DoD Breast Cancer, Era of Hope Scholar Award | W81XWH 18 BCRP EOHS

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 18 BCRP EOHS

The DoD Breast Cancer Era of Hope Scholar Award is a competitive funding opportunity from the Department of Defense (U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, USAMRAA) designed to support early-career investigators who show unusual promise to make a real, field-shaping impact on breast cancer. The program is aimed at scientists who are seen as the "best and brightest" based on a track record of exceptional creativity, strong productivity, and clear evidence that they can think beyond standard approaches. A major emphasis is on the applicant as an individual and future leader, not simply on a single proposed project, so reviewers are looking for a compelling personal research vision and proof that the Principal Investigator (PI) is positioned to drive meaningful advances in the breast cancer space.

A defining feature of this award is its focus on bold, unconventional thinking. Applicants are expected to describe a vision that challenges existing assumptions and current dogma in their field, showing how their ideas could open new directions for preventing, detecting, treating, or otherwise ending breast cancer. While the application must be centered on breast cancer, prior experience working specifically in breast cancer research is not required. This is intentional: the DoD encourages high-performing researchers from other disciplines to bring fresh concepts, tools, and perspectives into breast cancer research, as long as the proposed work is clearly tied to breast cancer outcomes and impact.

The award also has a significant commitment expectation for the PI. During the award period, the PI must devote 50 percent of their full-time professional effort to breast cancer research. That effort can be supported through a combination of this award and other funding sources, but the core requirement remains that half of the PI's professional time is dedicated to breast cancer research activities while the award is active. This requirement reinforces the program's goal of accelerating the PI's trajectory as a major contributor and leader in breast cancer research.

Collaboration and team science are built into the structure of the opportunity. The PI is required to assemble a research team with the expertise needed to meet the research goals, and the program explicitly expects evidence that the PI can build effective partnerships and collaborations. In addition to scientific collaborators, the team must include at least two breast cancer consumer advocates. These advocates must be lay representatives who have personally been diagnosed with breast cancer and who are actively engaged in a breast cancer advocacy organization. To preserve independence and avoid conflicts of interest, they cannot be employees of any of the organizations involved in the application, and their participation should be separate from any professional role they might hold elsewhere. The advocates are expected to be knowledgeable about current breast cancer issues and to have enough background or training in research to contribute meaningfully. Their role is to provide objective, ongoing input throughout the research process, with a specific focus on patient-centered relevance and the potential impact for people who have breast cancer or are at risk.

Relevance to military and public health needs is also a required element. The proposed breast cancer research must be pertinent to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the broader American public. In other words, the program is not only looking for scientific novelty, but also for work that can plausibly matter to the communities the DoD serves, while still advancing breast cancer research more generally.

Administratively, this opportunity was listed under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH 18 BCRP EOHS and falls under CFDA 12.420 (science and technology and other R&D). The funding mechanism is offered as either a grant or cooperative agreement, and eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant organizations may apply unless further limited by specific eligibility notes in the full announcement. The posting indicated an expected two awards, with an original closing date of May 30, 2018. The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically signals that applicants must consult the full program announcement for detailed budget limits or that ceilings may be specified elsewhere rather than in the summary record.

• 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, Era of Hope Scholar 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 Mar 27, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 30, 2018. (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 2 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 18 BCRP EOHS

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