DoD Breast Cancer, Innovator Award | W81XWH 22 BCRP INNOV 2

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 22 BCRP INNOV 2

The DoD Breast Cancer, Innovator Award (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH 22 BCRP INNOV 2) is a Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program opportunity designed to back a small number of exceptionally creative, paradigm-shifting leaders who can accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer. Unlike many research grants that primarily evaluate a specific project plan, this mechanism is deliberately centered on the Principal Investigator as an individual innovator. The core question is what unique, high-impact contribution the PI can make to the field based on a demonstrated history of challenging conventional thinking, changing established research directions or care approaches, and consistently generating bold, original ideas with the potential to reshape what is possible in breast cancer research and outcomes.

A defining feature of this award is the freedom it aims to provide to pursue novel, visionary, and high-risk concepts that might be difficult to support through more traditional funding channels. Applicants are expected to articulate a compelling, forward-looking vision for ending breast cancer that pushes beyond current dogma and shows an ability to see new paths where standard approaches have stalled. Importantly, prior breast cancer research experience is not required. The program explicitly encourages established innovators from other disciplines to bring fresh concepts, tools, or frameworks into breast cancer, as long as the proposed focus is clearly and directly centered on breast cancer.

Even though the award is person-centric, the opportunity still expects strong execution capacity. The PI must be established in their field and should show a track record of building and leading effective partnerships and collaborations. The application is expected to include a research team with the expertise needed to advance the proposed breast cancer-focused direction. In addition, the award has a built-in workforce development expectation: applications must include mentoring of promising junior investigators, reflecting the program goal of nurturing the next generation of innovators while also sparking new ideas through cross-generational collaboration.

There are also clear effort and engagement requirements. During the award period, the PI must devote 50 percent of their full-time professional effort to breast cancer research, which can be met through a combination of this award and other existing support as long as the total dedication to breast cancer research reaches that threshold. Patient-centered relevance is reinforced through a required consumer advocate component: the PI's research team must include two or more breast cancer consumer advocates. These advocates must be individuals diagnosed with breast cancer who are actively involved in a breast cancer advocacy organization, and they must serve as lay representatives independent of their employment. They cannot be employees of any organization participating in the application. The advocates are expected to be knowledgeable about current breast cancer issues and to have sufficient background or training in breast cancer research to contribute meaningfully, with a role focused on providing objective input on the research direction and its potential impact for people who have breast cancer or are at risk.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary federal funding opportunity administered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through USAMRAA, and it allows support via either a grant or cooperative agreement under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 12.420). Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to applicant organizations, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The opportunity was created June 9, 2022, with an original closing date of November 2, 2022. The listing indicates an expected number of awards of 1, underscoring how selective and prestigious the mechanism is. The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the provided source data, which typically signals that the specific maximum was not captured in that field and would need to be verified in the full funding announcement or program guidance.

• 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 Breast Cancer, Innovator 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 Jun 09, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 02, 2022. (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 22 BCRP INNOV 2

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