DoD Lung Cancer, Career Development Award | W81XWH 18 LCRP CDA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 18 LCRP CDA

The DoD Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Career Development Award (FY18) is designed to help early-career investigators launch strong, independent research careers focused on lung cancer. The core idea is to pair an early-stage principal investigator with a well-established lung cancer mentor and provide funding plus structured career development so the investigator can build skills, generate impactful findings, and move toward research independence. The program is discovery-oriented, meaning it is meant to support research that can open new directions or produce meaningful advances rather than incremental work. Partnerships and submissions involving Department of Defense (DoD) military treatment facilities and laboratories, as well as Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and research labs, are strongly encouraged.

A defining feature of this opportunity is that preliminary data are not required. Instead, proposals are expected to be built on clear logical reasoning and a strong scientific rationale that makes the project believable and compelling even without prior results. In practice, this means reviewers will look closely at whether the hypothesis and approach are well-justified, whether the plan is feasible, and whether the work has a realistic path to producing knowledge that matters in lung cancer.

Eligibility and project structure are tightly tied to career stage and mentorship. The principal investigator must be a research scientist or physician-scientist who is still early in their independent career, specifically within five years of their first faculty appointment (or an equivalent position). The award is intended for investigators who can demonstrate a serious commitment to building a long-term lung cancer research career. The mentor must be an experienced lung cancer researcher with a strong track record of funding and peer-reviewed publications, and they must also show a genuine commitment to the PI's development, not just provide nominal oversight.

Career development is not an add-on here; it is a central requirement. Applicants must submit a formal Career Development Plan created with input from the mentor. That plan should spell out a practical strategy for gaining the skills, expertise, and professional momentum needed to operate at the forefront of lung cancer research. It should explain how the PI will deepen or broaden their lung cancer research experience, what training or mentorship activities will occur, and how the project will position them for future independence. Because the award is meant to protect time for research and training, the applicant's institution must commit to at least 40 percent protected time for the PI to conduct the lung cancer research supported by the award, with more protected time described as highly desirable.

Impact and military relevance are major review themes. The research must be framed as having high potential impact, meaning it could plausibly lead to major advances and accelerate progress toward reducing deaths and suffering from lung cancer. At the same time, the application must clearly explain how the work is relevant to military beneficiaries, including active-duty Service members, Veterans, and their families. Military relevance is explicitly considered during programmatic review as part of alignment with the Defense Health Program mission and the FY18 LCRP priorities.

The announcement provides concrete examples of how an application can demonstrate military relevance. These include using military or VA patient populations, biospecimens, or data resources; collaborating with DoD or VA investigators; involving military consultants or specialty leaders tied to the Surgeons General in relevant clinical areas; and describing how any resulting knowledge, products, or technologies could be implemented in a dual-use way that meets military needs while also benefiting civilians. Applicants are also encouraged to address lung cancer issues that have direct relevance to military populations, including environmental or occupational exposures other than tobacco. Overall, the project must be relevant to active-duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the general public, but the military connection should be made explicit and credible rather than implied.

From a funding standpoint, the award is offered by the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, USAMRAA) under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-18-LCRP-CDA. The instrument type can be a grant or a cooperative agreement. The anticipated maximum direct costs for the entire period of performance are capped at $250,000. The original posting date was May 3, 2018, with an original closing date of September 26, 2018, and the program expected to make about three awards. The listing identifies the CFDA number as 12.420 and notes that eligibility is broadly open (unrestricted) subject to any additional limits described in the full announcement.

• 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 Lung Cancer, Career Development 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 May 03, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 26, 2018. (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 3 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 18 LCRP CDA

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