DoW, Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trial Academy Early-Career Investigator Award

The Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trial Academy – Early-Career Investigator Award is a federal funding opportunity administered through the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Ovarian Cancer Research Program. The funding opportunity is intended to support the next generation of ovarian cancer clinical trial investigators by combining research funding with intensive mentoring, leadership development, networking, and collaboration opportunities. The program was first launched in fiscal year 2024 and is designed to strengthen the pipeline of independent ovarian cancer clinical trialists capable of conducting impactful translational research and early-phase clinical trials. The award mechanism operates within the broader mission of the Ovarian Cancer Research Program, which supports research intended to prevent, detect, treat, cure, and improve survivorship outcomes for ovarian cancer patients, including military service members, veterans, retirees, family members, and the general public. The program specifically targets early-career investigators who completed their final postdoctoral research position, clinical fellowship, or equivalent training within the past 12 years as of the application deadline. Applicants currently in postdoctoral or fellowship training are not eligible. The principal investigator must commit at least 25 percent effort to the award and related Academy activities during the first two years. Each applicant must identify a Designated Mentor who is an established clinical trialist with an active clinical trial, substantial mentoring experience, and a demonstrated commitment to developing independent ovarian cancer researchers. If the mentor is located at a different institution than the applicant, an additional institutional mentor is required. The award mechanism strongly emphasizes long-term career development and requires participation in monthly webinars, annual workshops, peer collaborations, and interaction with ovarian cancer advocacy communities. Research funded through this mechanism must directly support a clinical trial in ovarian cancer, including translational studies and small-scale early-phase clinical trials. The announcement encourages projects involving diagnostics, prevention strategies, dietary or lifestyle interventions, therapeutic or surgical interventions, quality-of-life studies, and repurposed drug investigations. Preliminary data are required, although the supporting data do not necessarily need to originate from ovarian cancer research specifically. Applications must demonstrate access to appropriate patient populations, realistic accrual plans, strategies for inclusion of diverse populations where applicable, availability of investigational interventions or materials, and robust statistical and data management plans. Applications are also encouraged to include consumer advocates who have personal experience with ovarian cancer and can contribute independent patient-centered perspectives throughout the research process. The funding opportunity provides approximately 4.2 million dollars in total program funding and anticipates supporting approximately three awards. Each award may request up to 1.4 million dollars in total costs over a maximum four-year performance period. Indirect costs may be included according to negotiated rates. Required budget elements include annual workshop travel for the early-career investigator and mentors. Allowable costs may include mentor salary support, collaboration travel, virtual collaboration infrastructure, and attendance at scientific meetings for dissemination of project findings. Tuition costs and travel exceeding specified meeting limits are unallowable. Cost sharing is not required. Awards are expected to be issued no later than September 30, 2027, using fiscal year 2026 appropriations that remain available through September 30, 2032. The application process uses a mandatory two-step submission structure. Applicants must first submit a pre-application letter of intent through the Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal. The letter of intent is used solely for planning and reviewer recruitment purposes and does not undergo review or result in an invitation decision. Full applications are submitted afterward either through Grants.gov for extramural applicants or through eBRAP for intramural Department of War organizations. Required application components include a detailed project narrative, supporting documentation, technical and lay abstracts, statement of work, career development and sustainment plan, impact statement, mentor letters, eligibility statement, budget materials, biosketches, and current and pending support documents. Clinical trial applications involving investigational drugs or devices must include documentation related to Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption submissions or approvals when applicable. Applications are evaluated through a two-tier review process consisting of peer review and programmatic review. Peer review criteria focus on the qualifications and commitment of the early-career investigator, the strength of the career development plan, the qualifications of the mentors, the anticipated clinical impact, the rigor and feasibility of the study design, and the appropriateness of the statistical and data analysis plan. Additional unscored considerations include organizational resources, institutional support, and budget appropriateness. Programmatic review additionally considers alignment with program priorities, overall portfolio balance, and relevance to military health and ovarian cancer impact. The opportunity announcement stresses that the highest-scoring applications are not automatically selected for funding because broader programmatic considerations are also incorporated into final recommendations. The application timeline begins with a required pre-application letter of intent deadline of September 15, 2026, followed by a full application deadline of October 1, 2026. Application verification concludes on October 6, 2026. Peer review is scheduled for November 2026 and programmatic review for January 2027. Awards are expected to be finalized by September 2027. The opportunity announcement identifies the eBRAP Help Desk and Grants.gov Support Center as primary support resources for applicants requiring technical assistance with submissions, registrations, or portal access. Applicants must maintain active SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eBRAP registrations prior to submission. The announcement is classified as an initial funding opportunity rather than a rolling submission program, although the broader Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trial Academy mechanism appears to recur annually within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs portfolio.

Emphasize the Early-Career Investigator commitment to becoming an independent ovarian cancer clinical trialist; demonstrate strong mentor qualifications and institutional support; provide rigorous statistical and accrual plans; clearly explain clinical relevance and impact on ovarian cancer survivorship and military health; include strong career sustainment planning