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Breast Cancer

NEWS RELEASE

Released: June 30, 2016

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16)

The Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Defense Appropriations Act provides $120 million (M) to the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) to support innovative, high-impact breast cancer research to accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer. As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Research, Development, and Acquisition (DHA RDA) Directorate manages the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation. The managing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The BCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY16 BCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in late July (Breakthrough Award Funding Levels 3 and 4) and late August 2016 (Breakthrough Award Funding Levels 1 and 2). Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the Government.

Applications submitted to the FY16 BCRP must address one or more of the following overarching challenges:

  • Prevent breast cancer (primary prevention)
  • Identify determinants of breast cancer initiation, risk, or susceptibility
  • Distinguish deadly from indolent breast cancer
  • Conquer the problems of overdiagnosis and overtreatment
  • Identify what drives breast cancer growth; determine how to stop it
  • Identify why some breast cancers become metastatic
  • Determine why/how breast cancer cells lay dormant for years and then re-emerge (recurrence); determine how to prevent recurrence
  • Revolutionize treatment regimens by replacing them with ones that are more effective and less toxic
  • Eliminate the mortality associated with metastatic breast cancer

Award Mechanism Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Breakthrough Award Funding Levels 1 and 2:
  • Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Postdoctoral fellows are eligible and encouraged to apply
Funding Levels 3 and 4:
  • Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Supports promising research that has the potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer.
  • Potential impact of the research may be near-term or long-term, but it must be significant and go beyond an incremental advancement.
  • Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option allows two PIs, termed Initiating and Partnering PIs, to collaborate on a single application.
  • Different funding levels, based on the scope of research, are available. It is the responsibility of the PI to select the funding level that is most appropriate for the research proposed. The funding level should be selected based on the scope of the research project, rather than the amount of the budget.

    • The following are general descriptions, although not all-inclusive, of the scope of research projects that would be appropriate to propose under each funding level:
  • Funding Level 1: Innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that is in the earliest stages of idea development. Research with potential to yield new avenues of investigation. Proof of concept. No preliminary data required.
  • Funding Level 2: Research that is already supported by preliminary data and has potential to make significant advancements toward clinical translation.
  • Funding Level 3: Advanced translational studies that have potential for near-term clinical investigation. Small-scale clinical trials may apply.
  • Funding Level 4: Large-scale projects that will transform and revolutionize the clinical management and/or prevention of breast cancer. Near-term clinical impact is expected. PIs are expected to have experience in successfully leading large-scale projects.

    Funding Levels 1 and 2:
  • Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
  • Each PI may submit only one application as a PI or Initiating PI. There are no limitations on the number of applications for which an investigator may be named as a Partnering PI. However, applicants are discouraged from submitting as a Partnering PI on multiple applications unless they are clearly unique, meaningful collaborations addressing distinct research questions.
  • Additional funds are available for applications submitted under the Partnering PI Option.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.

    • Funding Levels 3 and 4:
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Each PI may submit only one application as a PI or Initiating PI. There are no limitations on the number of applications for which an investigator may be named as a Partnering PI. However, applicants are discouraged from submitting as a Partnering PI on multiple applications unless they are clearly unique, meaningful collaborations addressing distinct research questions.
  • Additional funds are available for Funding Level 3 applications submitted under the Partnering PI Option.
  • Research team must include two or more breast cancer advocates.
  • Clinical trials are allowed.
 Funding Level 1:
  • Maximum funding of $375,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
    • Funding Level 1 - Partnering PI Option:
  • Maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Funding Level 2:
  • Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
    • Funding Level 2 - Partnering PI Option:
  • Maximum funding of $1 million (M) for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Funding Level 3:
  • Maximum funding of $2.5M in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
    • Funding Level 3 - Partnering PI Option:
  • Maximum funding of $4M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
Funding Level 4 - Partnering PI Option:
  • Maximum funding of $10M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that will be available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website. The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov. A listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

Applications must be submitted through the federal government's single-entry portal, Grants.gov. Submission deadlines are not available until the Program Announcements are released. For email notification when Program Announcements are released go to the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil) and select Subscribe to Funding Opportunities & Program Communications. For more information about the BCRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-9783
usarmy.detrick.medcom-cdmrp.mbx.cdmrp-public-affairs@mail.mil


Last updated Thursday, May 26, 2022