FY26 Breast Cancer Research Program: Breakthrough Award and Clinical Research Extension Award
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Quick Answer
The FY26 Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) is a Department of War grant program, managed by CDMRP, that funds high-impact breast cancer research with clinical relevance. FY26 includes two award mechanisms: the Breakthrough Award, offered at two funding levels ranging from $750,000 to $3.35M depending on level and whether a Partnering PI is included, and the Clinical Research Extension Award, which funds deeper analysis of existing clinical trial data at up to $8.4M. A pre-application through eBRAP and a letter of intent are required before the full application. The estimated application due date is September 30, 2026.
What This Opportunity Is
This funding opportunity comes from the Breast Cancer Research Program, part of the Department of War's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), operating under the Defense Health Agency's research and development structure. The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provided funding to support innovative, high-impact breast cancer research with clinical relevance, aimed at accelerating progress toward ending breast cancer for Service Members and their families, Veterans, and the general public.
FY26 BCRP includes two distinct award mechanisms, each suited to a different stage of research maturity. The Breakthrough Award is built for research ranging from early, high-risk ideas through late-stage, clinically validated work. The Clinical Research Extension Award is built specifically for teams that already have an open, ongoing, or completed clinical trial or study and want to extend the value of that existing data.
What the Program Is Looking For
Applications submitted to the FY26 BCRP must address one or more of the following overarching challenges.
Prevent breast cancer through primary prevention
Identify determinants of breast cancer initiation, risk, or susceptibility
Distinguish deadly from non-deadly breast cancers
Conquer the problems of overdiagnosis and overtreatment
Identify what drives breast cancer growth and determine how to stop it
Identify why some breast cancers become metastatic
Determine why and how breast cancer cells lie dormant for years and then re-emerge, and determine how to prevent lethal recurrence
Revolutionize treatment regimens by replacing them with ones that improve survival, are more effective, and are less toxic
Eliminate the mortality associated with metastatic breast cancer
In practical terms, this program is a strong fit for companies and research teams working in oncology diagnostics, breast cancer risk stratification, metastasis biology, dormancy and recurrence research, novel treatment regimens, and clinical biomarker validation tied to existing trial data.
Award Mechanism 1: Breakthrough Award
The Breakthrough Award supports promising research with high potential to lead to breakthroughs in breast cancer. Research must have the potential for major impact and must accelerate progress toward ending the disease. The award includes a Partnering PI option that supports meaningful, productive partnerships between two principal investigators.
The award is structured across three funding levels.
Funding Level 1 supports innovative, high-risk and high-reward research in the earliest stages of idea development. Preliminary data is not required at this level. Maximum allowable total costs are $750,000 for a Single PI application and $1.25M under the Partnering PI Option. Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Funding Level 2 supports research already backed by substantial preliminary or published data in breast cancer that strongly validates clinical translation. Maximum allowable total costs are $1.65M for a Single PI application and $2.50M under the Partnering PI Option. Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Funding Level 2, Population Science Studies is a variation of Funding Level 2 for studies analyzing human data and biospecimens that meet the same qualification standards. Maximum allowable total costs are $2.50M for a Single PI application and $3.35M under the Partnering PI Option. Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
The Grants.gov funding opportunity number for this mechanism is HT942526BCRPBTA122. A letter of intent is required prior to full application submission. Each investigator may be named as Principal Investigator or Initiating PI on one application and as Partnering PI on one additional application under this opportunity. Investigators named on an application submitted under the related opportunity HT942526BCRPBTA12 are not eligible to submit the same research project under HT942526BCRPBTA122.
Award Mechanism 2: Clinical Research Extension Award
The Clinical Research Extension Award supports projects that go deeper into clinical samples and data that already exist, rather than starting new trials. Eligible work includes deeper molecular analysis of clinical samples, initiation of new correlative studies, biomarker validation, or continuing clinical follow-up of patients enrolled in an open, ongoing, or completed clinical trial or study.
Proposed research may be hypothesis-testing, hypothesis-generating, or designed to generate experimental platforms. Projects that propose initiating new clinical trials or studies, or that propose increasing enrollment in existing studies, do not meet the intent of this award and should not apply under this mechanism.
This award requires applications to include two or more breast cancer consumer advocates on the research team, which is a distinctive requirement compared to the Breakthrough Award. It also includes a Partnering PI option.
Maximum allowable total costs are $7.0M for a Single PI application and $8.4M under the Partnering PI Option. Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
The Grants.gov funding opportunity number for this mechanism is HT942526BCRPCREA2. A letter of intent is required prior to full application submission. Each investigator may be named as PI, Initiating PI, or Partnering PI on a single application under this opportunity. Investigators named on an application submitted under the related opportunity HT942526BCRPCREA are not eligible to submit the same research project under HT942526BCRPCREA2.
Eligibility Snapshot
Breakthrough Award: open to investigators, with post-doctoral fellows specifically encouraged to be named on applications.
Clinical Research Extension Award: open to independent investigators.
Both mechanisms require a letter of intent before full application submission, and both offer a Partnering PI option for two-investigator collaborations.
Funding Details Summary
Breakthrough Award Funding Level 1: $750,000 Single PI, $1.25M Partnering PI, 3 year maximum period of performance
Breakthrough Award Funding Level 2: $1.65M Single PI, $2.50M Partnering PI, 3 year maximum period of performance
Breakthrough Award Funding Level 2, Population Science Studies: $2.50M Single PI, $3.35M Partnering PI, 4 year maximum period of performance
Clinical Research Extension Award: $7.0M Single PI, $8.4M Partnering PI, 4 year maximum period of performance
Timeline
Estimated application due date is September 30, 2026
This is currently a forecasted date. The official funding opportunity announcements, including finalized pre-application and full application deadlines, will be posted to Grants.gov under the funding opportunity numbers listed above.
How to Apply
Before submitting a full application, CDMRP requires investigators to submit a pre-application through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal, known as eBRAP, ahead of the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final funding opportunity announcements once posted on Grants.gov.
To find this and related CDMRP funding opportunities directly on Grants.gov, search using Assistance Listing number 12.420. Investigators can also subscribe to program specific email updates through the Email Subscriptions option on the eBRAP homepage to be notified as soon as the official announcements are released.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Breast Cancer Research Program? The Breast Cancer Research Program, or BCRP, is a Department of War research program managed by CDMRP that funds innovative, high-impact breast cancer research with clinical relevance, intended to accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer.
What award mechanisms are available under FY26 BCRP? FY26 BCRP includes two mechanisms: the Breakthrough Award, offered at multiple funding levels, and the Clinical Research Extension Award, which supports deeper analysis of data from existing clinical trials or studies.
How much funding is available under the Breakthrough Award? Funding Level 1 allows up to $750,000 for a Single PI or $1.25M with a Partnering PI. Funding Level 2 allows up to $1.65M for a Single PI or $2.50M with a Partnering PI. Funding Level 2 Population Science Studies allows up to $2.50M for a Single PI or $3.35M with a Partnering PI.
How much funding is available under the Clinical Research Extension Award? Up to $7.0M for a Single PI application or $8.4M under the Partnering PI Option.
Does the Breakthrough Award require preliminary data? Funding Level 1 does not require preliminary data, since it is designed for early-stage, high-risk and high-reward ideas. Funding Level 2 and Funding Level 2 Population Science Studies do require substantial preliminary or published data that strongly validates clinical translation.
Can the Clinical Research Extension Award be used to start a new clinical trial? No. This award is intended for deeper molecular analysis, new correlative studies, biomarker validation, or continued follow-up of patients already enrolled in an open, ongoing, or completed clinical trial or study. Proposals that initiate new trials or increase enrollment in existing studies do not meet the intent of this mechanism.
Does the Clinical Research Extension Award have any team composition requirements? Yes. Applications must include two or more breast cancer consumer advocates on the research team.
What is a Partnering PI? The Partnering PI option allows two principal investigators to collaborate on a single application, and is available under both the Breakthrough Award and the Clinical Research Extension Award.
Is a letter of intent required? Yes, for both award mechanisms, a letter of intent is required before the full application can be submitted.
What is eBRAP? eBRAP is the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal. CDMRP requires investigators to submit a pre-application through eBRAP before the pre-application deadline, prior to submitting a full application.
When is the application due? The estimated application due date is September 30, 2026, though this is currently a forecasted date pending the official funding opportunity announcements on Grants.gov.
What are the Grants.gov funding opportunity numbers? The Breakthrough Award funding opportunity number is HT942526BCRPBTA122. The Clinical Research Extension Award funding opportunity number is HT942526BCRPCREA2.
Where can I find the official announcements? The official funding opportunity announcements will be posted on Grants.gov. Investigators can search using Assistance Listing number 12.420 to find CDMRP opportunities, and can subscribe to updates through the eBRAP homepage.
