Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 BCRP TBCCA 2
The DoD Breast Cancer Transformative Breast Cancer Consortium Award (funding opportunity number W81XWH-21-BCRP-TBCCA-2) is a FY21 Breast Cancer Research Program opportunity from the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, USAMRAA) meant to fund one large, highly collaborative effort that can genuinely change the lived experience of people who have breast cancer or who are at risk for it. The central idea is not incremental progress or a set of loosely related projects, but a coordinated, paradigm-shifting research program that tackles a fundamental, field-wide problem in a way that could not be accomplished by a single lab, a single discipline, or a standard multi-PI arrangement. The program emphasizes disruption of the current "Breast Cancer Landscape" and expects the work to generate answers that are bold enough to reshape how the field understands and confronts breast cancer.
A defining feature of this award is its required consortium structure. Applicants must propose a consortium made up of at least four and no more than five teams, each running a distinct project, all tied tightly to a single central hypothesis. The consortium is led by a Consortium Director, while each team has its own Principal Investigator, and the teams must be multi-institutional: no more than two teams can come from the same institution. The application has to show that these projects are not simply parallel efforts. Instead, each component must be meaningfully interdependent and designed so that the overall hypothesis can only be tested and advanced through the combined work of the entire consortium.
The scientific bar is intentionally set very high. The funded work must be truly innovative and "brand-new" in the sense of shifting paradigms, not simply refining existing approaches. Proposed research topics can be anchored in one or more of the FY21 BCRP Overarching Challenges, or the applicant can argue for a different fundamental issue, but if a different issue is proposed it must still be coupled with at least one of the FY21 Overarching Challenges. The program also pushes applicants to bring together different disciplines using an "ecologic" approach, meaning the research plan should account for breast cancer in a broad, integrated way and connect perspectives that are often separated (for example, basic biology, prevention and risk, immunology, data science, engineering, clinical translation, behavioral or environmental factors, and patient-centered considerations). A strong proposal is expected to identify gaps that have not been adequately addressed before and to explain why the consortium is uniquely positioned to answer them.
Integration is not treated as an administrative checkbox in this mechanism; it is one of the main review expectations. Applications must lay out, in detail, how the teams will integrate their science and day-to-day research processes, not just how they will hold meetings or share updates. The notice is explicit that a communication plan and an administrative management plan alone are not enough, and neither is simply listing personnel who will participate across teams. The application needs to explain what will actually be shared or co-developed across the consortium (for example, shared data systems, harmonized assays, coordinated model development, unified patient or specimen resources, joint analytic pipelines, cross-team experimental designs, or iterative handoffs where one team generates outputs that are required inputs for other teams). The expectation is a synergistic research machine, not a collection of subawards.
The award is also designed to include flexibility for new ideas that emerge once the consortium is underway. It includes funding for "seed projects" intended to support brand-new, high-risk/high-reward concepts that arise during the award period, allowing the consortium to pursue unexpected but promising leads without needing a separate funding mechanism. This reflects the program's broader intent to accelerate progress by enabling rapid pivots when transformative opportunities appear.
In terms of what the award is not, the solicitation draws clear boundaries. It is not intended to replace, supplement, duplicate, or compete with other major collaborative research enterprises such as NCI SPOREs, and it should not look like a bundle of related program project-style subprojects assembled under one umbrella. It is also not meant for work that properly fits the scope of the FY21 BCRP Breakthrough Awards; if an idea aligns with those mechanisms, it should be submitted there rather than here. While the consortium can include phase 1 clinical trials and can collaborate with pharmaceutical or biotechnology partners when appropriate, a clinical trial is not required and should not be the dominant focus of the application. The primary thrust must remain transformative, integrated research aimed at ending breast cancer in a way that produces tangible benefits in people’s lives rather than improvements limited to research workflows or healthcare system processes.
Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary and supports funding via a cooperative agreement and/or grant under CFDA 12.420. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full notice). The posting indicates an expected single award, with an award ceiling not specified in the provided extract. The original closing date listed for the FY21 cycle was October 5, 2021, indicating this specific announcement reflects that fiscal year’s competition even though the program goals describe an ongoing strategic direction within the BCRP.Apply for W81XWH 21 BCRP TBCCA 2
- 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 Breast Cancer, Transformative Breast Cancer Research 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 Apr 26, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 05, 2021. (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 1 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.
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FAQs: DoD Breast Cancer Transformative Breast Cancer Consortium Award (W81XWH-21-BCRP-TBCCA-2)
What is this funding opportunity?
The Breast Cancer Transformative Breast Cancer Consortium Award (TBCCA) is a FY21 Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) opportunity from the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, USAMRAA). It is intended to fund one large, highly collaborative research effort designed to genuinely change the lived experience of people who have breast cancer or who are at risk for it.
What is the main goal of the TBCCA mechanism?
The goal is to support a coordinated, paradigm-shifting research program that disrupts the current "Breast Cancer Landscape." The program is meant to tackle a fundamental, field-wide problem in a way that cannot be accomplished by a single lab, a single discipline, or a standard multi-PI arrangement.
How is this award different from incremental or loosely connected multi-project programs?
This mechanism is not looking for incremental progress or a set of loosely related projects. It expects a tightly integrated consortium built around a single central hypothesis, where each project is meaningfully interdependent and the overall hypothesis can only be tested through the combined work of the entire consortium.
How many awards are expected?
The posting indicates an expected single award.
What type of funding instrument does this program use?
The opportunity supports funding via a cooperative agreement and/or grant.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 12.420.
Is eligibility restricted to specific organization types?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any additional eligibility language in the full notice.
What is required about the consortium structure?
Applicants must propose a consortium made up of at least four and no more than five teams. Each team runs a distinct project, and all projects must be tied tightly to a single central hypothesis.
Who leads the consortium and who leads the individual projects?
The consortium is led by a Consortium Director. Each team within the consortium has its own Principal Investigator (PI).
Are there limits on how many teams can come from the same institution?
Yes. The teams must be multi-institutional, and no more than two teams can come from the same institution.
Can the projects be run in parallel as separate workstreams?
No. The application must show that projects are not simply parallel efforts. Each component must be designed to be interdependent so that progress depends on coordinated work across the consortium.
How "innovative" does the research need to be?
The scientific bar is intentionally set very high. The funded work must be truly innovative and "brand-new" in the sense of shifting paradigms, not simply refining existing approaches.
Do proposed topics have to align with FY21 BCRP Overarching Challenges?
Proposed topics can be anchored in one or more FY21 BCRP Overarching Challenges. An applicant may also argue for a different fundamental issue, but if a different issue is proposed it must still be coupled with at least one of the FY21 Overarching Challenges.
What does the solicitation mean by an "ecologic" approach?
It means the research plan should account for breast cancer in a broad, integrated way and connect perspectives that are often separated. The opportunity encourages cross-disciplinary integration across areas such as basic biology, prevention and risk, immunology, data science, engineering, clinical translation, behavioral or environmental factors, and patient-centered considerations.
What is expected regarding scientific integration across the teams?
Integration is a main review expectation and is not treated as an administrative checkbox. Applications must explain in detail how teams will integrate their science and day-to-day research processes, including what will actually be shared or co-developed across the consortium.
Are communication plans and administrative management plans enough to meet the integration requirement?
No. The notice is explicit that a communication plan and an administrative management plan alone are not enough, and neither is simply listing personnel who will participate across teams.
What are examples of the kinds of integration this program expects?
The opportunity describes examples such as shared data systems, harmonized assays, coordinated model development, unified patient or specimen resources, joint analytic pipelines, cross-team experimental designs, and iterative handoffs where outputs from one team are required inputs for another.
Does the program allow the consortium to pursue new ideas that emerge during the project period?
Yes. The award includes funding for "seed projects" intended to support brand-new, high-risk/high-reward concepts that arise during the award period, allowing rapid pivots toward unexpected but promising leads.
Is this award intended to replace or compete with existing major collaborative programs like NCI SPOREs?
No. The solicitation states it is not intended to replace, supplement, duplicate, or compete with other major collaborative research enterprises such as NCI SPOREs.
Is this award meant to look like a set of program project-style subprojects under one umbrella?
No. It should not look like a bundle of related program project-style subprojects assembled under one umbrella. The emphasis is on a single, interdependent, hypothesis-driven consortium designed as a synergistic "research machine."
How does this opportunity relate to the FY21 BCRP Breakthrough Awards?
The solicitation indicates this mechanism is not meant for work that properly fits the scope of the FY21 BCRP Breakthrough Awards. If an idea aligns with those mechanisms, it should be submitted there rather than to the TBCCA.
Are clinical trials required?
No. A clinical trial is not required.
Can the consortium include Phase 1 clinical trials?
Yes. The consortium can include Phase 1 clinical trials, but a clinical trial should not be the dominant focus of the application.
Can applicants collaborate with pharmaceutical or biotechnology partners?
Yes. The consortium can collaborate with pharmaceutical or biotechnology partners when appropriate.
What should the primary thrust of the research be?
The primary thrust must remain transformative, integrated research aimed at ending breast cancer in a way that produces tangible benefits in people's lives, rather than improvements limited to research workflows or healthcare system processes.
Is the award ceiling specified in the information provided?
No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided extract.
What was the closing date for the FY21 cycle shown in the posting?
The original closing date listed for the FY21 cycle was October 5, 2021.
Does the FY21 closing date mean this is still an open competition?
The information provided indicates the announcement reflects the FY21 competition (with an October 5, 2021 closing date). The text also notes that the program goals describe an ongoing strategic direction within the BCRP, but no current open/close status is provided in the extract.
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