DoD Breast Cancer, Era of Hope Scholar Award | W81XWH 21 BCRP EOHS 2

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 BCRP EOHS 2

The DoD Breast Cancer, Era of Hope Scholar Award (funding opportunity number W81XWH 21 BCRP EOHS 2) is a Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program opportunity administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). It is offered as either a grant or a cooperative agreement and falls under science and technology research and development (CFDA 12.420). The program is designed to invest in people rather than narrow project proposals, with a focus on identifying early-career investigators who have already shown exceptional promise and who are positioned to become influential leaders in breast cancer research.

At its core, this award targets individuals viewed as the "best and brightest" based on an unusual track record of creativity, vision, innovation, and productivity. The emphasis is on the Principal Investigator (PI) as a change-agent: reviewers are looking for evidence that the applicant consistently thinks beyond standard approaches, can challenge prevailing assumptions in their field, and is likely to make a distinctive, high-impact contribution toward ending breast cancer. While the application will describe a research plan, the defining feature is the PI's overarching scientific vision and the likelihood that the PI's ideas will shift the direction of breast cancer research rather than simply extend existing work.

A key point is that prior experience specifically in breast cancer research is not required. The opportunity explicitly welcomes applicants from other disciplines, especially those who can bring fresh concepts, tools, or perspectives into breast cancer research. Even so, the proposed work must be clearly focused on breast cancer, and the PI must commit at least 50 percent of their full-time professional effort during the award period to breast cancer research. That effort can be met by combining this award with other active support, as long as the overall time commitment to breast cancer research reaches the required level.

Collaboration is built into the program expectations. Applicants are encouraged to assemble a research team that includes the expertise needed to accomplish the goals and to demonstrate a real capacity for productive partnerships. In addition to scientific collaborators, the award requires meaningful consumer engagement: the PI's research team must include two or more breast cancer consumer advocates. These advocates must be breast cancer survivors who are actively involved in a breast cancer advocacy organization, and their advocacy role must be independent of their employment. They also cannot be employees of any organization participating in the application, which is intended to preserve their independence and objectivity.

The consumer advocates are not included as symbolic participants; they are expected to provide informed, ongoing input that strengthens the research and keeps it grounded in patient realities and impact. The opportunity notes that these advocates should have strong knowledge of current breast cancer issues and enough background and/or training in breast cancer research to contribute meaningfully. Their role is framed as helping evaluate the relevance, feasibility, and potential benefit of the work for people who have breast cancer or who are at risk of developing it, ensuring the research stays aligned with patient needs and priorities throughout the project.

From an administrative perspective, the opportunity was created on April 26, 2021, with an original closing date of September 14, 2021. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The listing indicates an expectation of one award and shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically signals that applicants should rely on the full announcement for the actual funding limits and budget guidance rather than treating the listing field as a stated cap.

Overall, the Era of Hope Scholar Award is best understood as a prestigious, person-centered career acceleration mechanism within the DoD breast cancer portfolio. It seeks emerging scientific leaders with bold, unconventional ideas, a demonstrated ability to collaborate, and a clear commitment to dedicating substantial effort to breast cancer research, while also requiring authentic patient-advocate participation to keep the work focused on outcomes that matter to the breast cancer community.

• 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, Era of Hope Scholar 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 Sep 14, 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.

Apply for W81XWH 21 BCRP EOHS 2

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