DoD Ovarian Cancer Teal Innovator Award | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the DoD Ovarian Cancer Teal Innovator Award?

The DoD Ovarian Cancer Teal Innovator Award (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-11-OCRP-TIA) is a U.S. Department of the Army (USAMRAA) funding opportunity under the Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP). It is designed to bring a highly accomplished, visionary leader into ovarian cancer research, especially someone whose primary work is outside the ovarian cancer field.

What is the main goal of this award?

The main goal is recruitment: identifying and supporting an exceptional investigator who can redirect creativity, innovation, and leadership toward ovarian cancer in ways that challenge conventional approaches. The award is structured to enable paradigm-shifting, high-risk, high-reward research that could materially change ovarian cancer science or patient care.

Who is this award intended to fund?

This award is intended for a standout Principal Investigator who is primarily working outside the ovarian cancer field (though not necessarily exclusively) and who can bring tools, theories, or technologies from other disciplines into ovarian cancer research in a novel and credible way.

Does the Principal Investigator need to have experience leading a research team?

Yes. A central requirement is that the proposed Principal Investigator must demonstrate experience guiding a research team and have the leadership capacity to drive a bold, unconventional research direction.

What types of research does the program emphasize?

The program emphasizes unconventional or transformative concepts in ovarian cancer rather than incremental advances. The intent is to support ambitious ideas that may be high risk but have the potential for high reward and major impact.

What does "high-risk, high-reward" mean in the context of this award?

In this context, it refers to research that may be less certain to succeed using traditional measures, but that could produce a major breakthrough or shift in how ovarian cancer is understood or treated if successful.

Is the award specifically looking for investigators outside ovarian cancer research?

Yes. The core concept is to bring in a leader who is primarily outside the ovarian cancer field and can apply approaches from other disciplines to ovarian cancer questions in a way that challenges standard thinking.

What kinds of outside disciplines are mentioned as examples?

The announcement provides examples such as engineering, computational sciences, physics, systems biology, and other areas, as potential sources of tools or approaches that could be applied in novel ways to ovarian cancer research.

How should an applicant demonstrate that their idea is credible despite being unconventional?

Applicants are expected to articulate a compelling vision for applying approaches from another discipline to ovarian cancer, with enough credibility and planning to justify Department of Defense investment despite the inherent risk.

What level of recognition is expected for the Teal Innovator?

The Teal Innovator must be highly recognized in their home field and provide evidence of that recognition. The intent is to fund someone with national or international stature and a track record demonstrating influence and intellectual independence.

What are examples of recognition mentioned in the announcement?

Examples include holding an endowed chair or being elected to prominent professional or national academies and organizations such as IEEE, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, or the Institute of Medicine. The announcement also notes that other forms of national or international stature may qualify.

Is eligibility restricted to certain organization types?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to a broad range of applicant entities, with any limits only as clarified in the full announcement.

What types of organizations are explicitly welcomed to apply?

The program explicitly welcomes applicants from academic institutions, government agencies, private-sector organizations, small businesses, biotechnology companies, and professional societies.

What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?

The funding mechanism is described as a cooperative agreement/grant within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, under CFDA 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development).

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement states that cost sharing or matching is not required.

How many awards were expected to be made?

The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1).

What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount listed is $4,000,000.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on April 20, 2011. The original and current closing date was August 18, 2011.

What does the archive date mean here, and what was it?

The listing includes an archive date of September 17, 2011. Based on the information provided, this indicates the opportunity was archived after the closing period.

Who should be contacted for access issues related to the full announcement?

For access issues related to the full announcement, the listing provides the CDMRP Help Desk phone number: 301-682-5507.