Promoting Partnerships To Improve Veterans’ Health

The FY19 Defense Appropriation provides $6 million (M) to the Department of Defense Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP)to support pioneering concepts and high-impact research that are relevant to the prevention, etiology, pathogenesis, assessment, and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) to ultimately lessen its personal and societal impact.  As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency J9, Research and Development Directorate, manages the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation. The managing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC).

The MSRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications.  FY19 MSRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in March 2019.  Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released.  This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.

Applications submitted to the FY19 MSRP must address at least one of the following Focus Areas:

1. Factors That Promote Central Nervous System Regenerative Potential in Demyelination

Supports innovative mechanistic studies and translational approaches to promote axonal protection, regeneration, or remyelination in MS and/or relevant experimental models. 

Note:  Studies addressing the following topics will not be considered for funding: developmental myelination, dysmyelination, blood-brain barrier permeability, basic mechanisms of demyelination, neurodegeneration, or inflammatory mechanisms and anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies that limit tissue injury secondarily.

1. Correlates of Disease Activity and Progression in MS

Supports the identification and/or validation of correlates of disease activity and progression using pre-existing specimens and/or data acquired from well-characterized, adequately controlled, and sufficiently powered patient cohorts.

Note:  The study must leverage pre-existing specimens and/or data that are available at the time of application submission; collection of a single set of specimens and/or data collected at one additional time point from participants in the existing cohort is allowed.

1. Biology and Measurement of MS Symptoms

Supports studies on the biology and measurement of MS symptoms, which may include pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, loss of bladder control, impaired mobility, and cognitive, motor, visual, or sexual dysfunction. 

Note:  Studies of disease-modifying or regenerative therapies that secondarily impact MS symptoms will not be considered for funding under this Focus Area.

 

 

 

Exploration – Hypothesis Development Award

Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

·         Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·         Supports the initial exploration of innovative, high-risk, high-gain, and potentially groundbreaking concepts in the MS research field.

·         Preliminary data not required.

• Clinical trials not allowed.

·         Maximum funding of $150,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

• Maximum period of performance is 2 years.
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Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

·         Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·         Supports highly rigorous, high-impact research with the potential to make an important contribution to MS research and/or patient care.

·         Preliminary data required.

• Clinical trials not allowed.

·         Maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

• Maximum period of performance is 3 years.

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 CDMRP and other USAMRMC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. 

 

Submission deadlines are not available until the Program Announcements are released.  For email notification when Program Announcements are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP home page at https://eBRAP.org.  For more information about the MSRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-9783
usarmy.detrick.medcom-cdmrp.mbx.cdmrp-public-affairs@mail.mil