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

The Ovarian Cancer Academy - Early-Career Investigator Award is administered through the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity as part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Ovarian Cancer Research Program. The Ovarian Cancer Research Program was established in fiscal year 1997 to support high-impact ovarian cancer research with exceptional scientific merit. The mission of the program is to support research that prevents, detects, treats, cures, and improves survivorship outcomes for ovarian cancer patients, including Service Members, Veterans, military families, retirees, and the broader public. The Ovarian Cancer Academy was originally launched in fiscal year 2009 as a collaborative virtual research and mentoring platform designed to develop the next generation of ovarian cancer researchers. The Academy combines intensive mentorship, national networking, scientific collaboration, professional development, and peer engagement for investigators early in their careers. This funding opportunity is intended specifically for Early-Career Investigators pursuing independent ovarian cancer research careers. The award supports research projects involving basic, translational, and clinical research that does not qualify as a clinical trial. The Academy structure includes the funded Early-Career Investigators, Designated Mentors, optional institutional Other Mentors, and Academy Leadership consisting of a Dean and Assistant Dean. Awardees are expected to actively participate in monthly webinars, biennial multiday workshops, alternate-year one-day workshops, and collaborative activities with other Academy members and advocacy communities. The funding opportunity emphasizes both scientific achievement and long-term career sustainability, requiring applicants to demonstrate a clear commitment to a career focused on ovarian cancer research. The Defense Health Agency expects to allocate approximately $4.5 million to fund roughly four awards under this announcement. Each award may request up to $1.125 million in total costs across a maximum four-year period of performance. Funding may support mentor salary support, collaboration travel, participation in Academy activities, communication technology costs, and travel for up to two scientific or technical meetings annually in addition to required Academy workshops. Clinical trial costs, tuition expenses, and excessive travel costs beyond specified limits are not allowable. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching contributions. Applications may request the full maximum amount even if the proposed project duration is shorter than four years. Eligible applicants include domestic and foreign organizations, public and private entities, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and intramural or extramural Department of War organizations. The Principal Investigator must qualify as an Early-Career Investigator and be within five years of completing a postdoctoral research position, clinical fellowship, or equivalent training as of the full application deadline. Applicants currently serving in postdoctoral or fellowship positions at the submission deadline are not eligible. Investigators may hold tenure-track or non-tenure-track positions and must not concurrently hold another career development-style award. The institution must commit approximately 50 percent protected time for ovarian cancer research and Academy participation, with no less than 25 percent effort dedicated to the award during the first two years. A Designated Mentor with an established ovarian cancer research record is required, and an Other Mentor is required if the Designated Mentor is not located at the applicant institution. The application process consists of two stages. Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent through the Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal. The Letter of Intent is used for program planning purposes and does not undergo formal review. After successful submission of the pre-application, applicants may submit a full application through Grants.gov for extramural organizations or through eBRAP for intramural Department of War organizations. The full application requires multiple attachments, including a Project Narrative, Technical Abstract, Lay Abstract, Statement of Work, Career Development and Sustainment Plan, Impact Statement, mentor letters, eligibility documentation, biosketches, budget forms, and supporting documentation. The Project Narrative includes sections covering career goals, research feasibility, statistical analysis, study design, and commitment to the Academy. Applications involving clinical trials are specifically prohibited under this announcement. Applications undergo a two-tier review process consisting of peer review and programmatic review. Peer review evaluates Early-Career Investigator qualifications, research strategy and feasibility, career development planning, mentor qualifications, scientific impact, institutional support, and budget appropriateness. Programmatic review considers peer review results, relevance to fiscal year priorities, portfolio balance, and military health relevance. The highest-scoring applications are not automatically funded because programmatic priorities also influence final recommendations. Successful applicants will receive notification through eBRAP, and funded awards are expected to be issued no later than September 30, 2027. The funding opportunity follows a recurring annual structure associated with the fiscal year Ovarian Cancer Research Program cycle. The pre-application Letter of Intent deadline is September 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The full application deadline is October 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by an application verification deadline on October 6, 2026. Peer review is scheduled for November 2026 and programmatic review for January 2027. Technical support for submissions is available through the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org and 301-682-5507, while Grants.gov registration and submission assistance is available through support@grants.gov and 800-518-4726. Awards funded through this announcement are expected to use fiscal year 2026 appropriations available through September 30, 2032.

Emphasize rigorous and reproducible study design with strong statistical analysis and feasibility data. Demonstrate sustained commitment to ovarian cancer research and active participation in the Academy. Clearly integrate the research strategy with the career development plan and show strong institutional support including protected research time. Provide detailed mentor commitments and collaboration plans.