DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer, Behavioral Health Science Award | W81XWH 21 PRCRP BHSA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 PRCRP BHSA

The DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer, Behavioral Health Science Award (BHSA) is a FY21 Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) funding opportunity from the Department of Defense (USAMRAA) designed to push forward innovative, higher-risk behavioral health research in cancer. The program is centered on improving the lived experience and outcomes of people affected by cancer by supporting studies across the behavioral health spectrum, including quality of life, symptom management, resilience, neurocognitive deficits, and psychosocial challenges that arise during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. A key framing requirement is that proposed work must focus on at least one survivorship stage as defined by the American Society for Clinical Oncology: acute, extended, and/or permanent survivorship.

At its core, the BHSA is about filling important gaps in what is known about survivorship and the psychological health and well-being of those touched by cancer, not only patients but also family members and caregivers when relevant. The opportunity explicitly welcomes research that aims to improve mental health outcomes and/or cancer-related outcomes in specific, well-defined populations. It also supports work examining how behavioral and social functioning relate to cancer across the continuum, including initiation, progression, detection, treatment, rehabilitation, and longer-term recovery and adaptation.

The types of projects encouraged under this mechanism are broad within behavioral health science, ranging from studies on quality of life and psychosocial outcomes to decision-making and cognitive function research, as well as the development and testing of educational or behavioral interventions. Symptom management is a major emphasis and can include topics such as treatment toxicity, palliative care needs, psychological distress, anxiety, and other survivorship-related burdens. Projects may also focus on developing evidence-based practices, improving behavioral health surveillance and interventions, and identifying psychosocial outcomes that matter to patients and families.

Several requirements shape what a competitive application needs to look like. First, impact is treated as a central criterion: proposals must make a clear case that, if successful, the research could meaningfully change patient outcomes during one or more survivorship stages and transform behavioral health outcomes tied to at least one FY21 PRCRP Topic Area. The program encourages paradigm-challenging ideas and allows for translational and clinical approaches, including pilot clinical trials, when they are well-justified and positioned to accelerate promising concepts toward real-world clinical use.

Second, applications must present a well-articulated study design. Whether the work is basic, translational, or clinical, the application is expected to clearly explain the overall research strategy, feasibility, and relevance to human cancer experience. For studies using retrospective or prospective recruitment, applicants are expected to specify the study architecture (for example, descriptive, correlational, field experimental, or meta-analytic designs), define the study population, and justify the design with appropriate statistical reasoning. If surveys or similar tools are used, the opportunity expects detailed descriptions of the instruments and how they will be applied.

Third, preliminary data rules depend on whether the project will actively recruit human participants. Any study proposing active (prospective) recruitment of human subjects must include preliminary data. If a project does not involve active recruitment, preliminary data are not strictly required, but the proposal still needs to be grounded in strong logic and supporting literature so the approach is credible and feasible.

A distinctive and non-negotiable feature of this award is required patient advocate participation. Every application must include at least one cancer patient advocate as an integrated member of the research team. This advocate can be a person currently living with cancer, someone previously diagnosed and treated who now has no evidence of disease, or a family member/caregiver. The advocate is expected to be active in a cancer advocacy organization and to contribute in substantive ways throughout planning and execution, including shaping the research question, informing project design, helping oversee progress, and participating in evaluation. The program makes it clear that this role should be ongoing and well-integrated rather than symbolic or limited to occasional meetings. At least one advocate should also bring strong familiarity with current cancer issues in the chosen FY21 PRCRP Topic Area(s), and their primary value is providing practical, objective input about relevance and real-world impact for people facing cancer.

Finally, the BHSA has an explicit military health relevance requirement. Proposed research must address at least one FY21 PRCRP Military Health Focus Area and demonstrate clear relevance to active-duty Service Members, Veterans, and their beneficiaries. Because behavioral health is a particular priority for military communities, applicants must explain how the work will enhance cancer-related health and well-being for these populations, not just in general civilian settings.

Administratively, this FY21 opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-21-PRCRP-BHSA; CFDA 12.420) allowed funding through grants or cooperative agreements and was open to a broad range of applicants (unrestricted eligibility, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the official notice). The posting indicates an expected number of awards of five, and the original application deadline was August 18, 2021. The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the source data, which typically signals that applicants must rely on the full announcement for budget constraints and program-specific guidance rather than assuming a fixed cap from the summary alone.

• 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 Peer Reviewed Cancer, Behavioral Health Science 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 Mar 24, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 18, 2021. (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 5 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.

Apply for W81XWH 21 PRCRP BHSA

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