DoW Rare Cancers Concept Award | HT942526RCRPCA

FY26 DoW Rare Cancers Concept Award (HT942526RCRPCA) - FAQs

What is the FY26 DoW Rare Cancers Concept Award?

It is a discretionary federal grant opportunity under the Department of Defense, administered through the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA). The award sits within the Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP) and supports science and technology research and development projects that propose truly new directions in rare cancer research.

What is the main purpose of this award?

The central purpose is to fund highly innovative, untested, and potentially groundbreaking concepts in rare cancer research. The program is designed for early, high-risk ideas that could open an entirely new line of investigation, rather than incremental advances along well-established research paths.

What kinds of projects are a good fit for this Concept Award?

Projects that introduce a novel idea with strong scientific rationale and transformative potential are the best fit. The opportunity emphasizes concepts that may establish new hypotheses, tools, mechanisms, models, or approaches for rare cancers, particularly where the idea is early-stage and not yet supported by extensive evidence.

Does this program require preliminary data?

No. Preliminary data are not required. This is a distinguishing feature of the opportunity and reflects an intentional focus on encouraging exploration of new, untested ideas in rare cancer research.

What does the program mean by “new directions” and “high-risk” research?

Based on the opportunity description, “new directions” refers to research that represents a new course of investigation for the field, not a modest extension of established work. “High-risk” refers to early-stage ideas that may not yet have extensive supporting evidence but are justified by a compelling scientific rationale and have the potential to be transformative if successful.

What is the required review approach for this funding opportunity?

The opportunity uses a strict blinded review process. This means application materials must be written so reviewers cannot identify who is proposing the work or where it will be conducted.

What identifying information is prohibited due to the blinded review?

The application materials must not contain identifying information or references that could reveal the Principal Investigator, collaborators, or any organizations. The prohibition applies specifically to the Project Narrative, Supporting Documentation, Impact Statement, Justification Statement, and Statement of Work.

Which application sections must be scrubbed of identifying details?

The program specifically prohibits identifying or referencing the Principal Investigator, collaborators, or any organizations in the following sections: Project Narrative, Supporting Documentation, Impact Statement, Justification Statement, and Statement of Work.

What happens if an application includes identifying information in a prohibited section?

Including identifying information can trigger administrative rejection. That means the application may be removed from consideration regardless of its scientific merit.

How should applicants write competitively under a blinded review process?

Applications should focus on the concept, scientific rationale, methods, and expected impact, while carefully avoiding names, institutional identifiers, and other contextual clues that could reveal the proposing individuals or organizations. The opportunity description highlights that competitive submissions should be concept-driven, tightly justified, and impact-focused, while being carefully scrubbed of identifying references.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, which generally indicates a wide range of entity types may apply, provided they can meet standard federal grant requirements.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this award?

The Funding Opportunity Number is HT942526RCRPCA.

Which program and agency administer this opportunity?

The award is within the Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP) and is administered through the Department of Defense via the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA).

What is the assistance listing / CFDA number?

The opportunity is categorized under CFDA number 12.420.

What type of funding instrument is this?

The funding instrument type is a grant.

How many awards are expected to be made?

The expected number of awards is 18.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on June 17, 2026.

What is the application closing date?

The posting lists an original closing date of September 30, 2026.

What is the maximum award amount (ceiling) for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is not stated in the provided listing. Applicants would need to consult the full announcement or related guidance to determine maximum allowable budgets and any constraints on costs, period of performance, or allowable expenses.

Is this award focused on incremental research improvements?

No. The emphasis is on concepts that introduce truly new directions rather than incremental advances along well-established paths.

What should an application clearly explain to align with the award’s intent?

Applications are expected to clearly explain what the novel idea is, why it is innovative in the context of rare cancer research, and how it represents a new course of investigation for the field.