material property issues that could interfere with completing the project.
How are awards made if the application is selected for funding?
If funding is recommended, each PI will receive an individual award made within their respective organization, consistent with the linked partnership model described in the opportunity.
What must be justified about using a partnership model?
The application must clearly justify why the research question is best addressed through the linked partnership model rather than through separate, independent projects. The success of the work should depend on the combined and complementary expertise of the two PIs.
Who administers this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary DoD program administered through the Department of Defense, Department of the Army (USAMRAA).
What funding instruments may be used?
The opportunity indicates that funding instruments may include cooperative agreements and grants.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 12.420.
How many awards are expected?
The expected number of awards is four.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is W81XWH-21-PCARP-TRPA.
When was this opportunity originally posted and when did it close?
The original FY21 posting was created on May 18, 2021, and the original closing date was October 1, 2021.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to entity types), subject to any additional eligibility language in the full announcement.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Next opportunity: BJA FY 21 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program - Local Solicitation
Previous opportunity: Diverse Perspectives Student Journalists Reporting Tour
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for W81XWH 21 PCARP TRPA
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (W81XWH 21 PCARP TRPA) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| DOD Rare Cancers Concept Award Apply for W81XWH 21 RCRP CA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 RCRP CA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DOD Rare Cancers Idea Development Award Apply for W81XWH 21 RCRP IDA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 RCRP IDA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DOD Rare Cancers Resource and Community Development Award Apply for W81XWH 21 RCRP RCDA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 RCRP RCDA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| CISA Cyber Security Awareness Campaign Apply for IS CSA 21 002 Funding Number: IS CSA 21 002 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $549,996 |
| CISA Cyber Security Awareness Campaign Apply for DHS 21 CISA 128 CSA001 Funding Number: DHS 21 CISA 128 CSA001 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $549,996 |
| DOD Hearing Restoration Focused Research Award Apply for W81XWH 21 HRRP FRA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 HRRP FRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Global Telecommunications and Emerging Technology Training Apply for SFOP0008129 Funding Number: SFOP0008129 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $3,106,476 |
| CENTER OF EXCELLENCE: Neuroscience of Decision Making Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2021 0009 Funding Number: FOA AFRL AFOSR 2021 0009 Agency: Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| INL International Accreditation and Certification Apply for SFOP0008169 Funding Number: SFOP0008169 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| DoD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Translational Research Award Apply for W81XWH 21 DMDRP TRA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 DMDRP TRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Idea Development Award Apply for W81XWH 21 DMDRP IDA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 DMDRP IDA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson’s, Investigator- Initiated Research Award Apply for W81XWH 21 NETP IIRA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 NETP IIRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson’s, Synergistic Idea Award Apply for W81XWH 21 NETP SIA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 NETP SIA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson’s, Early Investigator Research Award Apply for W81XWH 21 NETP EIRA Funding Number: W81XWH 21 NETP EIRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention Phase I: Development Grants Apply for 21 590 Funding Number: 21 590 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative Apply for 21 591 Funding Number: 21 591 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $175,000 |
| NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I Apply for 80HQTR21NOA01 22NIAC A1 Funding Number: 80HQTR21NOA01 22NIAC A1 Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Headquarters Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $175,000 |
| Lualualei Protected Species Management Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 3684 Funding Number: W9126G 21 2 SOI 3684 Agency: Department of Defense, Fort Worth District Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $2,672,228 |
| FY22 Bluefin Tuna Research Program Apply for NOAA NMFS SE 2022 2006951 Funding Number: NOAA NMFS SE 2022 2006951 Agency: Department of Commerce Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Aquatic Fauna Florida Everglades Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 4382 Funding Number: W9126G 21 2 SOI 4382 Agency: Department of Defense, Fort Worth District Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $488,537 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "W81XWH 21 PCARP TRPA", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.