DoD Breast Cancer Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2

Summary: Supports promising research that has high potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer. All applications must address at least one of the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) overarching challenges, unless adequate justification for exception is provided. Applications must address the challenge in a way that can lead to or make a breakthrough and have major impact. The FY25 Breakthrough Award mechanism contains three different funding levels designed to support major (but not all) stages of research that will lead to clinical application. Each level has a defined research scope. The current program announcement discusses the Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2.

Distinctive Features:

This funding mechanism allows for applications submitted under Funding Level 1 or Funding Level 2. Funding Level 2 also includes a Population Science and Prevention Studies option. With compelling justification, population science and prevention studies may request higher levels of funding and an additional year in the period of performance.

This funding mechanism allows for a single Principal Investigator (PI), or two partnering PIs referred to as the Initiating PI and the Partnering PI. For the Partnering PI Option (PPIO), only the Initiating PI will submit a pre-application, but both PIs will need to submit at the full application stage. Be advised, applications may be withdrawn if both the initiating and partnering applications are not submitted by the full application deadline or if the initiating or partnering application is administratively withdrawn.