The Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14) Defense Appropriations Act provides $120 million (M) to the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) to support innovative, high-impact breast cancer research. The BCRP is administered by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) through the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

FY14 BCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on Grants.gov.

Era of Hope Scholar Award – Letter of intent due August 1, 2014, Full application due on August 15, 2014

Independent, non-mentored investigators within 6 years of their last training position (e.g., postdoctoral fellowship, medical residency, clinical fellowship) as of the application submission deadline

• Supports exceptionally talented, creative early-career scientists who have demonstrated that they are the "best and brightest" in their fields.
• PIs should articulate a vision that challenges current dogma and demonstrates an ability to look beyond tradition and convention.
• PIs should exhibit strong potential for leadership in the breast cancer community

PIs must include breast cancer advocates on their research team.

Maximum funding of $2.5M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

Period of performance not to exceed 5 years

Innovator Award – Nomination due May 14, 2014, Invited applications due August 15, 2014

Associate Professor or above (or equivalent)

• Supports visionary individuals who have demonstrated creativity, innovative work, and leadership in any field.
• Provides opportunity to pursue novel, visionary, high-risk ideas that will accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer.
• PIs must include breast cancer advocates on their research team.

Nomination is required; self-nominations are accepted; application submission is by invitation only.

• Maximum funding of $5M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

Period of performance not to exceed 5 years

Breakthrough Award – Letter of intent is due May 14, 2014, Full applications due May 28, 2014

• Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

Postdoctoral fellows are eligible to apply

• Supports promising research that has the potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer.
• Potential impact of the research may be near-term or long-term, but it must be significant and go beyond an incremental advancement.
• Partnering PI Option allows two PIs, termed Initiating and Partnering PIs, to collaborate on a single application.
• Four different funding levels, based on the scope of research, are available. It is the responsibility of the PI to select the funding level that is most appropriate for the research proposed.

Funding Levels 1 and 2

• Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.
• Each PI may submit only one application as a single PI or Initiating PI.
• Breast cancer advocate involvement is encouraged, but not required.

Funding Levels 3 and 4

• Submission of a preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
• Clinical trials are allowed.

Applicants must include breast cancer advocates on their research team.

Applications may be submitted under one of the following funding levels:

Funding Level 1:

• Maximum funding of $350,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
• Period of performance not to exceed 3 years

Funding Level 2:

• Maximum funding of $700,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
• Period of performance not to exceed 3 years

Funding Level 3:

• Maximum funding of $2.5M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
• Period of performance not to exceed 5 years

Funding Level 4:

• Maximum funding of $10M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

Period of performance not to exceed 5 years

All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that are available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website. The application packages containing the required forms for each award mechanism are also found on Grants.gov. A listing of all USAMRMC funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

Applications must be submitted through the federal government's single-entry portal, Grants.gov. For more information about the BCRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

301-682-5507
help@ebrap.org

"Wondering where can a Ph.D. take you today? Is there life beyond the bench? Absolutely! There are now more non-research jobs for STEM professionals than ever before—in private industry, public policy, government, nonprofit, journalism, grants management, analytics, and a host of emerging career paths.

Learn what mix of skills, experience and preparation you need to leap from the lab into a satisfying non-research career."

More information and registration can be found at:
http://membercentral.aaas.org/multimedia/webinars/thinking-outside-lab-finding-fulfilling-non-research-career

The Characters

"In this simulation, you get to become a principal investigator, a clinical research coordinator, a research assistant, and an institutional review board (IRB) chair and make decisions that affects the outcome of the story.

• Dr. Richard Sowers, a principal investigator (PI), a busy oncologist who must strike a balance between doing what he thinks is best for his patients and his research;
• Jan Klein, RN, a clinical research coordinator, an overworked nurse who works for a PI who pressures her to falsify data and violate study protocols;
• Megan Boyle, a research assistant who has difficulties obtaining informed consent and following research protocols; and
• Marcy Rosenberg, an IRB Chair, who is tasked with ensuring that research subjects and the integrity of the research enterprise are protected while dealing with a culture resistant to change."

This training tool can be found at http://ori.hhs.gov/TheResearchClinic. The press release is located at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2014pres/03/20140331a.html.