DoW Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Level 4 | Apply Online

FY26 BCRP Breakthrough Award Level 4 (HT942526BCRPBTA4) - FAQs

1) What is the FY26 Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) Breakthrough Award Level 4?

It is a Department of the Army (USAMRAA) funding opportunity intended to support ambitious, high-impact breast cancer research projects that are positioned to produce meaningful breakthroughs. The mechanism is framed around work that could change understanding, practice, or outcomes in breast cancer, with clear clinical relevance.

2) What is the main goal of this award mechanism?

The main goal is to fund non-incremental breast cancer research that tackles major problems in the field and has a clear line of sight toward clinical relevance, ideally producing results that could meaningfully influence patient care or accelerate adoption of impactful advances.

3) Is this award intended for incremental or early exploratory research?

No. The core expectation is that the proposed work is not incremental. The program is positioned to back research that is ambitious and designed to produce a major advance rather than small stepwise progress.

4) How clinically focused is Breakthrough Award Level 4 compared to other levels?

Level 4 is described as the most clinically focused of the Breakthrough Award levels in this announcement. It is explicitly centered on clinical trials and research maturity appropriate for testing in human participants.

5) Are clinical trials required under this opportunity?

Yes. Breakthrough Award Level 4 explicitly requires clinical trials. This indicates the program is looking for projects that are ready for, or centered on, evaluating interventions, strategies, or approaches in human participants.

6) What does the clinical trial requirement imply about the maturity of the project?

It implies the research should be sufficiently mature to be evaluated in a clinical trial context, rather than remaining at earlier-stage discovery or purely preclinical development.

7) What kinds of outcomes does the program appear to prioritize?

Based on the description provided, the program prioritizes outcomes that could directly inform patient care, shift clinical practice, change understanding of breast cancer in meaningful ways, or speed the adoption of advances with real-world impact.

8) Do proposed projects need to align with specific FY26 program priorities?

Yes. Projects are expected to align with at least one of the program's FY26 overarching challenges, or clearly explain why an exception is warranted.

9) What if a project does not align with an FY26 overarching challenge?

The opportunity indicates an exception may be possible, but the application is expected to clearly explain why an exception is warranted.

10) What is meant by "patient-centeredness" and stakeholder engagement in this award?

The opportunity emphasizes that research should reflect patient priorities and be grounded in the lived realities of people affected by breast cancer. This is reflected in a required role for breast cancer consumer advocates within the research team.

11) Are breast cancer consumer advocates required?

Yes. Each research team must include two or more breast cancer consumer advocates.

12) How many consumer advocates must be included on the research team?

At least two breast cancer consumer advocates are required.

13) What role are consumer advocates expected to play?

The description suggests advocates should have real, ongoing roles, which may include shaping research questions, trial design and feasibility, participant experience, recruitment and retention approaches, ethical considerations, and dissemination of results.

14) Does the opportunity specify how advocates must be integrated into the project?

The provided information does not lay out a specific required structure, but it signals that advocate involvement should be meaningful and continuous, not token participation.

15) What funding instrument is used for this award?

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument.

16) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates more substantial involvement by the funding agency than a standard grant. The text does not describe the exact oversight model for this opportunity, but it notes that cooperative agreements often involve active collaboration, coordination requirements, or programmatic input from the sponsor during the project period, particularly for complex projects like clinical trials.

17) Who is the sponsoring/administrating organization for this funding opportunity?

It is a discretionary funding opportunity with the Department of the Army, managed through USAMRAA (U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity).

18) What is the opportunity number for this announcement?

The opportunity number is HT942526BCRPBTA4.

19) What is the closing date for this opportunity?

The original closing date is September 30, 2026.

20) How many awards does the program anticipate making?

The program anticipates making one award.

21) Is eligibility restricted to certain types of organizations?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, which generally suggests a wide range of applicant organizations may be allowed, subject to standard federal and program rules.

22) What is the CFDA listing or category associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, with CFDA 12.420.

23) Can this opportunity be submitted with a single Principal Investigator (PI)?

Yes. The application structure allows either a single PI or a two-PI Partnering PI Option.

24) What is the two-PI Partnering PI Option?

Under the partnering option, there are two leaders designated as the Initiating PI and the Partnering PI.

25) Who submits the pre-application under the Partnering PI Option?

Only the Initiating PI submits the pre-application.

26) What is required at the full application stage under the Partnering PI Option?

At the full application stage, both the Initiating PI application and the Partnering PI application must be submitted.

27) What happens if required associated submissions are missing by the deadline?

The announcement flags that if all required associated submissions are not received by the deadline, the application package may be administratively withdrawn, meaning it can be removed from consideration without scientific review.

28) Does the provided information include a funding ceiling or maximum budget?

No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided source. Applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget limits and related financial requirements.

29) Does the provided information include allowable costs or performance period details?

No. The text notes that applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget limits, allowable costs, performance period expectations, and clinical trial-specific requirements.

30) Does the provided information describe clinical trial-specific compliance requirements?

Not in detail. It states that clinical trials are required and indicates that applicants should consult the full announcement for clinical trial-specific requirements.