At a glance
The FY26 Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Idea Award funds innovative, high-risk cancer research with strong scientific rationale, and preliminary data are not required. Eligible applicants include extramural and intramural U.S. Department of Defense organizations, as well as foreign and domestic for-profit and nonprofit organizations and public or private entities; awards are made to eligible organizations, not individuals. The program expects to fund about 30 standard Idea Awards and about 15 Early Career Investigator Option awards, with a total cost cap of $600,000 per award and a maximum project period of 2 years. Cost sharing is not required. Applications must focus on one of the listed FY26 cancer topic areas and cannot address melanoma or cancers originating in the breast, kidney, lung, pancreas, prostate, or ovary.
What it funds
Official description from grants.gov
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.
Who can apply
- Unrestricted