Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Epilepsy Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17)

FY17 ERP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on Grants.gov.

The ERP’s mission is to fund research to understand the magnitude, and the underlying mechanisms of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy (PTE), especially in Service members and Veterans.

FY17 ERP Focus Areas:

Applications should also address at least one of the following FY17 Focus Areas. An application that proposes research outside of the FY17 Focus Areas is acceptable, as long as the applicant provides a strong rationale. The Focus Areas will be mechanism-specific.

FY17 ERP Focus Areas are as follows:

Epidemiology: Epidemiological characterization of PTE following TBI, which may include:

• Risk factors such as demographics, genetic factors, organic head injury factors, or type of insult
• Differentiation of PTE and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES)
• Outcomes including latency to epilepsy, morbidities and comorbidities, and mortality
• Pre-existing conditions including psychological and psychiatric risk factors

Markers and Mechanisms: Identifying markers or mechanisms (via clinical prospective or preclinical models) that address PTE:

• Early detection
• Diagnosis
• Prognosis
• Morbidity
• Comorbidity
• Mortality
• Risk stratification

Models of PTE: Development of new models or better characterization of existing etiologically relevant models for PTE, including repetitive TBI.

Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures: Exploration of the epidemiology, mechanisms, risk factors, or markers of PNES subsequent to TBI.

The following is a summary of the FY17 ERP Program Announcements. Two award mechanisms will be offered for FY17. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the Government.

http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/erp

Idea Development Award – Letter of Intent due September 6, 2017

Level I: The Principal Investigator must be at or above the level of postdoctoral fellow (or equivalent), but below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).
Level II: The Principal Investigator must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).

Intent: To solicit research to understand the magnitude and underlying mechanisms of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). Funding Level I is intended to support high-risk or high gain research. Funding Level II is intended to support a more mature, hypothesis-driven research project.
The following Focus areas are open to Level I:

• Epidemiology
• Markers and Mechanisms
• Models of PTE
• Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures

Preliminary data, while not required, are encouraged for both levels.

Research considering  on interventional clinical trials (e.g., pharmacological interventions) is strongly discouraged.

Level I:

• Maximum funding of $300,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• Maximum period of performance is 2 years.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution's rate agreement.

Level II:

• Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution's rate agreement.

Epilepsy Risk Factors Award – Letter of Intent due September 6, 2017

The Principal Investigator must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).

Intent:To conduct preliminary studies to support prospective, longitudinal epidemiological research relevant to the characterization of PTE. Study design should indicate how the research strategy can generate preliminary data capable of supporting larger, more complex studies.  The proposed study design may be either prospective or retrospective.  Applications should describe how the association of TBI and subsequent PTE will be characterized.

Applications should address at least one of the following Focus Areas:

• Epidemiology
• Markers and Mechanisms

Research considering a pharmacologic interventional clinical trials (e.g., pharmacological interventions) is strongly discouraged.

As part of the application process, all applicants are required to provide an Epidemiological Research Statement.

Preliminary data not required.

• Funding limit is $300,000 direct costs.
• Maximum period of performance is 2 years.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution's rate agreement.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that will be available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website. The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov. A listing of all Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

Applications must be submitted through the Federal Government’s single-entry portal, Grants.gov. For email notification when Program Announcements are released, go to the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil) and select “Subscribe to Funding Opportunities & Program Communications.” For more information about the ERP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Help Desk
301-682-5507
help@eBrap.org