DOD Ovarian Cancer Collaborative Translational Research Award | Apply Online

FAQs: DOD Ovarian Cancer Collaborative Translational Research Award (W81XWH-09-OCRP-CTR)

What is the DOD Ovarian Cancer Collaborative Translational Research Award?

It is a Department of the Army (USAMRAA) funding opportunity under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), specifically within the Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP). The award supports collaborative translational ovarian cancer research intended to move strong laboratory findings closer to clinical application.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is W81XWH-09-OCRP-CTR.

Which program and agency are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is part of the CDMRP Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) and is administered by the Department of the Army through USAMRAA.

What does "collaborative translational research" mean in this award context?

In this announcement, the central idea is translation: advancing promising discoveries from strong laboratory findings toward real-world use in patient care. The award is geared toward research positioned to influence clinical practice in areas such as detection, imaging, and treatment decision-making.

How is this award different from earlier OCRP translational awards?

Introduced in FY09, this award builds on the earlier Translational Research Partnership Award offered in FY07 and FY08, with a continued and explicit push toward moving mature laboratory findings toward clinical application.

What is the main scientific focus area for FY09 applications?

For FY09, applications are accepted for research on initiation and precursor lesions in ovarian cancer, with an emphasis on the role of the fallopian tube in disease pathogenesis.

Why is the fallopian tube emphasized in the FY09 focus?

The announcement reflects growing interest (at the time) in the possibility that ovarian cancer may originate or be seeded from lesions in the fallopian tube, and it steers applicants toward clarifying early disease development and the biological steps leading to clinically apparent cancer.

What are the Areas of Emphasis that proposals should align with?

Within the FY09 focus theme, the announcement lists three Areas of Emphasis: (1) molecular understanding of disease heterogeneity; (2) validation of biomarkers for diagnosis; and (3) validation of biomarkers for molecular imaging and therapeutic response.

What does "molecular understanding of disease heterogeneity" refer to?

It refers to research recognizing that ovarian cancer is not a single uniform disease, and that differences among subtypes can influence prognosis and treatment response.

What is meant by "validation of biomarkers for diagnosis" in this opportunity?

It supports work that goes beyond initial biomarker discovery to robust confirmation that biomarkers can reliably detect disease or stratify patients.

What is meant by "validation of biomarkers for molecular imaging and therapeutic response"?

This area targets clinically actionable indicators that can help visualize disease, monitor it, or predict and measure how well therapies are working.

Is this award intended for single-lab projects or team-based projects?

The award is specifically designed to promote collaboration at scale. It encourages multi-institutional and multidisciplinary teams, particularly those integrating clinicians and laboratory scientists.

How important is collaboration to a competitive application?

Collaboration is described as a defining feature. The team structure is expected to be a core strength of the proposal rather than an add-on, with the intent of accelerating progress by combining clinical insight with laboratory expertise.

What type of impact is the program aiming for?

The program aims for meaningful, near-term impact on ovarian cancer outcomes or clinical approaches, especially by pushing mature findings closer to patient care.

What grant mechanism is used for this award?

The award uses a cooperative agreement grant mechanism.

What does it mean that the mechanism is a cooperative agreement?

Based on the announcement description, a cooperative agreement indicates the funder may have a more involved role than in a standard grant, potentially through coordination, milestones, or programmatic oversight.

What is the funding type and activity category listed?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, with a funding activity category of Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

How much total funding is estimated for this opportunity?

The total estimated funding listed is $2,000,000.

How many awards are expected to be made?

The announcement indicates an expectation of 1 award.

Does the opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?

No. Cost sharing or matching is not required.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement.

What are the key dates for this opportunity?

The posted/creation date is January 23, 2009. The original and current closing date is June 2, 2009. The archive date is July 2, 2009.

Is this opportunity still open?

Based on the dates provided, the closing date is June 2, 2009 and the archive date is July 2, 2009.

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The CFDA number listed is 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development).

Where can applicants get help accessing the full announcement?

The announcement lists contact points for assistance accessing the full announcement through the CDMRP Help Desk, including email and phone contacts.

Where can applicants get help with electronic submission?

The announcement identifies electronic submission assistance through the CDMRP Help Desk and associated email and phone contacts.

What kinds of research endpoints does the award seem to prioritize?

Based on the stated goals, the award prioritizes translational endpoints that move toward clinical utility, including improved detection, imaging, and treatment decision-making, and validation work that supports readiness for clinical application.

Does the FY09 announcement restrict topics to a specific area?

Yes. For FY09, it highlights and accepts applications within the theme of initiation and precursor lesions in ovarian cancer, emphasizing fallopian tube involvement in pathogenesis, and it further steers proposals toward the listed Areas of Emphasis.