Summary: Supports promising research that has high potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer. All applications must address at least one of the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) overarching challenges, unless adequate justification for exception is provided. Applications must address the challenge in a way that can lead to or make a breakthrough and have major impact. The FY25 Breakthrough Award mechanism contains three different funding levels designed to support major (but not all) stages of research that will lead to clinical application. Each level has a defined research scope. The current program announcement discusses the Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2.
• This funding mechanism allows for applications submitted under Funding Level 1 or Funding Level 2. Funding Level 2 also includes a Population Science and Prevention Studies option. With compelling justification, population science and prevention studies may request higher levels of funding and an additional year in the period of performance.
• This funding mechanism allows for a single Principal Investigator (PI), or two partnering PIs referred to as the Initiating PI and the Partnering PI. For the Partnering PI Option (PPIO), only the Initiating PI will submit a pre-application, but both PIs will need to submit at the full application stage. Be advised, applications may be withdrawn if both the initiating and partnering applications are not submitted by the full application deadline or if the initiating or partnering application is administratively withdrawn.
Deadlines:
• Required Pre-Application Deadline: Aug. 27, 2025
• Application Submission Deadline: Sep. 10, 2025
Considering the current breast cancer landscape and the program’s mission, the BCRP seeks to invest in research that addresses the following overarching challenges:
• Prevent breast cancer (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; determine how to stop it
• Identify why some breast cancers become metastatic
• Determine why/how breast cancer cells lie dormant for years and then re-emerge; determine how to prevent lethal recurrence
• Revolutionize treatment regimens by replacing them with ones that are more effective, less toxic, and impact survival
• Eliminate the mortality associated with metastatic breast cancer
Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent) are eligible to be named as a PI, Initiating PI, or Partnering PI on an application.
Applications are encouraged for postdoctoral fellows. A Mentorship Statement (Attachment 9) is required for applications submitted with a PI who is a postdoctoral fellow.
Each investigator may be named as a PI or Initiating PI on only one application per funding level for this Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 program announcement.
There are no limitations on the number of applications for which an investigator may be named as a Partnering PI for this Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 program announcement. To meet the intent of the Partnering PI Option, investigators are discouraged from being named as a Partnering PI on multiple Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 applications unless they are clearly unique, meaningful partnerships addressing distinct research questions. Applications must include a brief description of all the applications in which the investigator is named as a PI, Initiating PI, Partnering PI, collaborator, or mentor under this Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 program announcement.
Investigators named as PI, Initiating PI, or Partnering PI on an application submitted under funding opportunity HT942525BCRPBTA12 are not eligible to submit a pre-application or full application for the same research project under this current funding opportunity.
Individuals affiliated with an eligible organization are eligible to be named as PI regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or citizenship status.
The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) expects to allot approximately $15.65 million (M) to fund approximately nine Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 applications with total cost caps of $0.75M (single PI) or $1.25M (PPIO) for Funding Level 1, $1.65M (single PI) or $2.5M (PPIO) for Funding Level 2, or $2.5M (single PI) or $3.35M (PPIO) for Funding Level 2 - Population Science and Prevention Studies. The maximum period of performance is three years for Breakthrough Award Funding Levels 1 and 2 and four years for Breakthrough Award Level 2 – Population Science and Prevention Studies. It is anticipated that awards made from this FY25 funding opportunity will be funded with FY25 funds, which will expire for use on September 30, 2031. Awards supported with FY25 funds will be made no later than September 30, 2026.