Melanoma Research Program Survivorship Research Award

The DoD Melanoma Research Program Survivorship Research Award is a federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. The funding opportunity is part of the fiscal year 2026 Melanoma Research Program and is intended to address melanoma survivorship, which the program describes as a relatively new and underfunded area of melanoma-focused research. The opportunity seeks to support innovative and impactful research projects designed to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of melanoma survivors, as well as their families and care partners. The funding announcement emphasizes near-term impact and translational relevance to survivorship outcomes rather than basic exploratory research disconnected from patient quality of life. The award is forecasted under opportunity number HT942526MRPSRA and is categorized as a discretionary federal assistance opportunity supporting science and technology research and development activities. The program expects to make approximately two awards with an estimated total program funding amount of $2,040,000. Each award may request up to $1.02 million in total costs, and the maximum period of performance is three years. Funding is expected to be provided using FY26 appropriations, which will remain available for obligation through September 30, 2032. Awards are anticipated to be issued no later than September 30, 2027. Both grants and cooperative agreements are identified as allowable funding instruments under the announcement. The purpose of the Survivorship Research Award is to improve survivorship outcomes specific to melanoma patients and affected communities. Proposed projects may address psychosocial health, physical functioning, quality of life, symptom management, care coordination, survivorship planning, long-term treatment effects, supportive care, or related survivorship-focused outcomes. The announcement specifically states that applications focused exclusively on animal models are not responsive to the funding opportunity. Likewise, studies that focus solely on survival metrics without considering quality of life, overall health, or functional outcomes are considered nonresponsive. The opportunity permits clinical trials, which broadens the range of possible translational and patient-centered research approaches that applicants may propose. One of the distinctive requirements of the funding opportunity is the mandatory inclusion of a melanoma consumer collaborator or melanoma-community supporting organization within the research team. The announcement defines a consumer collaborator as a melanoma survivor, family member, and/or care partner who can contribute lived experience expertise to the planning, execution, and implementation of the research project. Alternatively, applicants may partner with a melanoma-focused community organization that supports the melanoma community. This requirement reflects the program’s emphasis on patient-centered and community-engaged research approaches. The funding opportunity does not identify any cost sharing or matching requirement, indicating that applicants are not required to contribute nonfederal matching funds as part of the application. Eligibility for the opportunity is described as unrestricted and open to any type of entity, subject to clarifications that may later appear in the full funding announcement materials. Based on the current forecast notice, eligible applicants may include academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, hospitals, research institutes, and governmental entities capable of conducting melanoma survivorship research. The forecast announcement does not currently specify limitations related to geographic service area, institutional type, or organizational size. Because the opportunity is listed on Grants.gov and associated with a federal Assistance Listing number, it is considered a nationwide federal opportunity open to qualified applicants across the United States. The current notice is a forecasted opportunity rather than an active solicitation. The forecasted posting date is June 1, 2026, with an estimated application due date of October 14, 2026. The estimated award date and project start date are both September 30, 2027. The announcement does not currently identify a required letter of intent, pre-application, concept paper, or other gating submission requirement. Likewise, no detailed application package components, review criteria, or scoring methodology are included in the forecast notice at this time. Applicants are expected to monitor the future full announcement and associated application package for additional submission instructions, forms, evaluation criteria, and required attachments. The notice also does not provide a PDF solicitation link at this stage, but it does include a related informational page hosted by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. Program support and applicant assistance are available through the eBRAP Help Desk. The contact information provided includes the email address help@eBRAP.org and telephone number 301-682-5507. The opportunity appears to be part of an annual federal funding cycle associated with the Melanoma Research Program, indicating likely recurrence in future fiscal years. Because the opportunity is currently forecasted and not yet open for submission, prospective applicants may use the early engagement period to identify collaborators, prepare survivorship research concepts, establish consumer engagement plans, and develop projects aligned with the patient-centered priorities described in the announcement.

Avoid proposals focused exclusively on animal models or survival metrics without quality of life considerations. Emphasize near-term impact on melanoma survivor health well-being and function and incorporate lived experience expertise through required consumer collaboration.