DoD Breast Cancer Multi Team Award | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The DoD Breast Cancer Multi Team Award (BCRP MTA) is a FY2009 funding opportunity from the Department of the Army (USAMRAA) designed to push breast cancer research forward through a tightly coordinated, highly interactive collaboration. Instead of supporting a single lab or a loosely connected consortium, this mechanism requires the creation of one integrated project carried out by three distinct teams, each led by its own Principal Investigator (PI). The intent is to build a shared, innovation-focused environment where basic and clinical research are deliberately blended, team members are cross-trained across disciplines, and breast cancer consumer advocates are built into the project as active partners rather than occasional advisors.

A central requirement is that the proposed work must revolve around a major, high-impact breast cancer research question that is either understudied or difficult to tackle because the field lacks a clear paradigm, established framework, or mature technical approach. The program is explicitly steering applicants away from narrow projects that mainly drill into isolated pathways or individual genes. Instead, it prioritizes broader questions with wide implications for breast cancer biology and patient risk management, with examples such as risk factors and tumor dormancy. Importantly, the award is not purely preclinical: the project must include clinical research, and a clinical trial is allowed and supported within early stages (Phase 0, Phase I, Phase I/II, or Phase II), making translation to patient impact a built-in expectation rather than a distant goal.

The structure of leadership and expertise is prescriptive. The three PIs, taken together, must include at least one basic scientist, one clinician, and one additional expert from a relevant discipline such as epidemiology (or another area suited to the research question). At least two separate institutions must participate, reinforcing the idea that this is meant to combine strengths and perspectives that are not typically found within one organization. Each PI is expected to bring a demonstrated track record of creativity and innovation and to contribute equally to the intellectual direction of the overall project. The application needs to reflect shared ownership: the PIs are expected to co-develop the research plan, governance and management structure, and the full proposal, with balanced effort across the three teams unless a strong justification is provided.

Consumer advocate participation is not optional and not symbolic. Each PI team must include one or more breast cancer consumer advocates who have personally been diagnosed with breast cancer and who also have substantial training and familiarity with current breast cancer research issues. These advocates are expected to be involved throughout the lifecycle of the collaboration, including shaping the initial research question, influencing study and trial design, contributing to oversight and evaluation, and participating in recruitment and other key operational elements where appropriate. This requirement signals that the program values relevance, feasibility, and accountability to patient communities as part of rigorous science.

The award places heavy emphasis on continuous collaboration, documented coordination, and hands-on cross-disciplinary training. Teams must hold in-person multi-team meetings at least twice per year, and these meetings must include all three PIs, key personnel, and the consumer advocates. Beyond that, the program expects frequent remote meetings (for example, weekly) using teleconferencing or webcast tools to share data, track progress toward aims, and resolve issues in real time. Data sharing infrastructure is also expected: applicants should plan to maintain a server or comparable resource where presentations and complete source data are accessible to all team members, reinforcing transparency and integration across institutions.

Training and immersion across disciplines is another core feature. At least two key members from each team must spend dedicated time working within another collaborating team’s lab or clinical setting to promote genuine cross-training and shared methods. This can be done through one extended visit lasting several weeks or through multiple shorter visits, but the expectation is meaningful, hands-on integration rather than superficial exchanges. Applicants also need to present a clear plan for how collaboration will be actively managed to keep three teams moving as one coordinated project, including how barriers between institutions will be addressed. Participating institutions are expected to proactively resolve intellectual property and materials-sharing issues and remove administrative obstacles that could slow cooperation.

From an application and project-management standpoint, proposals must include practical coordination tools that show how the collaboration will function day to day. This includes an organizational chart that identifies each member’s role and clarifies workflow within and between labs and clinical settings. A required Statement of Work (SOW) must lay out specific milestones, explain how the project’s aims will be staged or integrated to reach those milestones, and identify key decision points. Those decision points should be clearly tied to the overall project trajectory so reviewers can see how progress will be evaluated, how pivots will be handled, and how the teams will stay aligned.

Administratively, this opportunity was released as Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-09-BCRP-MTA under CFDA 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development). The instrument type is listed as a cooperative agreement/grant under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, with no cost sharing requirement. The program anticipated making 3 awards with an estimated total funding level of $23,000,000. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The opportunity was posted January 24, 2009, with a closing date of June 17, 2009, and an archive date of July 17, 2009. For applicants needing technical assistance, the announcement lists contact points for announcement access support and CDMRP eReceipt/help desk support.

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