DoW Rare Cancers Idea Development Award
🏛 Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA (DOD-AMRAA)
Can you apply?
This grant is for early-stage cancer research investigators studying rare cancers. Researchers at academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, government laboratories, and small businesses may apply. The award supports exploratory and discovery-driven research with high potential impact on rare cancer treatment and patient outcomes. Preliminary data with disease-specific rationale are required to demonstrate project readiness.
Program description
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP) Idea Development Award (IDA) promotes ideas that are ready for further development and have the potential to yield high-impact findings and new avenues of investigation.
Distinctive Features:
- The RCRP encourages applicants to include an exploratory aim or sub-aim to support any necessary discovery-driven research.
- Preliminary data with disease-specific rationale are required. However, these data do not necessarily need to originate from studies of the proposed rare cancer type(s)/subtype(s) under study.
- Research should have high potential impact on rare cancers and the patient community.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Research Proposal
- Preliminary Data section
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Biographical Sketch(es) of key personnel
- Letters of Support/Commitment
Program contact
- 👤 JoAnn Martin Grantor
- 📧 help@eBRAP.org
- 📞 301-619-2594
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 12.420 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$2,265,729,366
-
$800,631,761
-
$74,531,880
-
$67,205,571
-
$53,846,370
-
$34,191,124
-
$24,907,742
-
$21,394,379
-
$19,100,256
-
$19,002,641
Top States by Funding
- MD 10 awards $3,150.1M
- NC 11 awards $132.3M
- FL 8 awards $99.8M
- CA 11 awards $99.3M
- TX 8 awards $76.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 12.420). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,483,968,520 | |
| 2025 | $1,201,153,417 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this award?
Researchers at academic institutions, nonprofit research organizations, government laboratories, and small businesses are eligible. Your institution must have appropriate research credentials and compliance infrastructure.
What is the deadline?
The deadline is November 18, 2026. This is a fixed, single deadline with no rolling acceptance.
What kind of research does this award support?
It supports early-stage, idea-development research on rare cancers. The program encourages exploratory aims and discovery-driven work with preliminary data demonstrating feasibility.
How competitive is this award?
This is moderately competitive. The $7.35M funding pool supports multiple awards. Strong preliminary data and clear rare cancer relevance significantly strengthen competitiveness.
What is the typical award size?
Award amounts are not specified in this announcement. Contact the program officer for typical funding range and project duration expectations.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Include preliminary data that demonstrates project feasibility, even if from a different rare cancer type. Show clear rationale for your specific focus.
- Emphasize high-impact potential on the patient community. Explain why understanding this rare cancer matters and what clinical benefit could result.
- Use an exploratory aim to frame discovery-driven elements. This approach aligns with the program's distinctive feature supporting new research directions.
- Address the rare cancer focus clearly. Document the specific subtype(s) you're studying and explain why current knowledge is insufficient.
- Engage a program officer early. Clarify award size, project duration, and whether your research scope fits the program's expectations before investing application effort.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting without preliminary data or with insufficiently strong feasibility evidence. Failing to clearly articulate high-impact potential on rare cancer patients and the broader research field. Proposing research on common cancers or failing to justify rare cancer focus.
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