DoD Breast Cancer Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 | HT942525BCRPBTA12

DoD Breast Cancer Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 (FY25 BCRP) - FAQs

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2, a discretionary research grant offered through the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), under the Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP).

2) What is the main purpose of the Breakthrough Award?

The award is designed to support promising breast cancer research positioned to produce clear, meaningful advances. The central expectation is that projects are not incremental; they should be framed to create major impact and move the science toward clinical application, with strong potential to lead to or directly make breakthroughs that substantially affect the field.

3) What kind of research is considered a good fit?

Projects that can plausibly shift understanding, practice, or outcomes in breast cancer, rather than producing narrow, purely descriptive, or incremental results. Reviewers are expected to look for a compelling rationale that the proposed work can enable a breakthrough outcome and move the field toward clinical relevance.

4) Are incremental or narrowly descriptive projects appropriate for this mechanism?

The solicitation emphasizes that proposed projects should not be incremental. The program expectation is major impact and meaningful advances with a pathway toward clinical application, rather than limited or purely descriptive outputs.

5) What is the FY25 BCRP overarching challenges requirement?

Every application must address at least one of the FY25 BCRP overarching challenges, unless the applicant provides a strong, well-reasoned justification for why an exception is warranted. The proposal should do more than name a challenge; it should show how the planned approach will tackle the challenge in a way that plausibly enables a breakthrough outcome.

6) Can an application ever be allowed to not address an overarching challenge?

The opportunity states that an exception may be warranted if the applicant provides a strong, well-reasoned justification. This implies exceptions are possible but should be carefully argued.

7) What does it mean to align with an overarching challenge beyond simply naming it?

Alignment is described as demonstrating how the approach will tackle the chosen challenge(s) in a way that could enable a breakthrough outcome. Reviewers will be looking for a convincing argument that the project can move the field forward in a substantial way.

8) Which funding levels are included in this announcement?

This announcement covers only Funding Level 1 and Funding Level 2 of the Breakthrough Award mechanism.

9) How are the funding levels intended to be used?

The levels are described as having defined scopes to support different stages on the pathway to clinical relevance. Applicants are expected to select the level that matches the maturity of the science and the scale of work needed to achieve the intended breakthrough.

10) Does Level 2 support Population Science and Prevention Studies?

Yes. Funding Level 2 includes a specific option for Population Science and Prevention Studies, signaling that the program welcomes well-justified population-level or prevention-focused projects, not only bench or clinical studies.

11) Is there any flexibility in Level 2 for Population Science and Prevention Studies?

Yes. With compelling justification, population science and prevention studies may be allowed to request a higher amount of funding and an additional year of performance time. The announcement indicates these exceptions are not automatic and must be clearly justified.

12) Why might a Level 2 population science or prevention study need more time or funding?

The solicitation notes that these study types often require larger cohorts, longer follow-up, complex data linkages, or broader implementation windows to generate meaningful, actionable results. Extra resources and time would need to be justified as essential to delivering the intended impact.

13) Is the award ceiling (maximum funding amount) provided?

No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided information. Applicants are expected to rely on the full program announcement for level-specific maximums, budget rules, and any caps tied to project type, performance period, or the Level 2 population science/prevention exception.

14) What is the funding instrument type?

The funding instrument type is a grant.

15) Who is the awarding/administrating organization?

The opportunity is offered through the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), under the DoD Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP).

16) Is this opportunity restricted to a specific applicant type?

The listing indicates it is "unrestricted for eligible applicants." Specific eligibility rules are not detailed in the provided information.

17) What research areas or categories is this opportunity associated with?

It is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

18) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The associated CFDA number is 12.420.

19) What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is HT942525BCRPBTA12.

20) What is the application deadline?

The original closing date listed is June 27, 2025.

21) How many awards are expected?

The listing indicates an expectation of about 20 awards.

22) Can the project be submitted with one Principal Investigator (PI)?

Yes. The award allows either a single PI model or a two-PI collaboration model.

23) What is the Partnering PI Option (PPIO)?

The Partnering PI Option (PPIO) is a two-PI collaboration model. The two investigators are designated as the Initiating PI and the Partnering PI.

24) How does submission work under the Partnering PI Option (PPIO)?

The submission process is staged: only the Initiating PI submits the pre-application. At the full application stage, both the initiating and partnering applications must be submitted.

25) What happens if only one part of a PPIO full application is submitted?

The program is explicit that failure to submit both components by the full application deadline can lead to withdrawal.

26) What happens if one PPIO component is administratively withdrawn?

The same risk applies: if either the initiating or partnering application is administratively withdrawn, it can jeopardize the submission (the solicitation indicates this can lead to withdrawal).

27) What practical considerations should PPIO teams keep in mind?

Because coordinated submission is strict and a missing or withdrawn component can affect whether the application remains under consideration, teams using PPIO need tight coordination and aligned institutional support so neither side becomes the weak link.

28) What is the overall review emphasis implied by the solicitation?

The solicitation implies reviewers will prioritize a credible, compelling case for a substantial leap forward in breast cancer research or care, clear mapping to at least one FY25 BCRP overarching challenge (or a strong justification for an exception), and a plausible pathway toward clinical application rather than incremental progress.