DoD Breast Cancer Innovator Award

The BCRP Innovator Award was first offered in FY01. Since that time, 182 Innovator Award applications have been received and 17 have been recommended for funding. The Innovator Award supports visionary individuals who have demonstrated creativity, innovative work, and leadership in any field including, but not limited to, breast cancer. These individuals will have the most potential for future ground-breaking achievements in breast cancer. The Innovator Award will provide these individuals with the funding and freedom to pursue their most novel, visionary, high-risk ideas that could ultimately lead to the eradication of breast cancer. The Individuals may be from diverse organizations including, but not limited to, academic institutions, advocacy groups, government agencies, the private sector, the media, and/or professional societies. Since the intent of the Innovator Award mechanism is to recognize creative and innovative individuals rather than projects, the central feature of the award is the innovative contribution that the recipient can make to the eradication of breast cancer. As such, an individual selected to submit a full application is required to submit an essay addressing his/her area(s) of focus and how he/she will use the award to pursue his/her most creative vision in breast cancer research. The primary criteria for making these awards will be an individual’s past record of creativity, their promise for continued innovation in future work, and an indication of how this award will create and further innovative strategies to solve the breast cancer problem. Experience in breast cancer research is not required; however, the application must focus on breast cancer, and it is expected that the recipient will commit a minimum of 50% of his/her full-time professional effort to breast cancer research during the tenure of this award. Individuals must be nominated to be considered for this award mechanism; self-nominations will not be accepted. Do not submit an Innovator Award application unless you receive a letter of invitation.