DoD Melanoma, Melanoma Academy Scholar Award | HT942525MRPMASA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT942525MRPMASA

The DoD Melanoma, Melanoma Academy Scholar Award (Funding Opportunity Number HT942525MRPMASA) is a Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) funding opportunity run through the Melanoma Research Program (MRP) to bring new independent, early career faculty into the Melanoma Academy. The central goal is to grow a cohort of productive melanoma researchers by combining focused research support with structured career development inside a collaborative, interactive virtual academy. Rather than operating like a standard standalone research grant, this mechanism is designed to connect Scholars with established melanoma investigators and help them build a durable professional network, strengthen their research trajectory, and accelerate their path toward sustained independent funding.

Eligibility is aimed at investigators who are truly early in their independent stage: applicants must be no more than seven years from their initial faculty appointment and must be independent investigators (that is, beyond trainee status). The opportunity lists eligible applicants as unrestricted, which typically means a broad range of organizations can apply as long as they meet the program requirements and can administer federal grant funds. A defining requirement is that each Scholar must name a Career Guide. This Career Guide is not just a casual mentor; the program expects a demonstrated history of successful mentorship along with a strong melanoma-specific track record, including competitive funding and publications. In practice, the Career Guide functions as a structured partner in shaping the Scholar's scientific direction, professional development, and integration into the Academy network.

A notable feature of this award is that preliminary data are not required, which lowers the barrier for high-quality, high-potential ideas that may still be emerging. The review emphasis is also explicitly dual: it considers both the proposed research and the applicant's career potential. That means the application needs to make a convincing case that the science is impactful and feasible, while also showing that the Scholar is positioned to become a leader in melanoma research with the Academy's support and the Career Guide's mentorship.

On the funding side, CDMRP expects to allocate about $1.76 million total to make approximately two awards. The direct cost cap is $550,000 per award, and the maximum period of performance is three years. The opportunity anticipates that awards made under this FY25 announcement will be funded with FY25 appropriations, which remain available for use until September 30, 2031, and that awards will be issued no later than September 30, 2026. The agency administering the opportunity is the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), and it is categorized as a discretionary grant in the science, technology, and other research and development area (CFDA 12.420). The listed original closing date is October 1, 2025, which is the key deadline applicants should plan around when preparing submission materials and securing institutional approvals.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a selective, career-accelerating award for early faculty in melanoma research that blends research funding with intentional mentorship and community-building through the Melanoma Academy, with relatively few awards expected and an emphasis on long-term investigator development as much as the immediate project aims.

• The Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Melanoma, Melanoma Academy Scholar 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 2025-05-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-01. (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 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for HT942525MRPMASA

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: