DoD Lung Cancer, Idea Development Award | W81XWH 18 LCRP IDA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 18 LCRP IDA

The FY18 DoD Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Idea Development Award is designed to fund early-stage research ideas that are not yet fully developed but have a clear path to generating impactful new data and opening up fresh directions in lung cancer investigation. The main aim is to support conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward projects that could produce critical discoveries or major advances and, over time, help accelerate progress toward reducing deaths and suffering from lung cancer. Proposals are expected to be grounded in a strong scientific rationale and to present a well-formulated, testable hypothesis rather than a purely exploratory concept.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on innovation and potential impact. The program is looking for projects that introduce new paradigms, challenge existing assumptions, or approach persistent problems from genuinely new angles. Reviewers are instructed that strong science alone is not enough if the application does not clearly demonstrate innovation and high potential impact; applications that are scientifically solid but incremental or insufficiently transformative are not considered a fit for the intent of this mechanism. Because of that, the burden is on the principal investigator to explicitly explain what is novel about the approach, why it matters, and how it could move the field forward in a meaningful way, including how it could ultimately benefit lung cancer patients even if near-term clinical translation is not the immediate endpoint.

The award also places strong weight on military relevance. The LCRP is part of the Department of Defense health research enterprise and prioritizes work that aligns with the healthcare needs of Service members, Veterans, and their families, while still being relevant to the broader American public. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate this relevance in practical terms, such as using military or VA patient populations, biospecimens, or databases; building collaborations with investigators at DoD military treatment facilities and laboratories or at VA medical centers and research labs; involving military consultants or specialty leaders connected to the Surgeons General; or describing how resulting knowledge, products, or technologies could be implemented in a dual-use way that addresses military needs and also benefits civilians. The opportunity explicitly notes that military relevance can include lung cancer factors beyond tobacco exposure, such as environmental or occupational exposures that may be especially pertinent to military populations.

Another major component is support for early-career researchers through a dedicated New Investigator category. Independent investigators who are within 10 years of their first faculty appointment (or equivalent) are encouraged to apply under this category, which is structured so New Investigator applications compete separately from those submitted by established investigators during peer and programmatic review. New Investigators are strongly encouraged to collaborate with experienced lung cancer researchers or partners with complementary expertise, and the application must explain how these collaborations strengthen the team and fill gaps in the PI’s background in order to address the research question effectively. All New Investigator applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements detailed in the full announcement.

While the award backs early-stage ideas, it still requires preliminary data to demonstrate feasibility of the hypothesis and approach. Importantly, those supporting data do not have to come from lung cancer studies specifically; feasibility evidence from related areas can be acceptable as long as it credibly supports the proposed methods and the likelihood of success.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary Department of Defense funding opportunity managed by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), listed under CFDA 12.420, and offered as either a grant or cooperative agreement depending on the award structure. Eligibility is broadly “unrestricted,” meaning it is generally open to a wide range of applicant organizations, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice. For FY18, the program anticipated making about six awards. The anticipated direct costs for the entire period of performance are capped at $350,000 (direct costs only), with additional details and restrictions referenced in the funding announcement’s budget guidance. The specific opportunity identification is W81XWH-18-LCRP-IDA, with an original posting date of May 3, 2018 and an original closing date of September 26, 2018.

• 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, Idea Development 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 Sep 26, 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 6 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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