DoD Lung Cancer, Concept Award | W81XWH 18 LCRP CA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 18 LCRP CA

The FY18 DoD Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Concept Award is designed to fund bold, early-stage ideas in lung cancer research that are genuinely new and potentially game-changing. The central purpose of this mechanism is to let investigators explore a highly innovative concept or an untested theory that targets an important lung cancer problem, especially when the idea is still too fresh or unconventional for traditional funding routes. Rather than supporting a predictable next step in an existing research line, the award is meant for high-risk work, including projects sparked by unexpected findings or serendipitous observations, where the payoff could be the opening of entirely new directions for the field.

A strong application under this opportunity needs to make a clear case that the proposed concept is novel and that it will meaningfully expand what is known about lung cancer or launch an innovative investigative path. The emphasis is on the idea itself and the quality of the rationale, not on how much prior work the team has already completed. In fact, providing preliminary data is considered inconsistent with the intent of the Concept Award. While applicants are not forbidden from including preliminary results, reviewers are not supposed to view preliminary data as the foundation of the proposal, and an application should not depend on it to be convincing. The expectation is that the project may generate the kind of early evidence that helps a principal investigator build toward a larger, future research proposal.

Military relevance is a defining feature of this funding opportunity. The LCRP is aligned with the healthcare needs of active duty Service members, Veterans, and their families, and this relevance is explicitly considered during programmatic review in relation to the Defense Health Program mission. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate military relevance in concrete ways, such as using military or VA patient populations, biospecimens, or data resources; leveraging DoD or VA programs; or collaborating directly with investigators at DoD military treatment facilities and laboratories or VA medical centers and research labs. The program also points to other ways to strengthen relevance, including involving military consultants (Army or Air Force) or Navy and Marine Corps specialty leaders connected to the Surgeons General in applicable clinical or scientific areas. Another valued angle is dual-use impact: showing how a resulting technology, tool, or knowledge product could address a military need while also benefiting civilian healthcare. The program highlights that lung cancer relevance for military communities can include considerations beyond tobacco, such as environmental or occupational exposures that may be more common or uniquely relevant in military settings.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary federal opportunity offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, administered through USAMRAA. The funding opportunity number is W81XWH-18-LCRP-CA, and the activity area is science and technology and other research and development (CFDA 12.420). The mechanism allows for either grants or cooperative agreements. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant entity types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The opportunity was created on May 3, 2018, with an original closing date of August 9, 2018, and it anticipated making around 14 awards.

In terms of budget, the Concept Award is intentionally modest to match its role as a catalyst for new ideas. The anticipated direct costs for the entire period of performance may not exceed $100,000, with additional details and restrictions referenced in the funding announcement’s budget and funding restrictions section. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as seed funding for imaginative, high-impact lung cancer concepts that can plausibly serve military and veteran health needs, generate early proof-of-concept results, and position teams for larger follow-on studies.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Lung Cancer, Concept Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 03, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 09, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for W81XWH 18 LCRP CA

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: