Breakthrough Award (Funding Levels 1–4)
The BCRP Breakthrough Award funds innovative research with the potential to transform breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, or treatment at all stages, from basic science to clinical trials.
Funder: Military Health System Research Program
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2026: Pre-application deadline (letter of intent for Funding Levels 1–2; preproposal for Funding Levels 3–4) | September 2026: Full application deadline (by invitation)
Funding Amounts: Funding Level 1: up to $750,000 (Single PI)/$1.25M (Partnering PI); Level 2: up to $1.65M–$2.5M (Single PI)/$2.5M–$3.35M (Partnering PI); Level 3: up to $5.6M (Single PI)/$7M (Partnering PI); Level 4: up to $21M; project periods 3–4 years.
Summary: Supports innovative, high-impact breast cancer research at multiple stages, aiming for transformative advances in prevention, diagnosis, or treatment.
Key Information: Pre-application required; only one application per PI allowed at Levels 1–2.
Description
The Breakthrough Award from the Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP), managed by the Military Health System Research Program, is designed to fund research with the potential to make significant advances in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The award seeks projects that go beyond incremental progress and have the potential to fundamentally shift paradigms or introduce new, more effective strategies to end breast cancer. Four funding levels are available, each tailored to different research stages—from early high-risk ideas to transformative clinical trials. The program strongly encourages collaboration through the Partnering Principal Investigator option and requires inclusion of consumer advocates for advanced funding levels. Projects must address one or more overarching BCRP challenges, such as prevention, distinguishing deadly from non-deadly cancers, or revolutionizing treatment regimens.
