← Back to search

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Department of Defense

DoW Melanoma Research Program Focused Program Award – Rare Melanomas

Open

Key facts

Deadline
Due Oct 14, 2026 · 7 days left
Award size
Not stated: see the official notice
Total available
$5.6M · about 2 awards
Match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Anyone (unrestricted)
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

How this fits you

  • Open to: Nonprofit with 501(c)(3)
  • Investigator research grant: groups like yours rarely apply
  • Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
  • No match required
  • Only 7 days left to apply
  • Past Tennessee awards on file: 49

View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar

More from Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA

About this grant

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Melanoma Research Program (MRP) Focused Program Award – Rare Melanomas, supports a multidisciplinary research program of at least two, but not more than three, distinct but complementary research projects addressing an overarching question relevant to rare melanomas. Distinctive Features: · *Updated for FY26* Investigators must include at least one rare melanoma survivor or patient advocate as part of the project team who will provide advice and consultation throughout planning, implementation, and results dissemination to maximize research impact. · This is a partnering mechanism, requiring an Initiating Principal Investigator (PI) and at least one, but not more than two, Partnering PIs, see Figure 1. • Each named PI is expected to be a Project Leader for one of the proposed research projects. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named on separate awards to the recipient organization(s). · After submitting the required pre-application, investigators must receive an invitation to submit a full application. • Only the Initiating PI will submit a pre-application. All PIs must submit full applications. The Partnering PI(s)’s application is an abbreviated package specific to their proposed research project. · Clinical trials are allowed.

Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct7
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Sep23
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment (already past: do it now)
    Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
  3. Oct7
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
  4. Oct12
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Oct14
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice HT942526MRPFPARM_GG2.pdf (45 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.

Award size and project length

  • Project period: 4 years · p. 4
    “The maximum period of performance is 4 years.” Open page 4
  • Award amounts here are for the whole project · p. 11
    “The combined total costs budgeted for the entire period of performance in the applications of the Initiating PI and each Partnering PI should not exceed $2,800,000.” Open page 11

Registrations you need first (2)

  • SAM.gov, Grants.gov · p. 3
    “Active SAM.gov, eBRAP.org and Grants.gov registrations are required for application submission.” Open page 3
  • Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 28
    “Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management The applicant organization must be registered as an entity in the System for Award Management (SAM), SAM.gov, and receive confirmation of an “Active” status before submitting an application through…” Open page 28

The deadline is in 7 days. If your registration isn't already active, it may not be ready in time, so check it today. Get-ready checklist

Steps before the deadline

  • Pre-application · p. 4
    “After submitting the required pre-application, investigators must receive an invitation to submit a full application. ○ Only the Initiating PI will submit a pre-application.” Open page 4
  • Pre-application · p. 13
    “Pre-Application Components Pre-application submissions must include the following components.” Open page 13
  • Pre-application · p. 13
    “The Initiating PI must submit the following pre-application components.” Open page 13
  • Pre-application · p. 14
    “The items to be included as supporting documentation for the pre-application must be uploaded as individual files and are limited to the following: ○ References Cited (one-page limit):” Open page 14

What to submit

  • Letters of support or commitment · p. 10
    “If the proposed research involves access to active-duty military and/or VA patient populations and/or DOW or VA resources or databases, the application must describe the access at the time of submission, provide appropriate letters of support, and include a…” Open page 10
  • Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 14
    “Provide a list of abbreviations, acronyms and symbols used in the Preproposal Narrative. ○ Initiating and Partnering PI(s) Biographical Sketches:” Open page 14
  • Form SF-424 · p. 14
    “(a) SF424 Research & Related Application for Federal Assistance Form (Grants.gov submissions only):” Open page 14
  • Memorandum of understanding (MOU) · p. 17
    “Also include a plan for obtaining any required data sharing, memorandum of understanding or other agreements required to access and publish data.” Open page 17
  • Data management plan · p. 18
    “Do not submit a copy of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Data Management and Sharing Plan or duplicate the Data Management Plan which will be requested only after a recommendation for funding is made.” Open page 18
  • Project abstract or summary · p. 19
    “Technical abstracts must be provided for the overall program, as well as each individual research project, with each abstract starting on a new page.” Open page 19
  • Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 23
    “Include a description of collaborations and other resources that are in place or would be established during the period of performance to execute the next logical steps (e.g., clinical partners, commercial partners, manufacturing partners, clinical practice…” Open page 23

Length limits

  • Project Narrative: 25 pages max · p. 15
    “Project Narrative (25-page limit):” Open page 15

Dates in the notice

  • July 13, 2026 · p. 1
    “July 13, 2026 Application Due:” Open page 1
  • September 30, 2027 · p. 4
    “Awards supported with FY26 funds will be made no later than September 30, 2027.” Open page 4

Mistakes that get applications rejected (2)

  • Extra or uninvited material: Uninvited full application submissions will be rejected. · p. 14
    “Uninvited full application submissions will be rejected.” Open page 14
  • Extra or uninvited material: Extra items will not be reviewed. · p. 18
    “Extra items will not be reviewed.” Open page 18

Who in Tennessee has won this program

25 awards to Tennessee groups in 2 counties since 2016. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winnerWhereAmountFiscal year
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$9.3M2018
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$5.7M2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$4.7M2019
University of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby County$4M2017
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$3.6M2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$3.5M2022
Idbiologics IncNashville, Davidson County$3.2M2019
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$3.1M2023
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.9M2017
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.7M2023
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.6M2020
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.4M2025

Source: USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.

Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization

This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 24 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:

Tennessee pass-through grant winners
Past winnerWhereThroughAmountFiscal year
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of Rochester$2.6M2024
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of Rochester$2.5M2023
University of MemphisMemphis, Shelby CountyOhio State University, the$2.1M2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyRegents of the University of Michigan$1.5M2023
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyThe General Hospital Corporation$446K2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyThe General Hospital Corporation$420K2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyThe Johns Hopkins University$266K2026
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyNorthwestern University$241K2026
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyNorthwestern University$237K2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyCarnegie Mellon University$224K2024
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyCarnegie Mellon University$222K2023
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson CountyUniversity of Kentucky$221K2023

Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).

About the federal program

Military Medical Research and Development
Program number 12.420 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency (DHA) · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant

How applications are judged

All applications are reviewed for technical merit and relevance to the mission of the DHA and its programs. Also, additional specific evaluation criteria will be included in each funding opportunity announcement.

Match

None required (federal program listing).

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal year 2017: No Current Data Available. Fiscal year 2018: Gulf War Illness Research Program Fiscal year 2020: Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program Fiscal year 2021: Hearing Restoration Research Program Fiscal year 2022: Combat Readiness-Medical Research Program Fiscal year 2023: Spinal Cord Injury Research Program - Clinical trial, clinical translational research, translational research, and investigator-initiated research projects Fiscal year 2025: Military Burn Research Program - Patient-centered research, technology/therapeutic development, and clinical translational research projects

This program on SAM.gov

Something wrong on this page? Tell us
What's wrong?

Source: Federal grants from Grants.gov · the official federal record. Last checked by GrantMe Oct 7, 2026.

Reference numbers: official notice number HT942526MRPFPARM · program number 12.420