The FY19 Defense Appropriation provides $10 million (M) to the Department of Defense Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Research Program (OPORP) to support research that evaluates the comparative effectiveness of orthotic and prosthetic clinical interventions using patient-centric outcomes for Service members and Veterans who have undergone limb amputation.  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).

FY19 OPORP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

OPORP awards are focused on outcomes-based best practices through analysis of the merits of prosthetic and orthotic device options currently available, not on the development of new or the improvement of existing technology.  The intent of the awards is to generate clinically useful evidence that will enhance and optimize patient outcomes.

Focus Areas:  The OPORP will only consider applications that specifically address the critical needs of the orthotics and prosthetics outcomes research community in one or more of the FY19 Focus Areas.  The OPORP will solicit research applications that address at least one of the following FY19 Focus Areas:

• Orthotic or Prosthetic Device Form:  Understand patient outcomes through the analysis and characterization of variables related to the form of currently available clinical options such as device size, shape, material, and/or configurations.
• Orthotic or Prosthetic Device Fit:  Understand patient outcomes related to human-device interface and component connection through the analysis of variables in currently available clinical options that facilitate fit-related metrics such as comfort and/or usability.
• Orthotic or Prosthetic Device Function:  Understand patient outcomes through the analysis of variables related to currently available device function such as device control, sensors, and passive or active response with respect to activities of daily living and other real-world activities.

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/oporp

Clinical Research Award – Letter of Intent due July 24 2019

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

• Supports research that evaluates orthotic and/or prosthetic devices using patient-centric outcomes relevant to Service members and Veterans with limb loss and/or limb impairment
• Proposed projects should be designed to provide outcomes data regarding orthotic and/or prosthetic devices and must include the anticipated effect on patient care metrics.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration among academia, industry, the DoD, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other Federal Government agencies is highly encouraged.
• Applications submitted to the FY19 OPORP CRA must address one or more of the FY19 OPORP Focus Areas.
• Animal studies are not allowed.
• Clinical trials are not allowed.
• The FY19 CRA offers two funding levels:

Funding Level 1:

·      Maximum funding of $350,000 for total costs (direct costs plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 2 years

Funding Level 2:

·      Maximum funding of $1,000,000 for total costs (direct costs plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Clinical Trial Award – Letter of Intent due July 24, 2019

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

• Supports rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to make significant impacts on improving the health and well-being of Service members, Veterans, and other individuals living with limb deficit.
• Supports clinical trials that evaluate orthotic and/or prosthetic devices using patient-centric outcomes.
• Proposed projects should be designed to provide outcomes data regarding orthotic and/or prosthetic devices and must include the anticipated effect on patient care metrics.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration among academia, industry, the military Services, the VA, and other Federal Government agencies is highly encouraged.
• Applications submitted to the FY19 OPORP CTA must address one or more of the FY19 OPORP Focus Areas.
• Preclinical research is not allowed.

The FY19 CTA offers two funding levels:

Funding Level 1:

·      Maximum funding of $350,000 for total costs (direct costs plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 2 years

Funding Level 2:

·      Maximum funding of $2,000,000 for total costs (direct costs plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 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 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. 

For email notification when Program Announcements are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage at https://eBRAP.org.  For more information about the OPORP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

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