DoD Kidney Cancer, Idea Development Award | HT9425 23 KCRP IDA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 KCRP IDA

The DoD Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) FY23 Idea Development Award (Funding Opportunity Number HT9425-23-KCRP-IDA; CFDA 12.420) is a competitive research funding opportunity run through the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, USAMRAA/CDMRP). Its purpose is to push kidney cancer research toward the KCRP long-term vision of eliminating kidney cancer by backing innovative, scientifically grounded projects that can produce high-impact advances rather than small, incremental progress. The program is looking for research built around a clear, testable hypothesis supported by strong rationale, with a research plan that is well thought out, feasible, and convincing in terms of how the aims will be achieved.

A major emphasis is placed on the quality and maturity of the proposed research approach. Applications are expected to show deep understanding of kidney cancer biology and/or clinical challenges, and to use experimental strategies that are either genuinely novel or strongly justified by existing published evidence and/or preliminary findings. Proposals should spell out feasibility in practical terms, including what resources are needed, whether those resources are available, and documentation that supports access. Reviewers will also look for realism and rigor: applicants should identify likely problems and pitfalls, describe alternative strategies if initial plans fail, and include appropriate statistical planning. When the study design involves quantitative testing, a statistical analysis plan and power analysis are expected so that sample sizes and conclusions are defensible.

Preliminary data are required, but the program does not restrict preliminary evidence to kidney cancer specifically. That means applicants can use unpublished or published results from the principal investigator (PI) or named collaborators, or relevant findings from the scientific literature, as long as the data create a credible foundation for the kidney cancer question being pursued. This structure is meant to encourage new directions and cross-cutting ideas, while still insisting that the proposal is anchored in evidence and not purely speculative.

Innovation is a central review theme. The award is intended for ideas that introduce new paradigms, challenge current assumptions, or approach persistent problems from a fresh angle. High-risk, high-reward projects are welcome, but only when the application makes a strong case that success would meaningfully change the field, influence future research directions, improve patient care, and/or improve quality of life. Proposals that are likely to produce only modest, incremental advances are explicitly not considered responsive to the intent of the mechanism. Alongside innovation, the program strongly prioritizes impact: funded projects should address a critical issue in kidney cancer research or clinical care and, if successful, substantially advance current methods or concepts in one or more FY23 KCRP Focus Areas (or another clearly articulated critical need in kidney cancer).

The people behind the science matter a lot for this mechanism. The opportunity expects research teams to demonstrate real kidney cancer expertise, either through the PI's track record, the assembled team, or clearly documented collaborations. Building the right collaborative structure is seen as a key ingredient for credibility and for the likelihood of producing meaningful outcomes. The program also encourages partnerships that involve military or Veterans institutions, and it highlights the value of collaborations between military/VA and non-military institutions to leverage complementary infrastructure, expertise, and access to unique patient populations, with the broader goal of producing research that benefits Service members, military families, Veterans, and the public.

A notable FY23 feature is the new Partnering PI Option. Under this structure, two investigators apply as equal scientific partners on a single, synergistic project, but each PI ultimately receives a separate award. One PI is designated as the Initiating PI and typically handles most submission-related administration, while the other is the Partnering PI. The intent is to bring a genuinely combined, complementary perspective to a kidney cancer problem, not to create a mentor-trainee pairing; applications that are essentially mentor and trainee roles do not match what this option is trying to accomplish. The application materials should make it obvious that both investigators contributed substantially and comparably to the intellectual development of the project (for example, the Project Narrative and Statement of Work), and multidisciplinary or multi-organization collaborations are allowed and encouraged.

In terms of what is and is not allowed, the award supports innovative preclinical and other high-risk/high-reward research that is supported by preliminary and/or published data. Research involving human subjects, human data, and human anatomical substances is permitted, but clinical trials are not allowed. The opportunity uses a specific clinical trial definition: a study where human subjects are prospectively assigned to an intervention to evaluate its effect on health-related outcomes. Observational clinical research, including studies using patient samples or data, biomarker or detection studies, mechanistic patient-oriented work, certain epidemiologic or behavioral studies, and outcomes or health services research may be allowable as long as they do not meet the clinical trial definition. The announcement also clarifies that certain secondary research using identifiable private information or biospecimens may be exempt under Common Rule category 4, and such exempt work is treated differently under CDMRP definitions.

The award will be made as an assistance agreement, meaning it will be structured as either a grant or a cooperative agreement depending on how much involvement the DoD anticipates having during the project. If there is no substantial federal involvement, it will be a grant; if substantial involvement is anticipated (such as collaboration or participation by the funding agency), it will be a cooperative agreement, and the nature of that involvement will be specified in the award. The program also points applicants to recommendations from the congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force and encourages projects aligned with those recommendations when they fit within KCRP priorities and the limits of the award.

Budget-wise, the anticipated maximum combined direct costs for the entire performance period are capped at $800,000 for the standard Idea Development Award, and up to $1,200,000 total direct costs for the Partnering PI Option (across the combined effort). Programmatically, CDMRP expected to allocate about $17.28 million total to support roughly 11 awards, though actual funding depends on federal appropriations and the number and quality of applications received. Awards were anticipated to be issued no later than September 30, 2024, and FY23 funds are expected to be available for obligation through September 30, 2029, reflecting the limited period during which those federal funds can be used.

Finally, the opportunity has clear compliance and oversight expectations for human and animal research. DoD-funded human research requires review and approval by the USAMRDC Office of Human and Animal Research Oversight (including OHRO), in addition to local IRB/Ethics Committee review, and applicants should plan for additional time (often up to about three months after submitting complete materials) for DoD-level regulatory review before starting research. For multi-site non-exempt human subjects research in the U.S., a single IRB plan is required under the revised Common Rule requirements. Animal studies similarly require local IACUC review plus DoD ACURO review, and applicants should plan several months for that additional regulatory layer. The announcement also emphasizes rigor and reproducibility for animal research, pointing applicants toward practices like randomization, blinding, proper sample-size estimation, and transparent reporting consistent with widely used standards such as ARRIVE guidelines.

• 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 Kidney Cancer, Idea Development 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 Jun 05, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 06, 2023. (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 11 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.

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