DoW, Ovarian Cancer, Investigator-Initiated Research Award

The Ovarian Cancer Research Program Investigator-Initiated Research Award is a federal funding opportunity administered through the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity and managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs as part of the Ovarian Cancer Research Program. The funding opportunity supports high-impact ovarian cancer research projects that address critical unmet needs and demonstrate the potential to make meaningful contributions to ovarian cancer research, patient care, survivorship, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or quality of life. The OCRP was originally established by Congress in fiscal year 1997 and has received more than $556 million in appropriations through fiscal year 2025, with an additional $50 million appropriated for fiscal year 2026. The mission of the OCRP is to support research to prevent, detect, treat, cure, and improve survivorship outcomes for ovarian cancer patients, including Service Members, Veterans, retirees, military families, and women affected by the disease. The FY26 Investigator-Initiated Research Award is designed to support scientifically rigorous research projects ranging from basic laboratory studies to translational research activities. Clinical trials are specifically prohibited under this funding opportunity, although clinical research that does not meet the definition of a clinical trial may be permitted. Applications are required to include preliminary data relevant to ovarian cancer and must demonstrate strong scientific rationale, logical reasoning, and a clearly articulated hypothesis supported by literature review and evidence. Research applications must address at least one of the program’s designated areas of emphasis, which include novel therapeutic strategies, screening and early detection methods, survivorship and quality-of-life improvements, ovarian cancer prevention, military exposure-related ovarian cancer risks, and studies focused on the biology, genetics, progression, metastasis, or recurrence of ovarian cancer. The funding mechanism includes both a single Principal Investigator option and a Partnering Principal Investigator option. Under the Partnering PI structure, two investigators collaborate on a unified research project and receive separate awards for their respective organizations. The partnership must demonstrate synergistic value beyond what either investigator could accomplish independently. The maximum period of performance for all awards is four years. Single PI applications may request up to $1.05 million in total costs, while Partnering PI applications may request up to $1.4 million in combined total costs across both investigators. The CDMRP expects to allocate approximately $16.45 million to fund roughly 14 awards. Indirect costs are allowable according to negotiated institutional rates, and all direct and indirect subaward costs must be included within the total cost cap. The funding opportunity allows budget requests for collaboration travel and attendance at one scientific or technical meeting annually for dissemination of project findings, but it explicitly prohibits tuition expenses and clinical trial costs. Eligibility for the opportunity is broad and includes both domestic and foreign organizations, public and private institutions, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and intramural and extramural Department of War organizations. Principal Investigators must hold positions at or above the Assistant Professor level or equivalent. Independent investigators affiliated with eligible organizations may apply regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or citizenship status. An investigator may only participate in one application as either an Initiating PI or Partnering PI. Cost sharing is not required. Applications involving collaborations with the Department of War, the Department of Veterans Affairs, academia, or industry are encouraged, especially when access to unique clinical populations, databases, or military-related resources strengthens the research effort. The application process is conducted in two phases. Applicants must first submit a pre-application through the Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal. The pre-application includes a three-page preproposal narrative, references, abbreviation lists, and biosketches. Only applicants invited after pre-application screening may submit a full application. Full applications require extensive documentation including a project narrative, supporting documentation, technical and lay abstracts, statement of work, impact statement, and additional attachments depending on the research design, such as animal research plans or inclusion enrollment reports. Extramural applicants must submit full applications through Grants.gov, while intramural Department of War applicants submit through eBRAP. Applications are evaluated through a two-tier review process consisting of peer review and programmatic review. Review criteria include research strategy and feasibility, impact, personnel qualifications, partnership quality for collaborative applications, budget appropriateness, institutional environment, and relevance to the program’s mission and priorities. The funding timeline for the FY26 cycle begins with a pre-application deadline of July 13, 2026, followed by invitations to submit full applications on August 12, 2026. Full applications are due October 1, 2026, with an application verification period ending October 6, 2026. Peer review is expected in November 2026, and programmatic review is anticipated in January 2027. Awards funded through fiscal year 2026 appropriations are expected to be made no later than September 30, 2027, and those funds remain available through September 30, 2032. Annual technical progress reports and final reporting are required for funded projects. Questions related to pre-application submission and technical assistance may be directed to the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or 301-682-5507, while Grants.gov support is available at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726. The opportunity is recurring on an annual fiscal-year basis as part of the continuing OCRP program portfolio.

Applications should demonstrate strong scientific rationale supported by preliminary ovarian cancer data and clearly aligned hypotheses. Reviewers prioritize rigorous and reproducible study design including statistical power analysis, controls, blinding, randomization, and feasibility. Strong alignment with at least one FY26 OCRP Area of Emphasis and clear impact on ovarian cancer research or survivorship outcomes are critical.