Open federal opportunity, but the mandatory pre-application deadline has passed. The Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity, through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, is administering the DoW Rare Cancers, Idea Development Award (HT942526RCRPIDA), Assistance Listing 12.420.
Funding and controlling dates
CDMRP expects approximately $7.35 million in FY26 program funding for approximately 15 awards. The total-cost cap is $490,000 per award, with a maximum three-year period of performance. Cost sharing is not required.
The mandatory pre-application/preproposal was due August 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Invitations to submit are scheduled for September 30, 2026. Invited full applications are due November 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time; uninvited full applications are rejected.
What the program supports
The award supports rare-cancer research ideas that are ready for further development and have potential to generate high-impact findings and new avenues of investigation. The FY26 focus areas include biology, preclinical research models, therapy, and artificial intelligence or machine learning models relevant to discovery, preclinical studies, and clinical-trial readiness.
Preliminary data with disease-specific rationale are required. The preliminary evidence does not have to originate from the same rare-cancer type or subtype under study, but the proposal must make a persuasive disease-specific rationale. Clinical trials are not allowed, although qualifying clinical research is permitted.
Eligibility and current-cycle control
Eligible organizations include extramural and intramural U.S. Department of War organizations, foreign and domestic organizations, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and public or private entities. Independent investigators at all career levels affiliated with an eligible organization may serve as PI. An investigator may be named as PI on only one FY26 RCRP Idea Development Award application.
Current-cycle routing is restricted to teams that completed the mandatory August 19 pre-application and subsequently receive an invitation to submit. Do not initiate new applicant outreach for the FY26 cycle based solely on the November full-application deadline.
Atlas strategy
Atlas Opportunity Score: 92/100. This is a strong rare-cancer research mechanism for established investigators with credible preliminary evidence, a testable hypothesis, and a high-impact research path. Structural for-profit eligibility does not establish direct submission readiness.
Preferred posture: Partner-Led / Already-Preapplied Rare-Cancer Research Team.
Next action
Route only after confirming a timely FY26 pre-application and, when issued, an invitation to submit. Verify qualifying preliminary data, direct rare-cancer relevance, alignment to at least one FY26 RCRP focus area, and all required registrations and institutional research capabilities before applicant-specific execution.
Controlling program announcement: CDMRP FY26 RCRP Idea Development Award.