DoD Rare Cancers, Idea Development Award
The DoD FY25 Rare Cancers Idea Development Award supports early-stage research with preliminary data that could significantly impact rare cancer treatment.
Funder: Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA
Due Dates: July 1, 2025 (Pre-Application) | October 6, 2025 (Full Application, by invitation)
Funding Amounts: Up to $490,000 total costs (direct + indirect) per award | Up to 3 years | ~14 awards, $6.86M total program
Summary: Supports early-stage, high-impact research on rare cancers with required preliminary data and strong disease rationale.
Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed; research must address at least one of three focus areas (biology, pre-clinical models, therapy).
Description
This opportunity, offered by the Department of Defense's Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP), Idea Development Award (IDA), is designed to support innovative, early-stage research projects that have the potential to yield impactful data and open new avenues for rare cancer investigation. The program specifically targets research that could lead to significant advances in understanding, diagnosing, or treating rare cancers—defined as those affecting six or fewer persons per 100,000 per year in the United States.
Projects must be supported by preliminary data with a disease-specific rationale, though the data do not have to be from the exact rare cancer type proposed. The research should have a high potential impact on rare cancer outcomes and the patient community. Applications are encouraged to include exploratory aims or sub-aims to support discovery-driven research.
Clinical trials are not permitted under this mechanism. Research must address at least one of the following focus areas:
- Biology: Disease-defining molecular pathways, cell context, and microenvironment.
- Pre-Clinical Research Model: Development and validation of rare tumor-specific models for clinical trial readiness.
- Therapy: Identification of novel therapeutic strategies, including drug repurposing.
