DoD Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 | W81XWH 19 BCRP BTA12 2

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 19 BCRP BTA12 2

The DoD Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-19-BCRP-BTA12-2) is a competitive Department of Defense funding opportunity designed to push breast cancer research toward genuinely transformative advances rather than incremental progress. The core idea is impact: proposed projects need to show clear potential to accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer by enabling a new approach that is meaningfully better than what is already approved for patients or already moving through clinical development. Whether the anticipated payoff is near-term or long-term, the application is expected to make a convincing case that the work could lead to a major leap forward. A practical emphasis is placed on relevance to people, meaning applicants should identify which breast cancer patients or at-risk populations would ultimately benefit if the research succeeds.

A defining feature of this mechanism is that it is organized into funding levels tied to stages on the path toward clinical application. There are four total levels across the program, but this particular announcement covers only Levels 1 and 2; Levels 3 and 4 are offered through separate announcements (W81XWH-19-BCRP-BTA3-2 and W81XWH-19-BCRP-BTA4-2). Applicants are expected to choose the level that matches the scientific scope and maturity of the project, not to choose a level based on a desired budget size. That choice matters because proposals that do not align with the selected level’s intent and scope will not be recommended for funding, even if the work might have been a strong fit under another level. In other words, the program is signaling that “fit to level” is a hard requirement, not a minor administrative detail.

Funding Level 1 targets bold, innovative, high-risk/high-reward ideas that are still in the earliest stages of development. The program explicitly allows this level to be used for conceptually strong ideas without preliminary data, with the rationale that requiring extensive early data can discourage the kind of unconventional thinking that can open entirely new research directions. The expected outcome for Level 1 is proof of concept: applicants should be clear about what would constitute an early demonstration that the idea is viable and worth advancing, and they should frame this proof of concept as a stepping stone toward bigger translational impact rather than as an isolated academic finding.

Funding Level 2 is aimed at preclinical research that already has substantial preliminary or published support and that makes a strong case for clinical translation within a clearly defined breast cancer context. Compared with Level 1, Level 2 expects a more mature evidence base and a tighter translational storyline: what the existing data show, why the approach is ready for robust preclinical development, and how the proposed work positions the concept to move toward clinical testing or clinical relevance. Within Level 2, the announcement also highlights population science and prevention studies, acknowledging that these projects can require additional time and resources because they may involve human subjects and/or human biospecimens. With strong justification, applicants proposing population science or prevention work may request a higher funding level and an additional year of performance to account for the real-world complexity and costs associated with human participation, recruitment, sample handling, and associated regulatory and logistical requirements.

The opportunity also includes a formal Partnering PI Option to encourage meaningful collaboration rather than superficial teaming. Under this structure, two principal investigators may apply together: one serves as the Initiating PI and handles most administrative submission responsibilities, while the other serves as the Partnering PI. Even though their submission roles differ, the program expects both investigators to contribute substantively to the scientific development of the application, including the project narrative and the statement of work. If funded, each PI is named on an individual award within the recipient organization, underscoring that this is intended to be a real co-led effort. The program welcomes both new and existing collaborations, but it requires applicants to explain why the combined expertise is necessary and why the work is stronger as a joint project than it would be as separate, parallel efforts. It also discourages arrangements that look like mentorship structures rather than true partnerships; specifically, a mentor paired with their current postdoctoral fellow or junior investigator as the two PIs is described as not meeting the intent of the option. Similarly, the program discourages a person from being listed as a Partnering PI on multiple Level 1 or 2 applications unless those applications clearly address distinct research questions, an attempt to prevent token participation across many proposals.

In terms of who can apply and what kind of award this is, the opportunity is listed as discretionary and is offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through USAMRAA. The eligible applicant pool is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications in the full eligibility text. Funding instruments include grants and cooperative agreements, and the activity category is science and technology research and development (CFDA 12.420). The synopsis indicates an expected 15 awards. The posting date is May 7, 2019, with an original closing date of September 5, 2019. The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the summary data, which typically signals that applicants need to rely on the program announcement for the actual level-specific caps or budget guidance rather than using the high-level grants.gov field as the authoritative limit.

Finally, the program places clear emphasis on having the right team to execute the work. Applications are expected to include a robust research team with appropriate breast cancer-relevant expertise and complementary backgrounds, aligned to the project’s aims and the chosen funding level. Taken together, the Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 are structured to fund either early, daring concepts that can establish a credible proof of principle (Level 1) or more mature, strongly supported preclinical and translational efforts (Level 2), with a consistent requirement that the end goal is a meaningful improvement for defined patient or at-risk groups rather than a small step forward.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 07, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 05, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for W81XWH 19 BCRP BTA12 2

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