DoD Breast Cancer, Breakthrough Award Level 3 | W81XWH 20 BCRP BTA3

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 BCRP BTA3

The DoD Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) Breakthrough Award Level 3 (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-20-BCRP-BTA3) is a Department of Defense grant/cooperative agreement opportunity run through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). Its overall purpose is to push forward breast cancer research that is genuinely capable of producing a major leap, not a small incremental improvement. Proposed projects are expected to be clearly patient-centered, meaning applicants need to spell out which breast cancer patients or which at-risk groups would ultimately benefit if the work succeeds, and why the proposed approach could become meaningfully better than what is already FDA-approved or currently in clinical development.

A defining feature of this mechanism is the emphasis on high-impact, breakthrough potential. The program is explicitly looking for work that can accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer and that plausibly opens the door to a fundamentally improved strategy for prevention, detection, or treatment. While the impact can be near-term or longer-term, the application has to make the case that the end result could be a substantial shift in the field rather than another modest advance. In practical terms, reviewers are being asked to look for ideas with a credible path to changing clinical practice or reshaping the development pipeline, supported by strong rationale and readiness.

This particular announcement covers Breakthrough Award Level 3, which is positioned as an advanced translational funding level with a high degree of project readiness. Applicants are expected to be far enough along that key enabling resources are already in hand or can be accessed reliably. Where it matters for the proposed work, the application must provide proof of availability of and access to essential elements such as datasets, human biospecimens, defined cohorts, and critical reagents. If the project is on a trajectory that would require FDA involvement, the proposal must also demonstrate access to the necessary clinical-grade reagents (for example, therapeutic molecules) and to appropriate patient populations. A central expectation at Level 3 is a realistic, credible timeline that shows how the project will move into near-term clinical investigation; small-scale clinical trials such as first-in-human or Phase I/Ib studies may fit within scope when well-justified and ready.

The Breakthrough Award structure is split across four funding levels, each with its own defined scope, and applicants are responsible for choosing the level that truly matches the work being proposed. The program makes it clear that the selection should be driven by scope and readiness rather than by budget preferences, and that proposals that do not align with the Level 3 intent may be rejected even if they would have fit a different level. (Levels 1 and 2 are addressed under W81XWH-20-BCRP-BTA12, and Level 4 under W81XWH-20-BCRP-BTA4.) This means applicants need to treat Level 3 as the “late translational/clinically poised” lane and ensure the supporting documentation and milestones are consistent with that.

Collaboration is actively encouraged through an optional Partnering PI structure that allows two principal investigators to apply together as co-leads with distinct roles. Under this model, one investigator is designated the Initiating PI and handles most submission-related administration, while the other is the Partnering PI; both, however, are expected to contribute substantially to the science, including the project narrative and the statement of work. If funded, each PI is named on an individual award within the recipient organization. The program expects applicants to explain why the partnership is necessary and how the combined expertise improves the project beyond what separate efforts could accomplish. While new collaborations are welcome, they are not mandatory, and the announcement discourages investigators from serving as a Partnering PI on multiple Level 3 applications unless those applications clearly address distinct research questions.

The solicitation also places strong weight on the strength and appropriateness of the research team. Applications are expected to bring together a robust set of skills and breast cancer-relevant expertise aligned with the translational and near-clinical nature of Level 3 work. In addition, consumer advocate involvement is not optional: each application must include at least two breast cancer consumer advocates who are integrated throughout planning and execution, not simply added for periodic feedback. These advocates must be breast cancer survivors (individuals diagnosed with breast cancer) and should be active in advocacy organizations. They cannot be employees of the participating organizations, and their participation must be independent of their employment. The intent is for advocates to provide objective, patient-informed input on the project’s goals, design, oversight, recruitment considerations, evaluation, and overall relevance and potential impact for people living with breast cancer or at elevated risk.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 12.420 and is categorized as discretionary funding within Science and Technology and other Research and Development. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The posting indicates an anticipated total of four awards. The opportunity was created on December 23, 2019, with an original closing date of June 24, 2020. The award ceiling is displayed as 0 in the provided record, which typically signals that applicants must rely on the program announcement for the actual allowable costs and limits rather than the summary field alone.

• 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, Breakthrough Award Level 3" 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 Dec 23, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 24, 2020. (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 4 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 20 BCRP BTA3

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