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Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Department of Defense

DoW Melanoma Research Program Idea Award

Open

Key facts

Deadline
Due Oct 14, 2026 · 7 days left
Award size
Not stated: see the official notice
Total available
$5.6M · about 10 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

  • Available in Davidson County (nationwide program)
  • No match required
  • Only 7 days left to apply
  • Past Tennessee awards on file: 49 — including your county

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

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More from Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA

About this grant

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Melanoma Research Program (MRP) Idea Award supports innovative, exploratory, high-risk/potentially high-reward research. Novelty and innovation are expected to be key aspects of the proposed project. By the end of the Idea Award funding period, the anticipated outcomes of successful efforts should establish proof of principle and obtain preliminary data to secure follow-on funding. Distinctive Features: • Preliminary data are discouraged. • After submitting the required pre-application, investigators must receive an invitation to submit a full application.

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.

Writing the need statement? Davidson County facts with citations.

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice HT942526MRPIA_GG.pdf (33 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: 2 years · p. 4
    “The maximum period of performance is 2 years.” Open page 4
  • Award amounts here are for the whole project · p. 11
    “The application’s total costs budgeted for the entire period of performance should not exceed $560,000.” 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. 19
    “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 19

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.” Open page 4
  • Pre-application · p. 12
    “Pre-Application Components Pre-application submissions must include the following components.” Open page 12
  • Pre-application · p. 12
    “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 12
  • Pre-application · p. 19
    “Pre-Application Submission All pre-application components must be submitted by the PI through eBRAP.” Open page 19

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
  • Form SF-424 · p. 13
    “(a) SF424 Research & Related Application for Federal Assistance Form (Grants.gov submissions only):” Open page 13
  • Memorandum of understanding (MOU) · p. 14
    “Also include a plan for obtaining any required data sharing, memorandum of understanding or other agreements required to access and publish data.” Open page 14
  • Data management plan · p. 15
    “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 15
  • Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 18
    “Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) ○ Biographical Sketch ○ Current/Pending Support Intragovernmental applicants must include their internally supported research and development programs. ii.” Open page 18

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. 13
    “Uninvited full application submissions will be rejected.” Open page 13
  • Extra or uninvited material: Extra items will not be reviewed. · p. 15
    “Extra items will not be reviewed.” Open page 15

Who in Tennessee has won this program

25 awards to Tennessee groups in 2 counties since 2016 · 23 in Davidson County. 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 · 20 in Davidson County. 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

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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 HT942526MRPIA · program number 12.420