Competitive Awards - Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Competitive Awards Program is specifically designed to complement, rather than compete with, funding from traditional sources such as the National Cancer Institute. The PCF has developed an innovative fast-track application process designed to minimize paperwork and accelerate funding to prostate cancer researchers. Researchers are asked to submit an award application, which is then reviewed by the PCF within 60 days. Funding usually flows to successful applicants within 30 days after approval.

Once research is underway, the PCF strives to keep scientists focused on their outcomes, rather than on writing progress reports. The PCF requires only that researchers provide two updates per year and present their findings at the PCF's annual Scientific Retreat.

Through the Competitive Awards Program, the PCF awards millions of dollars each year to physicians, researchers and scientists, many of whom have never before received PCF funds. Often, because the PCF tends to fund early-stage projects, the awards are the only source of funding for these projects. This focus on emerging scientific research has enabled the PCF to attract new talent to the prostate cancer research arena and has played an important role in sparking innovative and novel ideas in drug discovery and development.