DoD Breast Cancer, Innovator Award | W81XWH 21 BCRP INNOV 2

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 BCRP INNOV 2

The DoD Breast Cancer Innovator Award (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH 21 BCRP INNOV 2) is a highly selective funding opportunity run by the Department of Defense through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) under CFDA 12.420. It is designed to back an exceptional Principal Investigator (PI) rather than a conventional, tightly scoped research project. The core idea is to identify a rare kind of scientific or clinical leader: someone known for challenging standard assumptions, introducing bold new ways of thinking, and producing work that can shift an entire field. While the topic must be breast cancer, the award is explicitly meant to give the PI room to pursue high-risk, high-reward concepts that could meaningfully accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer.

A defining feature of this award is that it focuses on the PI's innovative capacity and vision. Reviewers are looking for a track record of creativity and paradigm-shifting leadership, whether that has occurred directly in breast cancer or in another area of science, technology, medicine, or even a different discipline altogether. Prior breast cancer research experience is not required, and in fact the program encourages established innovators from outside the traditional breast cancer research space to bring new concepts, tools, or frameworks into the field. What matters is that the application presents a compelling, unconventional vision for how the PI's approach could break through current limitations and challenge existing dogma in breast cancer research or patient care.

The PI is expected to be established in their field and to demonstrate the ability to form and lead strong collaborations. The application should reflect that the PI can assemble a research team with the right expertise to execute the overall goals, even if those goals are exploratory or nontraditional. In addition, the program intentionally builds in workforce development: proposals must include mentoring of promising junior investigators as part of the effort, with the aim of cultivating the next generation of innovative thinkers and helping novel ideas take root.

There are also clear commitment and team-composition requirements. The PI must dedicate 50 percent of their full-time professional effort to breast cancer research during the award period; this requirement can be met through a combination of this award and other existing support, but the overall commitment must be maintained. The team must include at least two breast cancer consumer advocates. These advocates must be individuals who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, are actively involved in a breast cancer advocacy organization, and serve in a role that is independent of their employment. They cannot be employees of any organization participating in the application. The advocates are expected to bring informed, objective input by having strong familiarity with current breast cancer issues and appropriate background or training to engage with research plans. Their contributions should focus on ensuring the work remains relevant and meaningful to people who have breast cancer or are at increased risk, and on strengthening the potential patient impact of the research.

Administratively, this opportunity falls under the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" activity category, and awards may be made as grants or cooperative agreements. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant organizations may apply as long as they meet any additional requirements described in the full announcement. The posting indicates a single expected award, with the ceiling not specified in the source data provided. The opportunity was created April 26, 2021, with an original closing date of October 5, 2021. Overall, this mechanism is best understood as an investment in an individual with unusually strong creative leadership, providing them resources and flexibility to pursue unconventional ideas that could change what is considered possible in breast cancer.

• 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 Apr 26, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 05, 2021. (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 21 BCRP INNOV 2

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