U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command &
Fort Detrick Public Affairs/Marketing Office, Fort Detrick, Maryland

December 8, 2004

Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Announces Concept Awards

Due to the overwhelming response to previous years' Concept Awards, the Department of Defense (DOD) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) will be offering the Concept Award again this year. The BCRP plans to announce a $10 million initiative to support these awards on or about December 17, 2004.

Concept Awards are intended to fund an initial concept or theory that could give rise to a testable hypothesis within breast cancer research. The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) plans to solicit electronic submissions for short (one-page) Concept Award proposals. Awards can be requested for $75,000 in direct costs over a 12-month performance period, plus indirect costs as appropriate. The receipt deadline is planned for February 1, 2005. These awards will be reviewed and negotiated expeditiously so that research dollars will be available no later than September 30, 2005.

Concept Awards encourage the exploration of untested, innovative questions in breast cancer. Proposals should postulate a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, or examine an existing problem from a new perspective. Projects involving human subjects or human anatomical substances will not be supported unless they are exempt under 32 CFR 219.101(b)(4).1 Studies that do not qualify for exempt status during review at any level will be administratively withdrawn and will not be funded.