Challenge Awards Grant

Challenge Awards Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Prostate Cancer Foundation
Amount: US $300,000 - US $1,500,000
Last Updated: April 03, 2026

Summary

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) invites innovative applications for the Challenge Awards aimed at tackling metastatic, lethal prostate cancer. These awards, ranging from $300,000 to $1,500,000 annually for three years, are designed to support high-risk, unfunded research projects. Emphasis is placed on diversity in research teams, particularly including young investigators and those addressing disparities in prostate cancer outcomes among underrepresented populations. Applications focused on novel treatment strategies and collaborations across institutions are highly encouraged.

Overview

Mission The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) funds the world’s most promising research on the biology and treatment of prostate cancer, accelerating those discoveries into therapies and strategies designed to improve the quality of life and overall survival of patients. As the Global Public Square of Prostate Cancer, PCF brings together patients, researchers, caregivers, and clinicians into a singular community focused on reducing death and suffering from the disease. Work We Fund The Prostate Cancer Foundation has been a major catalyst for many of the scientific advances in prostate cancer research since 1993. PCF has awarded more than 2,200 projects that offer hope for improving outcomes in patients with prostate cancer. These high-impact projects include clinical research to evaluate new drugs, novel treatment strategies for prostate cancer and basic scientific research to better understand the biology of prostate cancer. Challenge Awards The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is pleased to announce a Request for Team Science Applications for PCF Challenge Awards for investigations of metastatic, lethal prostate cancer. These awards will be funded depending on the level of innovation in applications received. PCF seeks high-risk, currently unfunded projects from academic institutions around the world. We especially encourage applications on prostate cancer disparity research that will help to define the origins of differential outcome for prostate cancer patients in men of under represented populations, including those focusing on biology or health care access policy. We also seek applications conducting research in VA hospitals where research directly affects veterans with advanced prostate cancer. Teams may be assembled from one institution, or from several institutions and should be comprised of at least three highly experienced investigators capable of providing unique scientific expertise to the solution of a significant problem in prostate cancer research. Ranging from $300,000 to $1,500,000 per year for 3 years, these awards will cover direct costs of the research. The expectation of a PCF Challenge Award is not the same as a Program Project Grant, where significant infrastructure is often mandated (cores in reagents, biostatistics, etc.). Rather, PCF is interested in funding a team that will use the award to perform research in ways that existing grants and awards are NOT now available to address challenging research problems. The application of novel biotechniques and inclusion of new research expertise to a challenging problem in prostate cancer basic or translational research is strongly encouraged from applicants. Partnerships of investigators doing “first in field” cancer research currently working outside the field of prostate cancer are encouraged to join with established prostate cancer investigators in these teams. Research Areas Research proposals in the following topic areas are preferred: Immunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic, lethal prostate cancer.Targeted radionuclide therapy for advanced prostate cancer.New systemic precision treatments for metastatic, lethal prostate cancer including those targeting the currently ‘undruggable’.First-in-field research on new targets for systemic treatment of metastatic, lethal prostate cancer.Mechanisms of resistance to current and investigational drugs targeting the androgen receptor and androgen axis, immune system, chemotherapy, and other targeted agents.Correlative research around either clinical trials of novel agents or strategies or standard of care.Determinants of survivorship that will improve the lives of patients with metastatic prostate cancer.Developing or validating biomarkers that guide therapy in patients or further our understanding of the mechanisms by which therapies work.Tumor microenvironment signaling related to cancer progression including the immune component.New data science technologies for analysis of genomic information to advance precision medicine.Research to define causes and solutions for racial and ethnic prostate cancer health disparities.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Investigators representing non-profit academic research centers are eligible to apply for PCF Challenge Awards. Composed of a team of at least three (3) investigators from non-profit academic research centers, including one young investigator.The PCF Challenge Award Team:Should be composed of at least 3 investigators capable of providing unique scientific expertise to the solution of this significant problem in prostate cancer research.May be assembled from one institution, or several institutions.Must embed at least one young investigator as an integral contributor to the team. The young investigator may hold the title of Postdoctoral Fellow, Instructor, Research Associate, Assistant Professor, or equivalent and should be within six-years following completion of a professional degree (MD, DO, PhD, MD-PhD, DSc, ScD, DDM, DDS, DMD, MBBS, or equivalent) or subsequent mentored academic or clinical training program. He or she should not have been granted commitments for more than $300,000 in direct research funding from all sources including institutional funds at the time of this application.Cover only direct research costs and travel to the Annual PCF Scientific Retreat.IRB submission and preferably approval is desired at time of application.All studies involving patients must include plans for including diverse participant populations with appropriate representation of ethnic and racial minority groups.Comprehensive statistical plans and power calculations are required.

Ineligibility

Clinical trial direct costs are not allowed.Investigators from for-profit companies and government-sponsored institutions, with the exception of the VA, are ineligible.