DOD FY11 Breast Cancer Research Program Clinical Translational Research Award | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): DOD FY11 Breast Cancer Research Program Clinical Translational Research (CTR) Award

What is the DOD FY11 Breast Cancer Research Program Clinical Translational Research (CTR) Award?

It is a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) funding opportunity intended to drive breast cancer research beyond incremental advances and toward practical progress that can change how breast cancer is prevented, treated, or kept from worsening. The focus is on work that can make a major impact on the field and meaningfully influence patient care or outcomes.

What is the main goal of this award?

The central goal is to accelerate clinical translational research that bridges strong, promising findings into clinical or clinically relevant settings. Projects should be positioned to influence patient care or outcomes for people with breast cancer or those at elevated risk.

What does "clinical translational" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the description provided, clinical translational research here means moving compelling research results into clinical or clinically relevant environments. The expectation is that the work is not purely exploratory, but aligned with real-world prevention and therapy needs and capable of affecting patient outcomes.

What types of research areas are emphasized?

The opportunity highlights several priority directions: (1) efforts to match therapies to increasingly specific breast cancer subtypes, reflecting that breast cancer is biologically diverse; (2) vaccine-related studies aimed at preventing breast cancer or reducing recurrence; and (3) research that could produce treatments preventing progression to metastatic disease.

Why is breast cancer subtype-specific research encouraged?

The award reflects the view that breast cancer is not a single disease, but a collection of biologically distinct conditions that may respond differently to treatment. Subtype-focused translational work is encouraged to better align therapies with specific disease biology.

Are vaccine-related breast cancer studies within scope for this award?

Yes. The opportunity specifically highlights vaccine-related studies intended to prevent breast cancer or reduce the likelihood of recurrence after initial treatment.

Does the award prioritize research related to metastatic breast cancer?

Yes. A stated priority area is research that could lead to new treatments that prevent progression to metastatic disease, which is described as a major driver of breast cancer mortality.

Is the program looking for incremental progress or larger leaps in impact?

The emphasis is on tangible improvements over current standards, with a clear expectation that supported research could make a major impact rather than only incremental progress.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is W81XWH 11 BCRP CTR.

Which federal agency and organization sponsor and administer this opportunity?

The sponsoring organization is the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), under the U.S. Department of Defense umbrella for this program.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA listed is 12.420, Military Medical Research and Development.

What type of funding program is this categorized as?

It is categorized as a discretionary funding program within science, technology, and other research and development.

What award mechanisms may be used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

Awards could be made through either cooperative agreements or grants. This suggests some projects may involve substantial agency involvement or coordination depending on the mechanism selected.

How much total funding was estimated to be available?

The total estimated funding available was $6,000,000.

How many awards were expected?

Approximately two awards were expected, which implies a competitive program likely oriented toward larger, high-impact efforts rather than many small awards.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning applications were open to any type of entity unless further limitations were described in the full announcement under the eligibility clarification section.

When was the opportunity posted, and what was the application deadline?

The announcement was posted on July 25, 2011, and the application deadline was December 22, 2011.

When was this opportunity archived?

It was later archived on January 21, 2012.

What should applicants do if they have technical difficulties accessing the full announcement?

For technical difficulties accessing the full announcement, applicants were directed to contact the CDMRP Help Desk (PA HELP and eReceipt HELP) at 301-682-5507.

Does the description indicate whether the program is likely to be competitive?

Yes. The combination of an estimated $6,000,000 total funding level and an expectation of approximately two awards suggests a competitive opportunity with a focus on high-impact projects.

What kinds of outcomes are projects expected to work toward?

Projects are expected to be positioned to influence patient care or outcomes, with a practical orientation toward improving prevention, treatment, and/or preventing worsening of disease, including preventing recurrence or progression to metastasis.

Is this opportunity focused only on treatment, or does it include prevention as well?

It includes prevention as well as treatment. Prevention is explicitly highlighted through vaccine-related studies intended to prevent breast cancer or reduce recurrence, and through efforts aimed at stopping progression to metastatic disease.