DoW Peer Reviewed Cancer, Idea Award

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) Idea Award (IA) supports innovative, untested, high-risk/potentially high-reward concepts, theories, paradigms, and/or basic cancer research. The advancement of knowledge in cancer research, patient care, and/or treatment options in the Military Health System (MHS) is critical to Service Members, Veterans, other military beneficiaries and the American public. Distinctive Features: The proposed project should demonstrate creative thinking and innovation. • Incremental advances, the next logical step, or switching a model system from one cancer to another cancer are not appropriate for this award. • Inclusion of preliminary data is not required; however, the project must be based on strong scientific rationale. • New for FY26: Early Career Investigator Option: The Early Career Investigator option is designed to support the continued development of promising independent investigators that are early in their faculty appointments.

Program Details

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA is a federal agency that offers the DoW Peer Reviewed Cancer, Idea Award grant program to support research innovation. This funding opportunity is available nationally and is administered by Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA through Grants.gov. Organizations seeking funding for research innovation should review the details below and confirm their eligibility before preparing an application.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include eligible organizations. Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply and to review the full program guidelines before submission. Because eligibility rules and funding priorities can change between cycles, applicants should always confirm the current requirements with Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA or on Grants.gov before investing time in an application.

Funding and Timeline

The application deadline is October 5, 2026 (79 days remaining). Applicants should allow sufficient time to gather required documentation, including organizational information, project descriptions, budgets, and supporting materials as specified in the program guidelines. Submitting a complete application well ahead of the deadline reduces the risk of disqualification on technical or administrative grounds.

Program Focus

This grant supports research innovation. This grant is associated with NAICS industry classifications: 541715, 336992, 624190. Organizations operating in these sectors are encouraged to review eligibility. Funded projects are expected to demonstrate measurable outcomes aligned with the program's stated objectives. Grant recipients may be required to submit progress reports and final evaluations as a condition of the award, and to retain records for audit and compliance purposes.

How to Apply

Eligible organizations can apply through Grants.gov. Create a free organization profile on GrantRegister to see whether this grant matches your organization's NAICS code, entity type, location, and focus area, and to receive a weekly digest of every open grant you qualify for.

GrantRegister maintains a complete, authoritative registry of US federal, state, and foundation grant opportunities — matched automatically to your organization profile and delivered every Monday.

Eligibility

• Funded by Army
• Programs related to veteran

Award details

Applications close on October 5, 2026 (79 days remaining).

Categories

Research Innovation