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DEPARTMENT OF WAR - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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  5. 2026 Melanoma Research Program

Melanoma

NEWS RELEASE

Released: February 18, 2026

Defense Health Agency Research and Development
Medical Research and Development Command
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
Melanoma Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2026

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the MRP to support innovative, high-impact melanoma research with clinical relevance that will make advancements in Prevention and Interception Research, Rare Melanoma Research, and Survivorship Research. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

The MRP provides the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY26 funding opportunities. Investigators should not construe this pre-announcement as an obligation or promise by the government. The CDMRP will post FY26 MRP funding opportunity announcements on the Grants.gov website. Once released, the funding opportunity announcements will include pre-application and application deadlines.

Applications submitted to the FY26 MRP Idea Award, Melanoma Academy Scholar Award, and Team Science Award must address one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Identify, understand, and mitigate risk factor determinants and develop biomarkers for melanoma.
  • Develop new technology for the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of melanoma that can distinguish lesions and/or individuals at higher risk for progression from lesions and/or individuals requiring only surveillance.
  • Define the mechanisms of: melanoma initiation, response and/or resistance to adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant therapy, response and/or resistance to cellular-based therapies, progression, recurrence, emergence from tumor dormancy, or metastatic spread. Studies may include the role of the tumor microenvironment and/or microbiome in these processes.
  • Develop new preclinical models that faithfully represent disease evolution observed in humans, from melanomagenesis through progression. New models may represent cutaneous melanoma or any rare melanoma subtype.
  • Address unmet needs across the entire cancer research spectrum for rare melanomas, which includes studies of biology, etiology, prevention, early diagnosis and detection, prognosis, treatment, or survivorship. Although the FY26 MRP will accept applications addressing uveal melanoma, the MRP particularly encourages applications that address other uncommon presentations of melanoma.
  • Address the psychological and social impacts of a melanoma diagnosis, symptom trajectories, adverse effects of treatment and other outcomes affecting melanoma survivors and their family members/care partners.
  • Address the physical impacts of symptom trajectories; acute and late-occurring adverse effects of treatment, including lymphedema, toxicities, reproductive and sexual health issues and side effects that may not manifest until after treatment ends; role of diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors on treatment outcomes and/or quality of life; etc.

Except for rare melanoma studies, the FY26 MRP is not requesting applications investigating treatment of macrometastatic disease.

Relevance to Military Health: The MRP supports research relevant to the health care needs of Service Members, Veterans, and/or other beneficiaries of the Military Health System. The MRP encourages investigators to consider the following examples of how a project may demonstrate relevance to military health:

  • Using military or Veteran populations, biospecimens, data, databases or programs in the proposed research
  • Collaborating with Department of War or Department of Veterans Affairs investigators
  • Selecting a research question that addresses an aspect of melanoma relevant or unique to Service Members, Veterans, and/or their Families

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Idea Award Investigators at or above the level of postdoctoral fellow, or equivalent

Investigators do not have to be located at an academic organization
  • Submission of a preproposal is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports new ideas that represent high-risk and high-gain approaches to melanoma research or patient care.
  • Emphasizes innovation and impact. Incremental advances, the next logical step of existing lines of research in the investigator's laboratory, or merely switching the object or method of inquiry from another cancer to melanoma do not demonstrate innovation.
  • The proposed research must address at least one of the FY26 focus areas listed above.
  • Preliminary data are discouraged.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years
  • Maximum funding is $560,000 for total costs*
Melanoma Academy Scholar Award Investigators within 7 years of first faculty appointment by the full application submission deadline

Investigators must provide a letter attesting to their eligibility
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports the addition of new Scholars to a virtual academy providing intensive mentoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for early-career melanoma investigators.
  • Requires a Career Guide who is an experienced melanoma researcher and/or clinician with melanoma funding.
    • A Career Guide may only mentor one Scholar.
    • The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Scholar.
    • The Career Guide must be committed to participating in the Melanoma Academy, to include serving in advisory roles as requested by Academy Leadership.
  • The proposed research must address at least one of the FY26 focus areas listed above.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum funding is $770,000 for total costs*
Team Science Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor, or equivalent

Inclusion of at least one military, VA, or early-career investigator is encouraged

Investigators do not have to be located at an academic organization
  • Submission of a preproposal is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports new or existing partnerships between two or three principal investigators, PIs, to address a single research problem or question in a manner that would be unachievable through separate efforts.
  • Each PI should provide equal intellectual input into the design and execution of the project.
  • Supports a broad range of studies including, but not limited to:
    • Translational research
    • Data science research
    • Bioengineering research
    • Other hypothesis-driven research
  • Emphasizes synergy, multi-disciplinary research, and the short- and long-term impact of the effort on the melanoma research field and/or patient care.
  • Investigators are encouraged, but not required, to integrate at least one melanoma survivor or patient advocate within the project team who will provide advice and consultation throughout planning, implementation, and results dissemination to optimize research impact.
  • The proposed research must address at least one of the FY26 focus areas listed above.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum funding is $2.1 million for total costs*
Focused Program Award – Rare Melanomas The Initiating Principal Investigator, PI, must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Associate Professor, or equivalent

The Partnering PI(s), i.e., Project Leader(s) for the distinct, complementary research project(s), must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor, or equivalent

Investigators do not have to be located at an academic organization
  • Submission of a preproposal is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Applications must propose a unifying, overarching question that addresses a critical unmet need relevant to rare melanoma research and/or patient care, with the goal of translating laboratory findings to clinical applications.
  • Supports a synergistic, multidisciplinary research program of at least two but not more than three distinct but complementary projects. The completion of one project must not depend on the completion of another project.
  • The MRP particularly encourages applications addressing uncommon presentations of melanoma other than uveal melanoma.
  • Projects may range from exploratory or hypothesis-developing through small-scale clinical trials that together will address the overarching question.
  • Research team of highly qualified, multidisciplinary Project Leaders should be led by an Initiating PI with demonstrated success in directing large, focused projects.
  • Updated for FY26: Investigators must integrate at least one rare melanoma survivor or patient advocate within the project team who will provide advice and consultation throughout planning, implementation, and results dissemination to optimize research impact.
  • Clinical trials are allowed.
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
  • Maximum funding is $2.8 million for total costs*
Survivorship Research Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor, or equivalent

Investigators do not have to be located at an academic organization
  • A letter of intent is required; an invitation to submit a full application is not required.
  • Supports studies in preservation of function; quality of life; symptom and/or treatment toxicity management; resilience; support for psychosocial issues related to a melanoma diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship; etc.
  • Applicants must integrate at least one melanoma survivor or patient advocate within the project team who will provide advice and consultation throughout planning, implementation, and results dissemination to optimize research impact.
  • Proposed studies focusing exclusively on animal models or considering survival only without consideration of quality of life, overall health, and/or function are not responsive to this funding opportunity.
  • Clinical trials are allowed.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum funding is $1.015 million for total costs*
*Total costs include direct and indirect costs.

Before full application submission, the CDMRP requires submission of a pre-application through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal, eBRAP, prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final funding opportunity announcements available for downloading from Grants.gov. To obtain a listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities on the Grants.gov website, perform a basic search using CFDA number 12.420.

To receive email notifications upon release of funding opportunity announcements, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under "Email Subscriptions" on the eBRAP homepage. For more information about the MRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website.

Point of Contact:
CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-7071
dha.detrick.cdmrp.mbx.public-affairs@health.mil


Last updated Wednesday, February 18, 2026