DoD Lung Cancer, Clinical Translational Research Partnership Award | W81XWH 22 LCRP CTRPA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 22 LCRP CTRPA

The DoD Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) Clinical Translational Research Partnership Award (CTRPA) is a FY22 funding opportunity designed to push promising lung cancer ideas out of the lab and into real clinical use faster. The central goal is to support a true clinician-scientist partnership that can tackle a major lung cancer problem in a way that would be difficult for either investigator to accomplish alone. The award is specifically focused on lung cancer and will not accept applications that are solely in the area of mesothelioma, so proposals need to clearly sit within lung cancer rather than being framed as a mesothelioma project.

A defining feature of this mechanism is that it requires two independent, faculty-level (or equivalent) Principal Investigators who bring complementary expertise. One partner must be a research scientist and the other must be a clinician, and the program expects both to have made equal intellectual contributions to the project design. The partnership must be more than a convenience arrangement; projects where the clinician simply provides access to patients or supplies biospecimens do not meet the intent. Multi-institutional teams are encouraged (though not required), and at least one member of the partnership must have prior experience in lung cancer research or lung cancer patient care to ensure the team can realistically execute the work.

The type of work supported is translational and clinically anchored, with a strong emphasis on pilot studies, proof-of-principle efforts, or early-phase clinical trials paired with correlative science. The opportunity uses a standard definition of a clinical trial: a prospective study where one or more human subjects are assigned to one or more interventions (including placebo or control) to evaluate effects on biomedical or behavioral health-related outcomes. Applicants are expected to present a well-justified rationale, convincing preliminary data, and a credible trial methodology and execution plan. Preclinical work can be included, but it needs to be tightly justified as necessary to inform the clinical trial, interpret trial outcomes, or support the associated correlative studies rather than becoming a separate, stand-alone preclinical project.

Because this mechanism is meant to support studies that can move toward real-world clinical application, regulatory readiness matters. If the research trajectory would ultimately require FDA oversight through an Investigational New Drug (IND) application or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), the application must show that the team has practical access to the needed clinical-grade reagents (such as a therapeutic candidate) and to appropriate patient population(s). The program also requires preliminary lung cancer-relevant data to demonstrate feasibility of the hypothesis and approach, and clinical trial submissions must include a dedicated Regulatory Strategy attachment (listed as Attachment 8 in the announcement materials).

The program strongly encourages including a consumer advocate as part of the research team. In this context, a consumer advocate is typically a person diagnosed with lung cancer who is active in a lung cancer advocacy organization. The intent is not symbolic participation; the advocate is expected to contribute meaningfully to shaping the research question, reviewing the design for patient-centeredness and practicality, supporting oversight, improving recruitment approaches, and helping evaluate impact from the perspective of people living with lung cancer or those at risk. The advocate role is framed as providing objective, lay input to improve relevance and real-world value.

Operationally, the award requires clear planning for how the two PIs (and any institutions involved) will work together. Applications need to describe how the partnership will function day-to-day, including communication routines, coordination of progress and results, and how data will be transferred and managed across sites. If the project involves multiple institutions, the application must also include an intellectual property plan that anticipates potential disputes or institutional barriers and lays out how intellectual and material property issues will be handled to keep collaboration smooth and productive.

A major review consideration is relevance to military health, reflecting the Department of Defense mission and the needs of Service Members, Veterans, and their families. Applicants are encouraged to show this relevance in concrete ways, such as using military or Veteran populations, biospecimens, or databases; collaborating with DoD or VA investigators; or addressing lung cancer risks and factors especially pertinent to military communities, including non-tobacco environmental exposures that could affect readiness and long-term health. Military health relevance is considered during programmatic review when assessing fit with the Defense Health Program (DHP) and the FY22 LCRP priorities.

From an administrative and submission standpoint, the mechanism is structured around two PIs with distinct roles. One is designated the Initiating PI, who handles most of the administrative responsibilities tied to submission, while the other is the Partnering PI. Both are expected to play major roles in developing the Project Narrative, Statement of Work, and other required components. If funded, each PI is named on an individual award made to their recipient organization, reinforcing the expectation of a balanced partnership rather than a primary-subcontract arrangement.

In the source notice details, the sponsoring agency is the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, USAMRAA) under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-22-LCRP-CTRPA. The instrument type allows for cooperative agreements and grants, the activity category is science and technology/research and development (CFDA 12.420), eligibility is broadly unrestricted unless otherwise clarified in the full announcement, and the program anticipated a small number of awards (listed as two for this cycle). The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the posting, which typically signals that the cap is defined elsewhere in the full funding announcement materials rather than in the summary field.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Lung Cancer, Clinical Translational Research Partnership Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 16, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for W81XWH 22 LCRP CTRPA

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