DOD Ovarian Cancer, Investigator-Initiated Research Award

The Department of Defense (DoD) through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) has released the FY25 Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award (IIRA) under funding opportunity number HT942525OCRPIIRA. This initiative aims to support high-impact, patient-centered research that addresses critical needs in the field of ovarian cancer. Administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) and U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), the program promotes scientific studies ranging from basic to translational research but excludes clinical trials. The program is intended for researchers at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent), and allows applications from a wide range of organizations, including domestic and international academic institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, and other public or private entities. A key feature is the Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option, which enables two investigators to collaborate on a single project, each receiving a separate award. This collaborative approach is meant to produce synergistic results that exceed what individual efforts could accomplish. Applicants must submit a two-step application beginning with a pre-application through eBRAP.org by June 12, 2025. Selected applicants will be invited to submit full applications via Grants.gov (for extramural applicants) or eBRAP (for intramural DOD applicants) by September 11, 2025. Awards will be made by September 30, 2026, and funded projects may last up to four years. Applications are evaluated through a rigorous two-tier process involving both peer and programmatic review. Funding includes up to $1.05 million in total costs for single PI applications and up to $1.4 million for partnering PI applications. Approximately $8.05 million is anticipated to be allocated to fund around seven projects. Eligible costs include travel for collaboration and dissemination, but do not include tuition or clinical trial expenses. Cost sharing is not required. Evaluation criteria include the scientific rationale, relevance to one of six Areas of Emphasis (e.g., novel therapies, prevention strategies, early detection), and the impact of the research on the well-being of Service Members, Veterans, their families, and women affected by ovarian cancer. Full application materials must include detailed narratives, abstracts, statements of work, and supporting documentation. Additional requirements apply for research involving animals or human data. For technical support or questions, applicants may contact the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or 301-682-5507, and Grants.gov support at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726. Strict submission guidelines apply, and any deviation from the proposal described in the pre-application may result in administrative withdrawal.