CDMRP Ovarian Cancer Pilot Award | W81XWH 21 OCRP PA

CDMRP OCRP Pilot Award (W81XWH 21 OCRP PA) - FAQs

1) What is the CDMRP Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) Pilot Award?

The OCRP Pilot Award is a Department of Defense (DoD) funding opportunity intended to help researchers test bold, new ideas in ovarian cancer. It is designed to support early-stage, innovative concepts or theories that could open new directions for the field, rather than incremental extensions of existing work.

2) What is the main purpose of this Pilot Award?

The core purpose is to support rigorous, hypothesis-driven exploration of innovative ideas that could lead to major discoveries or meaningful advances in how ovarian cancer is understood, prevented, detected, or treated. A key emphasis is producing robust preliminary data that can serve as a launching point for larger, follow-on studies and future funding.

3) What types of research does the program want to fund?

The opportunity prioritizes early-stage, innovative research that can challenge, expand, or reshape current scientific thinking and approaches related to ovarian cancer. The intended scope includes preclinical, translational (non-trial), computational, and other non-clinical-trial research approaches, as long as the project has a clear and direct ovarian cancer focus.

4) Does the proposed project need to be directly focused on ovarian cancer?

Yes. Projects must have a clear and direct focus on ovarian cancer. Studies are expected to be grounded in ovarian cancer-relevant materials and systems (for example: patient tissues, ovarian cancer cell lines, existing datasets, or well-justified animal models).

5) Are applicants required to use ovarian cancer-relevant materials and systems?

Yes. The program expects applicants to ground their studies in ovarian cancer-relevant materials and systems such as patient tissues, ovarian cancer cell lines, existing datasets, or well-justified animal models.

6) If I use specific cell lines or animal models, do I need to justify them?

Yes. If a proposal uses particular cell lines or animal models, the program expects a clear rationale for why those models are appropriate for the research question. Model selection should be intentional and scientifically defensible, not simply convenient or routine.

7) Is preliminary data required to apply?

No. Preliminary data are not required for this Pilot Award. This is intended to lower the barrier for exploratory, risk-tolerant projects where compelling ideas may not yet have supporting early evidence.

8) If I already have preliminary data, can I include it?

Yes. Preliminary data are allowed if the research team has them, even though they are not required.

9) If preliminary data are not required, how does the program evaluate scientific rigor?

Even without required preliminary data, the research must be built around a well-formed, testable hypothesis supported by a strong scientific rationale. The opportunity is not meant for vague brainstorming; it expects hypothesis-driven exploration with a clear scientific foundation.

10) How important is innovation for this award?

Innovation is central. The announcement indicates that even high-quality science can miss the intent if it is not genuinely innovative. Strong methods alone are not enough; the application needs to show how it introduces a new concept, theory, or approach that could change the trajectory of ovarian cancer research.

11) What outcomes does the OCRP Pilot Award aim to produce?

The expected outcome is the generation of robust preliminary data that can serve as a credible foundation for follow-on funding and more extensive research efforts.

12) Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?

No. This opportunity does not support clinical trials. Proposals must remain within non-clinical-trial research (for example: preclinical, translational non-trial, or computational work).

13) Who is the sponsor and administering organization?

The sponsor is the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and it is administered through USAMRAA.

14) What is the CFDA listing and category for this opportunity?

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary program within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, with CFDA 12.420.

15) What funding instrument will be used?

The funding instrument type allows for either grants or cooperative agreements.

16) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many entity types, as long as any additional eligibility conditions in the full announcement are met.

17) What is the opportunity number or identifier?

The opportunity is identified as W81XWH 21 OCRP PA.

18) When was this opportunity created and when was it originally due?

The opportunity was created on February 8, 2021, and the original closing date listed is July 8, 2021.

19) How many awards were anticipated?

About 10 awards were anticipated.

20) What is the maximum award amount (ceiling)?

The provided source data lists the award ceiling as 0, which typically indicates the ceiling was not specified in that particular data field. The actual ceiling would need to be confirmed in the full funding announcement or associated program guidance.