The Department of Defense (DoD), through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), is offering the Fiscal Year 2025 Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award (IIRA). Managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) within the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC), this funding initiative supports patient-centered research designed to improve the prevention, detection, treatment, and cure of ovarian cancer. The program seeks to enhance the well-being of military personnel and their families, veterans, and all women affected by the disease.

The primary objective of this award is to support high-impact research addressing critical needs in ovarian cancer, with potential applications across any research phase from basic laboratory to translational studies. Importantly, clinical trials are excluded. Projects must include sound scientific rationale backed by preliminary data and can address a broad spectrum of research areas, such as basic biology, novel therapies, prevention strategies, diagnostics, prognosis, survivorship, and precision medicine.

This grant offers two submission options: a single Principal Investigator (PI) may apply for up to $1.05 million, or a Partnering PI arrangement may request up to $1.4 million. Awards may last up to four years. The total anticipated funding for FY25 is $8.05 million, and approximately seven awards are expected to be distributed. Applications must be submitted in two stages: a pre-application through the Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) and, upon invitation, a full application via Grants.gov. Pre-applications are due by June 12, 2025, while full applications are due by September 11, 2025. Award announcements are anticipated no later than September 30, 2026.

Eligible applicants include both domestic and foreign organizations, such as academic institutions, biotechnology firms, foundations, federal agencies outside the DoD, and research institutes. Both extramural and intramural DoD organizations are eligible. PIs must hold at least an Assistant Professor position or its equivalent. While cost-sharing is not required, all applicants must have active registrations with SAM.gov, eBRAP.org, and Grants.gov.

Applications are reviewed in a two-tier process: peer review evaluates scientific merit, while programmatic review assesses strategic alignment and impact. Evaluation criteria include research strategy, significance, feasibility, relevance to OCRP Areas of Emphasis, and the expertise of the research team. Additional considerations include collaboration efficacy, especially under the Partnering PI model.

For support, applicants may contact the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or call 301-682-5507 for eBRAP-related issues, and the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 for help with the Grants.gov portal. The full program announcement and application instructions are available through eBRAP.