DoD Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2

The Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 under the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) is funded through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). The BCRP was initiated by Congress in 1992 and is managed by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. The BCRP’s mission is to end breast cancer for Service Members and their families, veterans, and the general public. Since inception, over $4.39 billion has been appropriated through FY24, with an FY25 appropriation of $130 million. This opportunity supports innovative, high-impact research with strong potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer, focusing on fundamental shifts in understanding or treatment. The Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 funding opportunity is structured to support varying research scopes: Level 1 supports early-stage, high-risk/high-reward ideas without requiring preliminary data, while Level 2 supports projects with substantial preliminary data demonstrating strong translational potential. A special Level 2 track supports Population Science and Prevention Studies, permitting higher funding and longer durations if compellingly justified. Applicants must address at least one of the BCRP’s FY25 overarching challenges, which include prevention, differentiation of lethal vs. non-lethal cancers, minimizing overdiagnosis/overtreatment, and understanding and halting metastasis or recurrence. Clinical trials are not allowed, but clinical research involving human subjects, specimens, and data is permitted. Partnerships between principal investigators (Partnering PI Option) are encouraged but must be substantively collaborative and balanced. Eligibility spans extramural and intramural organizations, both foreign and domestic, including nonprofits, academic institutions, small and large businesses, and government entities outside the DOD. Investigators at all academic levels, including postdoctoral fellows (with a required Mentorship Statement), may apply. Each investigator can only serve as PI or Initiating PI on one application per funding level. There is no cost-sharing requirement. The two-step application process requires a pre-application (Letter of Intent) submitted through eBRAP by August 27, 2025, and a full application submitted via Grants.gov (extramural) or eBRAP (intramural DOD) by September 10, 2025. The application must adhere to detailed structural and content guidelines outlined in the program announcement. Peer review will occur in November 2025, followed by programmatic review in January 2026. Final awards will be issued by September 30, 2026. Awards may be up to $750,000 for Level 1 (single PI), $1.25 million for Level 1 (Partnering PI Option), $1.65 million for Level 2 (single PI), $2.5 million for Level 2 (Partnering PI Option), and up to $3.35 million for Level 2 Population Science and Prevention Studies (Partnering PI Option), with performance periods ranging from 3 to 4 years. All applications must include a Statement of Work, and proposals must not include clinical trial costs. Contact for support includes eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org, 301-682-5507 and Grants.gov support at support@grants.gov, 800-518-4726.

Ensure consistency across pre-application and full application. Avoid duplication. Refer to the checklist.