Lung Cancer Patient-Centered Outcomes and Survivorship Award

The Lung Cancer Research Program Patient-Centered Outcomes and Survivorship Award is administered through the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity as part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. The opportunity supports the fiscal year Lung Cancer Research Program initiative focused on improving survivorship, health outcomes, quality of life, and patient-centered care for individuals affected by lung cancer. The broader Lung Cancer Research Program was established to advance innovative and competitive research that addresses prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, management, and survivorship across the lung cancer continuum. The funding opportunity specifically seeks projects capable of producing major impact through evidence-based and patient-centered approaches that improve health outcomes and reduce suffering associated with lung cancer. The award mechanism is intended to support high-risk and high-reward research studies spanning survivorship, comparative effectiveness research, symptom management, co-morbid conditions, quality of life, resilience, and behavioral health. Applications must address at least one of the program’s Health Outcomes and Survivorship Areas of Emphasis. These include identifying and understanding the long-term and cumulative effects of lung cancer and treatment on patients and families, studying the impact of comorbidities on survivorship care at all stages of disease, and reducing disparities among high-risk groups and populations. The announcement emphasizes projects that can directly affect breakthrough improvements in patient outcomes and accelerate translation of promising findings into clinical applications. Pilot clinical trials are permitted under the funding opportunity. The Defense Health Agency expects to allocate approximately $1.95 million to fund approximately two awards. Each award may request up to $975,000 in total costs over a maximum three-year performance period. Awards are anticipated to be made no later than September 30, 2027. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching contributions. Allowable costs include travel supporting multi-institutional collaboration and travel to one scientific or technical meeting annually for dissemination of findings. Applications proposing animal studies are specifically prohibited and will be withdrawn administratively. Clinical studies and translational research are permitted, and all projects are expected to adhere to rigorous study design and reporting standards such as STROBE, CONSORT, SPIRIT, and ARRIVE guidance where applicable. Eligibility is broad and includes foreign and domestic organizations, nonprofit and for-profit entities, public and private organizations, and extramural and intramural Department of War organizations. Independent investigators at any career level may serve as Principal Investigator provided they are affiliated with an eligible organization. Each investigator may only serve as Principal Investigator on one application submitted under this funding opportunity. The opportunity also requires integration of a lung cancer patient, survivor, or caregiver advocate into the research team. The advocate must participate in meaningful project activities including study development, recruitment, evaluation, oversight, and patient-centered interpretation of the research. The advocate should also be active within a cancer advocacy organization. The application process includes both a pre-application and a full application stage. Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent through the Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal. Full applications are then submitted either through Grants.gov for extramural applicants or through eBRAP for intramural Department of War organizations. The application package is extensive and includes a project narrative, supporting documentation, technical abstract, lay abstract, statement of work, impact statement, patient advocate involvement statement, statistical and data analysis plan, military relevance statement, and if applicable a clinical trial strategy and questionnaires or data collection instruments. Applications involving clinical trials must include detailed plans for study initiation within the first year and Food and Drug Administration IND or IDE submission plans within 60 days of award when applicable. Review criteria emphasize research strategy and feasibility, impact on patient outcomes, statistical rigor, advocate involvement, clinical trial design where relevant, and military health relevance. The pre-application deadline for the required Letter of Intent is August 18, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The full application deadline is September 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by an application verification deadline of September 4, 2026. Peer review is scheduled for October 2026 and programmatic review is expected in January 2027. The opportunity is recurring as part of the annual Lung Cancer Research Program appropriations cycle. Contact support for application and submission questions is available through the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or 301-682-5507, while Grants.gov registration and submission assistance is available through support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726. Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin registration activities early because SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eBRAP registrations may require several weeks to complete.

Emphasize clear patient-centered impact and survivorship outcomes; demonstrate strong statistical rigor and feasibility; integrate the required lung cancer advocate throughout study design and implementation; directly address at least one Health Outcomes and Survivorship Area of Emphasis; clearly explain military health relevance and translational potential