DoW Rare Cancers Concept Award

The Rare Cancers Research Program Concept Award is offered through the Defense Health Agency’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, which operates under the Department of Defense. This program was established by Congress to advance research of exceptional scientific merit in rare cancers, defined as cancers affecting six or fewer individuals per 100,000 people annually in the United States. Since its inception, the program has received significant federal appropriations and is designed to support research that improves outcomes for patients, including service members, veterans, their families, and the broader public. The Concept Award mechanism specifically emphasizes innovation and discovery in areas that have not yet been fully explored. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support highly innovative, untested, and potentially groundbreaking concepts in rare cancers research. The program explicitly prioritizes novel ideas that challenge existing paradigms or introduce entirely new investigative directions rather than incremental advances to ongoing research. Preliminary data are not required and, in fact, are discouraged as the award is intended to support high-risk studies that may generate foundational insights and future research directions. The program outlines several focus areas, including biology, preclinical research models, therapeutic development, and the use of artificial intelligence or machine learning in research and clinical readiness. Funding for this opportunity is structured with a total anticipated allocation of approximately 2.52 million dollars to support around 18 awards, each capped at 140,000 dollars in total costs. The maximum period of performance for each award is two years. Funds may be used for allowable research-related expenses, including travel for collaboration and dissemination of findings, but may not be used for clinical trial costs or excessive travel beyond defined limits. The award does not require cost sharing, and all direct and indirect costs must fall within the total cost cap. The funding instrument is a grant, and all awards are expected to be made by September 30, 2027. Eligibility for the program is broad and inclusive. Both domestic and international organizations may apply, including for-profit and nonprofit entities, public and private institutions, and federal organizations. Principal investigators must be independent researchers at or above the postdoctoral level and may only submit one application as a principal investigator for this funding cycle. Applications must demonstrate relevance to military populations and the general public. Importantly, awards are made to organizations rather than individuals, and applicants must maintain active registrations with required federal systems such as SAM.gov, eBRAP, and Grants.gov prior to submission. The application process is a two-step submission requiring a pre-application in the form of a letter of intent followed by a full application. The pre-application is submitted through the eBRAP system and is used for administrative and planning purposes rather than formal review. The full application must be submitted through either eBRAP or Grants.gov depending on the applicant type. Required components include a project narrative, supporting documentation, statement of work, impact statement, and justification statement, among other administrative forms. The review process is conducted in two tiers: peer review evaluating technical merit and innovation, followed by programmatic review assessing alignment with program priorities and overall impact. Applications are evaluated based on criteria including innovation, scientific rationale, research strategy, feasibility, and potential impact on the field of rare cancers. Additional considerations include the clarity of presentation and adherence to rigorous study design principles. Reviewers are blinded to the identity of applicants to ensure an unbiased evaluation process. The programmatic review further considers how well the proposal aligns with program goals and contributes to a balanced research portfolio. The timeline for this opportunity includes a pre-application deadline of September 16, 2026, and a full application deadline of September 30, 2026. The application verification period ends on October 7, 2026. Peer review is scheduled for December 2026, followed by programmatic review in March or April 2027. Funding decisions are typically communicated within several weeks after programmatic review, and awards are expected to be issued by late 2027. Applicants may contact the eBRAP Help Desk or Grants.gov Support Center for technical assistance during the submission process.

Focus on highly innovative and novel concepts rather than incremental research; avoid including preliminary data; strictly follow blinded review requirements and avoid identifying information; align proposal with defined focus areas and demonstrate potential for high impact in rare cancers