DoW Rare Cancers Resource and Community Development Award | HT942526RCRPRCDA

FY26 Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP) Resource and Community Development Award (RCDA) - FAQs

1) What is the FY26 RCRP Resource and Community Development Award (RCDA)?

The FY26 Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP) Resource and Community Development Award (RCDA) is a grant opportunity from the Defense Health Agency (DHACA) intended to strengthen the rare cancers research ecosystem by building tangible, shareable resources and datasets that others can reuse.

2) What is the main goal of this award?

The central goal is to speed progress in rare cancers research and help move the field toward better clinical outcomes by improving what researchers and clinicians can access, reuse, and build on through durable platforms, tools, collections, and structured datasets.

3) Is this meant to fund a single hypothesis-driven research project?

No. This mechanism emphasizes creating resources (such as platforms, tools, collections, and structured datasets) that can support many research questions over time, rather than focusing only on a single hypothesis-driven project.

4) What types of deliverables does the RCDA prioritize?

The opportunity prioritizes practical, shareable outputs such as research platforms, tools, collections, and structured datasets that can be accessed and leveraged by others across the rare cancers community.

5) What kinds of gaps should a proposed project address?

Projects are expected to directly address at least one major gap slowing rare cancers research. Examples listed include: shortages of patient-derived tissues, biospecimens, and cell or tumor models; weak or inconsistent communication and dissemination pathways between researchers, clinicians, and patient communities; insufficient infrastructure for sharing data and other resources in a usable and durable way; and limited availability of therapeutics-focused resources or mechanistic research outputs that can inform treatment development.

6) Can a project focus on building biological resources like tissues or models?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly identifies shortages in patient-derived tissues, biospecimens, and cell or tumor models as a major gap that projects may address.

7) Can a project focus on data infrastructure and sharing?

Yes. The RCDA highlights the need for infrastructure that enables data and resource sharing in a usable and durable way, and it encourages building data-sharing backbones and well-curated datasets.

8) What does the opportunity mean by building the rare cancers "commons"?

It refers to filling a missing piece of shared, reusable community assets for rare cancers research, such as biological materials, curated datasets, a data-sharing backbone, or a community-facing framework for spreading and applying findings.

9) How important is Patient Advocate engagement in this award?

Patient Advocate engagement is a defining expectation. Applicants must document meaningful, ongoing engagement with Patient Advocates across the full life cycle of the project, from early stages (shaping the research question and priorities) through execution and decision-making as the work unfolds.

10) Is Patient Advocate involvement described as simple outreach?

No. The opportunity frames Patient Advocate partnership as a core design feature intended to keep resource development aligned with patient needs, improve relevance and adoption, and strengthen trust and two-way communication between scientific and patient communities.

11) What is meant by community building in this award?

Community building is treated as a key deliverable. Applicants are expected to describe how their work will enhance the rare cancers community, such as by connecting stakeholders, standardizing practices, enabling collaboration, or making it easier for researchers and patients to find and use emerging resources.

12) Are applicants required to include a dissemination plan?

Yes. Proposals must include a concrete plan for dissemination of the platform or resource that is built, with attention to use by scientific and/or clinical communities and patient communities.

13) Are applicants required to include a sustainability plan?

Yes. The opportunity requires a plan for long-term sustainability so the platform or resource does not disappear once the grant ends. Reviewers will likely look for specifics on how it will be shared, maintained, updated, governed, and supported beyond the project period.

14) Are preliminary data required to apply?

No. Preliminary data are not required, which lowers the barrier for proposing foundational infrastructure or first-of-its-kind resources.

15) Can preliminary data still be included?

Yes. Applicants may include preliminary data if it helps demonstrate feasibility, readiness, or early proof that the approach will work.

16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is HT942526RCRPRCDA.

17) What is the CFDA number and category for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed in the science and technology / research and development category, with CFDA 12.420.

18) What type of grant is this administratively?

It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.

19) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, suggesting a broad range of applicants may apply.

20) When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on June 17, 2026.

21) What is the application closing date?

The original closing date is November 18, 2026.

22) How many awards does the agency expect to make?

The agency anticipates making about five awards.

23) How does this award aim to improve clinical outcomes?

By strengthening what researchers and clinicians can access and reuse (for example, biological materials, curated datasets, and sharing infrastructure), the award is designed to accelerate research progress in rare cancers in practical ways that support movement toward better clinical outcomes.

24) What kinds of stakeholders are emphasized in communication and dissemination?

The opportunity calls out communication and dissemination pathways between researchers, clinicians, and patient communities, and expects proposals to consider use by scientific/clinical communities as well as patient communities.