The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Epilepsy Research Program (ERP) to understand the causative links between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and epilepsy so that post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) will be both preventable and treatable.  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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

 

The FY20 ERP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

 

Applications submitted to the FY20 ERP should address one or more of the following Focus Areas.  An application that proposes research outside of the FY20 Focus Areas is acceptable, as long as the applicant provides a strong rationale.  The Focus Areas will be mechanism-specific.

 

• Innovative Research:  Tools intended to better inform or improve upon how PTE research can be performed:
• • Hardware and/or software platforms that will improve seizure detection, characterization, or diagnosis
  • Bioinformatics strategies, to include machine learning, that will improve access, annotation, curation, and visualization of large and novel datasets from single or multiple sources
  • Development of new models or better characterization of existing etiologically relevant models for PTE
  • Improved characterization of the circuits involved in PTE
  • Validate targets of post-traumatic epileptogenesis or established PTE
• Markers and Mechanisms:  Identifying markers or mechanisms via preclinical models that address PTE, which may include the following:
• • Biomarkers
  • Treatment
  • Prevention
  • Diagnosis
  • Prognosis
  • Comorbidity
• Epidemiology:  Epidemiological characterization of PTE following TBI, which may include the following:
• • Risk factors such as demographics, genetics, anatomy, pathology, or type of injury
  • Outcomes including latency to epilepsy, comorbidities, and mortality
  • Pre-existing conditions including psychological and psychiatric risk factors
  • Treatment and healthcare outcomes research
  • Differentiation of PTE and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES)
• Longitudinal Studies: Studies of the evolution of PTE, which may include the following:
• • Seizure frequency and semiology
  • Demographics, genetics, anatomy, pathology, or type of injury
  • Comorbidities (e.g., depression, functional deficits, sleep disorders, major illness)
  • Latency between type of injury and PTE
  • Mortality
  • Treatment and healthcare outcomes research
• Quality of Life: Studies focused on improving quality of life for individuals with PTE and their caregivers by addressing the following:
• • Psychosocial factors
  • Neuropsychological dysfunction (cognition and memory)
  • Behavioral health (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, impulsivity)
  • Wellness
  • Reducing stigma
  • Activities of daily living
  • Care gaps (adjunct programs, support groups, access to care)
  • Sleep disorders
  • Medication side effects
  •  

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

 

Idea Development Award – Letter of Intent due June 22, 2020

Level I:  Investigators at or above the level of postdoctoral fellow (e.g., research associates, fellows, medical residents, or equivalent) but below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application deadline.

Mentor(s) required.

Level II:  The Principal Investigator (PI) must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

Intent:  To solicit novel, innovative research to understand the magnitude and underlying mechanisms of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE).

·         Applicant can be from any field of discipline and must write the project narrative and other application components, with appropriate guidance from the Mentor(s).  The Mentor(s) must possess qualifications, background, and experience in PTE research.

·         Level II is intended to support a more mature, hypothesis-driven research project. Applicants can be from any field or discipline.

Applicants should select one of the Focus Areas below:

·         Innovative Research

·         Markers and Mechanisms

·         Epidemiology

·         Longitudinal Studies

While not required, applications to either Funding Level I or II are encouraged to provide relevant preliminary data.

Clinical pharmacologic trials are specifically discouraged.

Level I:

·       Maximum funding of $300,000 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

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

 

 

Quality of Life Award – Letter of Intent due June 22, 2020

Level I:  Investigators at or above the level of postdoctoral fellow (e.g., research associates, fellows, medical residents, or equivalent) but below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application deadline.

Mentor required.

Level II:  The PI must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).

Intent:  To support innovative research that improves the quality of life and care for individuals living with the common symptoms of PTE.

·         Level I: Applicant can be from any field or discipline and must write the project narrative and other application components, with appropriate guidance from the Mentor(s).  The Mentor(s) must possess qualifications, background, and experience in PTE research.

·         Level II is intended to support a more mature, hypothesis-driven research project.  Applicants can be from any field or discipline. 

The following Focus Area must be addressed as part of the application:

• Quality of Life

An application that proposes research outside of this Focus Area will be withdrawn.

While not required, applications to either Funding Level I or II are encouraged to provide relevant preliminary data.

Clinical pharmacologic trials are specifically discouraged.

Animal research is specifically discouraged.

Level I:

·       Maximum funding of $300,000 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

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

 

Research Partnership Award – Letter of Intent due June 22, 2020

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

Each named Co-PI must be at or above the level of assistant professor (or equivalent)

Intent:  To create an avenue for collaborative research partnerships between/among investigators to address a research problem or question in a manner that would be unachievable through separate efforts. 

·       Level I is intended to support preclinical or pre-validation research.

·       Level II is intended to support research requiring access to a patient cohort for a prospective study.

Applications must include clearly stated plans for interactions between/among the partners.  The plans must include communication, decision-making, allocation of resources, coordination of research progress and results, and sharing of data among all investigators and organizations participating in the project.

Applicant should select one of the Focus Areas below:

·       Markers and Mechanisms

·       Epidemiology

·      Longitudinal Studies

Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research hypothesis (or hypotheses) or objectives are required.

Clinical pharmacologic trials are specifically discouraged

Level I:

·       Maximum funding of $1,300,000 in total costs

·       Maximum period of performance is 3 years

·       Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s rate agreement

Level II:

·       Maximum funding of $3,100,000 in total costs

·       Maximum period of performance is 4 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 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 USAMRDC 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 ERP 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

The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program (DMDRP) to support research addressing discovery and development of therapeutics, devices, and other interventions.  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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

The DMDRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications for submission to the anticipated FY20 DMDRP Program Announcements.  This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.  The FY20 DMDRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website.  Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released. 

https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2020/20dmdrppreann

Idea Development Award

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent).

·      Supports the development of innovative, high-impact ideas that advance the understanding of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and ultimately lead to improved outcomes.

·      Must address opportunities and challenges in the development of safe and effective macromolecular and cellular therapies that address primary pathology of DMD.  Eligible therapeutic strategies include: gene therapy, genome editing, oligonucleotide therapies, exon skipping, protein therapeutics, and cell therapies. Therapies that will be efficacious across the life-span, particularly in adolescents and adults are encouraged.

·      Preliminary data required.

·      Clinical trials are not allowed.

·      Maximum funding of $350,000 in total costs

·      Maximum period of performance is 2 years

Translational Research Partnership Award

Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

·      Supports the development of translational research collaborations between two independent investigators to address a critical problem or question in DMD and to accelerate the movement of promising ideas into clinical application.

·      Partnerships where one partner in the collaboration is a research scientist and the other is a clinician are strongly encouraged.

·      Must address one of the FY20 Translational Research Partnership Award Focus Areas

·      Preliminary data required.

·      Clinical trials are allowed.

·      Maximum combined funding of $1,200,000 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 USAMRDC 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 homepage at https://eBRAP.org.  For more information about the DMDRP 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

Contributed by the VA Office of Research and Development

Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a three-phase plan for resuming regular operations at its medical centers, benefit offices and national cemeteries in a post-COVID-19 setting.

VA never closed its doors during the pandemic but did implement a wide range of actions to ensure the safety of its patients and employees. Under VA’s plan, conditions on the ground will determine how quickly each facility resumes normal operations, and each phase of the plan is aimed at making sure that Veterans’ safety comes first.

“A central planning solution for resuming regular operations makes no sense here because some areas of the country will take longer to recover, while other areas have seen minimal cases,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “That’s why we’re letting local conditions dictate our next steps.”

VA medical facilities will be permitted to embark on Phase 1 of the plan once certain local conditions have been met. These conditions include falling numbers of patients exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, reduced numbers of people testing positive for the virus, and increased testing capacity.

Once these and other conditions are met, local VA facilities will maintain their current risk-mitigation activities (such as continued telework when possible) but may also begin assessing how best to permit elective procedures and resume certain face-to-face visits that have been postponed.

Phase 2 of the plan is the resumption of services that have been postponed, again as deemed possible based on local conditions, and subject to safety protocols deemed as necessary by local staff.

In Phase 3, VA facilities will again allow visitors to hospitals, community living centers, senior living facilities, and spinal cords injury and disorder units after a full assessment of the risks and only amid continuing improvement in their part of the country. Most VA employees will also return to work in this phase.

VA’s national cemeteries, benefit administrators and Board of Veterans Appeals will also be using this same three-phase approach to determine whether and how best to resume things like public cemetery interments and face-to-face meetings with Veterans about their benefit status.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has extended the deadline to repay Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by one week.

In further response to the SBA's recent guidance in FAQ 31 reminding borrowers to review carefully the certification required for PPP loans that "[c]urrent economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant" and providing a safe harbor to repay any PPP loan by May 7, 2020, so as to avoid any contention that such certification was not in fact made in good faith, the SBA released FAQ 43 on May 5, 2020.

In FAQ 43, the SBA advises that:

• SBA is extending the repayment date for the safe harbor to May 14, 2020.
• Borrowers do not need to apply for this extension.
• The extension will be promptly implemented through a revision to the SBA's interim final rule providing the safe harbor.
• SBA intends to provide additional guidance on how it will review the certification prior to May 14, 2020.

Borrowers of PPP loans should consider carefully both the new deadline and the expected additional guidance on how the SBA will review certifications, if feasible, before submitting an application or deciding whether to retain borrowed PPP funds.

The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) to support innovative and impactful research that addresses fundamental issues and gaps in Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

The FY20 MSRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

Applications submitted to the FY20 MSRP must address at least one of the Focus Areas relevant to the award mechanism as described in the Table below.

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

Clinical Trial Award (NEW!!!) – Preproposal due June 17, 2020

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 rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of MS.

·      Funds Phase 0, I or II clinical trials relevant to MS; combinations of phases are permitted.

·      Funding must support a clinical trial and may not be used for preclinical studies.

·      Anticipated that budgets will not exceed $1.5 million in direct costs (plus indirect costs).

·      Period of performance not to exceed 4 years.

Exploration -Hypothesis Development Award – Preproposal due June 17, 2020

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

New Investigators:

·      Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) with no more than  3 years from the start of their  faculty position

·      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.

• New Investigator Option supports applicants early in their faculty appointments.

·      Anticipated that budgets will not exceed $150,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs).

·      Period of performance not to exceed 2 years.

Investigator-Initiated Research Award – Preproposal due June 17, 2020

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.

·      Anticipated that budgets will not exceed $600,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs).

·      Period of performance not to exceed 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 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 USAMRDC 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 MSRP 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

The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding to the Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) to support innovative, high-impact NF research.  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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

FY20 NFRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

Areas of Emphasis: The NFRP encourages applications that specifically address the critical needs of the NF community in one or more of the FY20 Areas of Emphasis.  Not all Areas of Emphasis are applicable to each award mechanism offered by the FY20 NFRP.  If the proposed research project does not address one of the FY20 Areas of Emphasis, justification that the proposed research project addresses an important problem related to NF research and/or patient care should be provided. Applications submitted to the FY20 NFRP must address one or more of the following Areas of Emphasis:

• Biomarker discovery, utility, development, and validation
• Non-tumor manifestations not limited to:

o  Pain

o  Cognitive Manifestations

o  Sleep

• Heterogeneity of NF-related tumors
• Novel disease and treatment response markers using genetics, genomics, epigenetics, systems biology, metabolomics, or similar approaches
• Preclinical efficacy studies
• Target identification, drug discovery
• Nutritional, environmental, and other modifiers of NF
• Health services research

• https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/nfrp

Investigator-Initiated Research Award – Letter of Intent due June 25, 2020

Must be an investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) and must plan to commit at least a 30% level of effort for each budget period for the entirety of the award.

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

·      Optional Features: Applications meeting criteria identified in the program announcement may apply for a higher level of funding for the following options: Qualified Collaborator and/or NF Open Science Initiative (NF-OSI).

·      Preliminary and/or published data required.

·      Clinical trials not allowed.

·     The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

·     The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $525,000 in direct costs

·     The maximum allowable funding for applications including either the Optional Qualified Collaborator or the NFOSI Option is $575,000 in direct costs

·     The maximum allowable funding for applications including both the Optional Qualified Collaborator and the NF-OSU Option is $625,000 in direct costs

·     Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institutions negotiated rate agreement

Synergistic Idea Award (NEW for FY20) – Letter of Intent due June 25, 2020

Must be an Investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) and must plan to commit at least 10% level of effort for each budget period throughout the entirety of the award.

·      Supports new ideas that represent synergistic approaches involving two or three Principal Investigators to address a central problem or question in NF research.

·      Preliminary and/or published data is required.

·      Clinical trials are not allowed.

·     The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $200,000,000 in direct costs

·     The 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 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 USAMRDC 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 NFRP 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

PLEASE NOTE DUE DATES ARE JUNE NOT JULY

 

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program

Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20)

 

The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program (MRP) to support innovative, high-impact melanoma research.  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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

 

The FY20 MRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.

 

Applications for the Idea Award, Translational Research Award, Team Science Award, and the Mid-Career Accelerator Award submitted to the FY20 MRP must address one or more of the following focus areas:

 

• ·        Prevention of melanoma initiation factors (e.g., UV radiation)
• ·        Prevention of melanomagenesis and precursor lesions (e.g., novel genetic and epigenetic drivers, oncogene induced senescence)
• ·        Understanding the tumor microenvironment
• ○       Primary Tumor
• ○       Regional Nodes
• ○       Distal Nodes
• ·        Bioengineering (e.g., computational, imaging) approaches to address diagnostics, high risk markers, dormancy, and metastasis
• ·        Therapeutic Prevention (e.g., interruption of disease progression, recurrence)

• Minimal Residual Disease (e.g., chemoprevention, micro-metastasis)

 

Applications for the Technology Development Partnership Award submitted to the FY20 MRP must address the focus area: Bioengineering (e.g., computational, imaging) approaches to address diagnostics, high risk markers, dormancy, and metastasis.

The MRP encourages studies for rare melanomas across the entire spectrum from initiation to distant macro-metastasis.

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/mrp 

 

Idea Award – Preproposal due June 22, 2020

Independent investigators with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent)

·       Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·       Supports new ideas that represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain approaches to melanoma research.

·       Emphasis on Innovation and Impact.

·       Must address at least one of the FY20 Focus Areas.

·       Preliminary data are not required.

·       Clinical trials are not allowed.

·      Maximum funding of $300,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years

 

Mid-Career Accelerator Award –Preproposal due June 22, 2020

Assistant or Associate Professors more than 7 years post-first faculty appointment.

Instructors and Full Professors are not eligible

·       Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·       Supports mid-career researchers to conduct impactful melanoma research.

·       Must address at least one of the FY20 Focus Areas.

·       Must show evidence of at least one peer reviewed extramural funding award.

·       Preliminary data is required.

·       Clinical trials are not allowed.

·      Maximum funding of $700,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years

 

Team Science Award – Preproposal due June 22, 2020

At least two and up to three investigators must partner in one overarching multidisciplinary research study.

Initiating Principal Investigator:

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

Inclusion of at least one military, VA investigator, or early career investigator is encouraged.

·      Preproposal is required; application submission is byinvitation only.

·      Supports new or existing partnerships between two or threeindependent investigators focusing research across the whole research spectrum.

·      Investigators are expected to demonstrate within the application, the synergistic components (i.e., leveraging disciplines, expertise or critical resources) that will significantly advance the project such that the research outcomes as a whole will be realized rapidly and efficiently and could not otherwise be accomplished through independent efforts of a single investigator.

·      Emphasis on Synergy, Multi-disciplinary research, and Impact.

·      Must address at least one of the FY20 Focus Areas.

·      Preliminary data are required.

·      Clinical trials are not allowed.

·     Maximum funding of $700,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·     Maximum period of performance is 3 years

 

Technology Development Partnership Award – Preproposal due June 22, 2020

Two independent investigators with a faculty-level appointment (or equivalent)

·     Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·     Supports new or existing partnerships between twoindependent investigators focusing on bioengineering approaches toaddress diagnostics, high risk markers, dormancy, and metastasis.

·     One partner must have a background in biomedical science, and one must have a background in the physical sciences (e.g. engineering, computational science, bioinformatics, or computer science).m imaging) approaches to address diagnostics, high risk markers, dormancy, and metastasis.

·     Must address the FY20 MRP Focus Area: Bioengineering (e.g., computational

·     Preliminary data is required.

·     Clinical trials are not allowed

·      Maximum funding of $700,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years

 

Translational Research Award – Preproposal due June 22, 2020

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

·      Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·      Supports studies aiming to leverage existing biobanks, biorepositories, ongoing or completed clinical trialsto address a translational question or problem in melanoma.

·      Emphasis on Translation and Impact.

·      Must address at least one of the FY20 Focus Areas.

·      Preliminary data is required.

·      Clinical trials are not allowed.

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

·     Maximum period of performance is 3 years

 

Translational Research Award – Collaborator Option – Preproposal due June 22, 2020

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

·      Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·      Supports two investigators in a joint study aiming to leverage existing biobanks, biorepositories, ongoing or completed clinical trialsto address a translational question or problem in melanoma.

·      Emphasis on Translation and Impact.

·      Must address at least one of the FY20 Focus Areas.

·      Preliminary data is required.

·      Clinical trials are not allowed.

·     Maximum funding of $700,000 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 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 USAMRDC 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 MRP 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 

The FY20 Defense Appropriation Act provides $16 million to the Department of Defense Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson’s Program (NETP) to support research to better understand and treat the neuro-degenerative effects of Parkinson’s disease (PD) associated with military deployment, environmental, and/or occupational exposures.  Research into military service-related risk factors is critical for past, present, and future Service members who may be affected PD. 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 Announcement/Funding Opportunity is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

The NETP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY20 NETP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in April 2020. 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 FY20 NETP must address at least one of the following Focus Areas:

·         Quantifiable gene - environment interactions and the risk for or progression of Parkinson’s disease.  Though not limited to this list, the following are some examples of areas that are encouraged:

○        Genome wide genotyping/sequencing of existing cohorts (must include data sharing plan)

○        Environmental exposures (toxins, medications, dietary, caffeine, among others)

○        Unbiased screens with biological validation

·         Basic biology of non-motor symptoms that could lead to the development of new treatments for Parkinson’s disease following neurotoxin exposure.  Though not limited to this list, the following are some examples of areas that are encouraged:

○        Sleep

○        Cognition (relevant to PD)

○        Psychiatric dysfunction

○        Autonomic dysregulation

·         System-level mechanism of dopamine refractory motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, including postural instability, freezing of gait, and treatment-associated dystonia, that could lead to development of new treatments in patients with neurotoxin exposure.  Though not limited to this list, the following are some examples of approaches that could be used:

○        Circuitry

○        Pathophysiology 

○        Neurochemistry

·         Clinical and research application of digital health technology leading to development of new treatments for Parkinson’s disease in those individuals exposed to neurotoxins.

○        Early identification

○        Innovative data analytic methods

○        Disease subtyping

 

https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2020/20netppreann

 

Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Independent investigators at or above the level of assistant professor (or equivalent)

Supports highly rigorous, multidisciplinary, high-impact research projects that have the potential to make an important contribution to neurotoxin exposure- and treatment-related Parkinson’s research. This award mechanism supports the full spectrum of research from basic science through clinical research.

·      Preliminary data to support feasibility are required. 

o   Any unpublished, preliminary data provided should originate from the laboratory of the Principal Investigator (PI) or a member(s) of the research team.

·      Clinical trials are not allowed

Applications to this award mechanism must address at least one of the four FY20 NETP Focus Areas.

·       Maximum funding of $1.2M in total costs

·       Maximum period of performance 3 years

 

Early Investigator Research Award

Postdoctoral or clinical fellow, instructor, or assistant professor within 10 years of advanced degree or residency training completion (or equivalent)

Verification of eligibility criteria must be provided in an Eligibility Statement signed by an appropriate institutional official and the PI.

Supports neurotoxin exposure- and treatment-related Parkinson’s research opportunities for individuals in the early stages of their careers, under the guidance of a designated Mentor.

·         The Early Investigator is considered the Principal Investigator (PI) of the application and must exhibit strong potential for, and commitment to, pursuing a career as an investigator at the forefront of Parkinson’s disease research; however, the PI is not required to have previous Parkinson’s disease research experience.   

o   Applications must include at least one Mentor, appropriate to the proposed research project, who has experience in Parkinson’s disease research and mentoring as demonstrated by a record of active funding, recent publications, and successful mentorship.  The selected Mentor(s) should also demonstrate a clear commitment to the development of the PI toward independence as a neurotoxin exposure- and treatment-related Parkinson’s disease researcher.

·        Preliminary data not required

·        Clinical trials are not allowed

Applications to this award mechanism must address at least one of the four FY20 NETP Focus Areas.

·       Maximum funding of $400,000 in total costs

·       Maximum period of performance 2 years

 

Synergistic Idea Award

Each investigator must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).

·      Supports new ideas that represent synergistic approaches to  neurotoxin exposure- and treatment-related Parkinson’s research involving two to four faculty-level (or equivalent) Principal Investigators (PIs).

·      The combined efforts of the PIs should utilize their complementary and synergistic perspectives to address a central problem or question in neurotoxin exposure- and treatment-related Parkinson’s research.

·      Designed to support both new and pre-existing partnerships, and encourages participation of PIs from other research fields.

• o   The NETP seeks applications from investigators working in a wide spectrum of disciplines including, but not limited to, basic science, engineering, bioinformatics, population science, translational research, and clinical research.

·      Preliminary data is not required

·      Clinical trials are not allowed

Applications to this award mechanism must address at least one of the four FY20 NETP Focus Areas.

·         Maximum funding of $3M in total 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.orgprior 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 USAMRDC 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 homepage at https://eBRAP.org.  For more information about the NETP 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

The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) to support innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance that will accelerate progress to end breast cancer for Service members, Veterans, and the general public.  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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

The BCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY20 funding opportunity.  This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the Government.  The FY20 BCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released. 

Applications submitted to the FY20 BCRP must address one or more of the following overarching challenges:

• Prevent breast cancer (primary prevention)
• Identify determinants of breast cancer initiation, risk, or susceptibility
• Distinguish deadly from non-deadly breast cancers
• Conquer the problems of overdiagnosis and overtreatment
• Identify what drives breast cancer growth; determine how to stop it
• Identify why some breast cancers become metastatic
• Determine why/how breast cancer cells lie dormant for years and then re-emerge; determine how to prevent lethal recurrence
• Revolutionize treatment regimens by replacing them with ones that are more effective, less toxic, and impact survival
• Eliminate the mortality associated with metastatic breast cancer

https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2020/20bcrppreann2

Transformative Breast Cancer Consortium Award

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

·       Supports collaborations and ideas that will transform the lives of individuals with, and/or at risk for, breast cancer and will significantly accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer.

·       The proposed consortium’s work must pursue innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that has the potential to change existing paradigms, or develop new paradigms.

·       Requires a synergistic, highly integrated, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional research team of leading scientists, clinicians, and consumer advocates who will be assembled into a consortium to address a major problem in a way that could not be accomplished by a single investigator or group.

·       The award mechanism is structured with a Consortium Director and at least three, but not more than four, Team Principal Investigators (PIs).

·       The consortium team must include at least one breast cancer consumer advocate per team.

·       May include clinical trials up to and including Phase I or equivalent; however, clinical trials are not required, and the primary thrust of the application should not be a clinical trial.

·       Submission of a preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

Preference will be given to applications that include one or more of the following:

·       Different disciplines that come together with one overarching plan to address ending breast cancer with an ecologic approach. An ecologic approach is one that brings together the different perspectives that affect the complexity of breast cancer and their interdependence, or looks at all aspects of the disease and brings together these different perspectives.

·       Research that includes truly innovative and brand new paradigms in breast cancer that will address vital issues in a unique way.  The issues may be one of the FY20 BCRP Overarching Challenges, the intersection of multiple Overarching Challenges, or with justification, may be a different issue that meets the intent of the award mechanism and addresses the mission of ending breast cancer.

·       A plan for a deep, definitive dive into one of the FY20 BCRP Overarching Challenges or a fundamental issue that has not yet been asked or answered in a manner that has not yet been attempted. 

• Maximum funding of $20 million (M )for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·       Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Breakthrough Award

Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

·       Supports promising research that has high potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer.

·       Potential impact of the research may be near-term or long-term, but it must move beyond a minor advancement and have the potential to lead to a new approach that is fundamentally better than interventions already approved or in clinical development.

·       Partnering PI Option allows two PIs, termed Initiating and Partnering PIs, to collaborate on a single application.

·       Different funding levels, based on the scope of research, are available.  It is the responsibility of the PI to select the funding level that is most appropriate for the research proposed.  The funding level should be selected based on the scope of the research project, rather than the amount of the budget.

The following are general descriptions, although not all-inclusive, of the scope of research projects that would be appropriate to propose under each funding level:

·        Funding Level 1:  Innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that is in the earliest stages of idea development or an untested theory that addresses an important problem.  To foster research that yields new avenues of investigation, preliminary data are not required.  Proof of concept is the anticipated outcome.

·        Funding Level 2:  Preclinical research that is already supported by substantial preliminary or published data and strongly validates clinical translation in a well-defined context within the breast cancer landscape.

·        Funding Level 2 – Population Science and Prevention Studies:  With compelling justification, population science and prevention studies may request higher levels of funding and an additional year in the period of performance. Such studies may require additional resources due to the participation of human subjects and/or use of human biospecimens.

·        Funding Level 3:  Advanced translational studies with a high degree of project readiness. Where relevant, proof of availability of and access to necessary data, human samples, cohort(s), and/or critical reagents must be provided.  If the proposed research would ultimately require US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) involvement, applications must demonstrate availability of and access to clinical reagents (e.g., therapeutic molecules) and subject population(s).  Applications must state a realistic timeline for near-term clinical investigation.  Small-scale clinical trials (e.g., first in human; Phase I/Ib) may be appropriate.

·        Funding Level 4:  Large-scale projects that will transform and revolutionize the clinical management and/or prevention of breast cancer.  Human clinical trials are required.  PIs are expected to have experience in successfully leading large-scale projects and demonstrated ability (through personal experience or via a commitment from a collaborating clinical investigator) to implement a clinical project successfully.  Where relevant, applications must demonstrate availability of, and access to, necessary data, human samples, cohort(s), and/or critical reagents.  For proposed research that will require FDA involvement, project readiness requirements at the time of application submission include: proof of availability of and access to clinical reagents (e.g., therapeutics) that meet regulatory compliance guidelines; proof of availability of and access to appropriate subject population(s); validated projections for patient recruitment; and submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application to the FDA, if applicable.

Funding Levels 1 and 2

·       Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.

·       Each PI may submit only one application as a PI or Initiating PI for each funding level.  There are no limitations on the number of applications for which an investigator may be named as a Partnering PI.  However, applicants are discouraged from submitting as a Partnering PI on multiple applications unless they are clearly unique, meaningful collaborations addressing distinct research questions.

·       Additional funds are available for applications submitted under the Partnering PI Option.

·       Clinical trials are not allowed.

• Funding Levels 3 and 4

·       Submission of a preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·       Applicants are discouraged from submitting as a Partnering PI on multiple applications unless they are clearly unique, meaningful collaborations addressing distinct research questions.

·       Additional funds are available for Funding Level 3 applications submitted under the Partnering PI Option.

·       PIs must include two or more breast cancer advocates on their research team.

·      Clinical trials are allowed (Funding Level 3) or required (Funding Level 4).

Funding Level 1

·      Maximum funding of $450,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Funding Level 1 – Partnering PI Option

·      Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Funding Level 2

·      Maximum funding of $1M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Funding Level 2 – Partnering PI Option

·      Maximum funding of $1.5M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Funding Level 2 – Population Science and Prevention Studies

·      Maximum funding of $1.5M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Funding Level 2 – Population Science and Prevention Studies – Partnering PI Option

·      Maximum funding of $2M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Funding Level 3

·      Maximum funding of $3M in direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Funding Level 3 – Partnering PI Option

·      Maximum funding of $4M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Funding Level 4 and Funding Level 4 – Partnering PI Option

·      Maximum funding of $10M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Era of Hope Scholar Award

Independent, non-mentored investigators within 6 years of their last training position (e.g., postdoctoral fellowship, medical residency, clinical fellowship) as of the application submission deadline

·       Supports exceptionally talented, early-career scientists who have demonstrated that they are the “best and brightest” in their fields through extraordinary creativity, vision, innovation, and productivity.

·       PIs should articulate a vision that challenges current dogma and demonstrates an ability to look beyond tradition and convention.

·       PIs must demonstrate experience in forming effective partnerships and collaborations and exhibit strong potential for future leadership in breast cancer.

·       PIs are required to include two or more breast cancer advocates on their research team.

·       Submission of a Letter of Intent is required prior to full application submission.

·      Maximum funding of $3M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

·      Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Innovator Award

Associate Professor or above (or equivalent)

·       Supports visionary individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovative work, and paradigm-shifting leadership in any field.

·       Provides opportunity to pursue novel, visionary, high-risk ideas that will accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer.

·       PIs must include two or more breast cancer advocates on their research team.

·       Submission of a preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.

·       Maximum funding of $7M for 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 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 USAMRDC 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 homepage at https://eBRAP.org.  For more information about the BCRP 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

The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) to support innovative, high-impact prostate cancer research.  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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

The FY20 PCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.

The mission of the FY20 PCRP is to fund research that will lead to the elimination of death from prostate cancer and enhance the well-being of Service members, Veterans, and all the men and their families who are experiencing the impact of the disease.  Within this context, the PCRP is interested in supporting research that addresses specific gaps in prostate cancer research and clinical care, with an emphasis on investing in research that will benefit patients diagnosed with lethal prostate cancer or improve quality of life for men diagnosed with this disease.  All applications are required to address one or more of the following FY20 PCRP Overarching Challenges: 

·        Improve the quality of life for survivors of prostate cancer

·        Develop treatments that improve outcomes for men with lethal prostate cancer

Applications must be directly relevant to lethal prostate cancer, which includes patients with metastatic disease; treatment-resistant disease; oligo-metastases; neuroendocrine disease; high-risk localized or locoregional disease, etc.

·        Reduce lethal prostate cancer in people of African descent, Veterans, and high-risk or underserved populations

High-risk populations include, but are not limited to, people of African descent (including Caribbean Americans), genetically predisposed populations, Service members, and Veterans.  Underserved populations include, but are not limited to, men with limited access to clinical care and resources (in both rural and urban settings), and sexual and/or gender minorities with, or at risk for, prostate cancer.

·        Define the biology of lethal prostate cancer to reduce death

Applications must be directly relevant to lethal prostate cancer, which includes patients with metastatic disease; treatment-resistant disease; oligo-metastases; neuroendocrine disease; high-risk localized or locoregional disease; etc.  Applications should not focus on topics such as differentiation between low risk and intermediate risk prostate cancer.

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

Idea Development Award – Letter of Intent due August 27, 2020

Established Investigators:  Independent investigators at all levels

or

New Investigators:  Investigators that meet the following criteria at the application submission deadline date:

• Have the freedom to pursue individual aims without formal mentorship
• Have not previously received a PCRP Idea Development Award and/or Health Disparity Research Award
• Have either completed at least 3 years of postdoctoral training or fellowship or are within 10 years after completion of terminal degree (excluding residency or family leave)
• Supports new ideas that represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain approaches to prostate cancer research and have the potential to make an important contribution to one or more of the FY20 PCRP Overarching Challenges.

·      Emphasis is equally placed on Innovation and Impact.

·      Preliminary data are encouraged, but not required.

·      Clinical trials are not allowed.

·      Each PI may submit only one application.

New Investigator Option supports applicants early in their faculty appointments or in the process of developing independent research careers.

Established Investigators:

·      Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

New Investigators:

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

·      Maximum period of performance is 3 years.

Health Disparity Research Award – Letter of Intent due June 25, 220

Established Investigators:  Independent investigators at all levels

or

New Investigators:  Investigators that meet the following criteria at the application submission deadline date:

·      Have the freedom to pursue individual aims without formal mentorship

·      Have not previously received a PCRP Health Disparity Research Award and/or Idea Development Award

·      Have either completed at least 3 years of postdoctoral training or fellowship or are within 10 years after completion of terminal degree (excluding residency or family leave)

• Supports research ideas that have the potential to make an important contribution to reducing and ultimately eliminating disparities in prostate cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality. 
• Proposed projects must address one of the following health disparity focus areas: (1) access to healthcare, (2) social and cultural factors, (3) environmental factors, or (4) biological and genetic contributors.
• Proposed projects may include basic, translational, population science, or clinical research, including clinical trials.
• Primary emphasis will be placed on the potential impact of the proposed work.
• Preliminary data are encouraged, but not required.

New Investigator Option supports applicants early in their faculty appointments or in the process of developing independent research careers.

Established Investigators:

• Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

New Investigators:

• Maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Translational Science Award – Letter of Intent due June 25, 2020

Modified for FY20

Independent investigators at all levels

·     Supports advanced translational research that will foster transformation of promising ideas in prostate cancer into clinical applications.

·     Supports a broad range of translational studies such as:

o  Translation of results from animal studies to applications with human samples/cohorts

o  Late-stage preclinical work leading to/preparing for a clinical trial, e.g., Investigational New Drug (IND) application submission

o  Correlative studies that are associated with an open/ongoing or completed clinical trial

o  Projects that develop endpoints for clinical trials

·     Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research hypotheses and research approaches are required.  The inclusion of additional preliminary data to support the clinical relevance of the idea is strongly encouraged.

·     Clinical trials are not allowed.

NEW Partnering PI Option: Allows two PIs, termed Initiating and Partnering PIs, to collaborate on a single application.  Collaborations between basic science and clinical researchers are highly encouraged.

• Maximum funding of $1,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• Maximum period of performance is 3 years.

Clinical Trial Award – Letter of Intent due to June 25, 2020

Independent investigators at all levels

·     Supports hypothesis-based, early-phase clinical trials (e.g., Phase 0, Phase I, pilot Phase II) to test interventions that will have a major impact on one or more of the FY20 PCRP Overarching Challenges.

·     Interventions may include drugs, devices, biologics, targeted radionuclides, surgical procedures, behavior modifications, or other types.

·     Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption approvals, if applicable, must be in place by the time of application submission.

·     Letter of support to demonstrate proof of possession of sufficient drug supply to conduct study must be provided (if appropriate).

·     Clinical trials are expected to be initiated within 12 months of the award date.

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

·     Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Population Science and Outcomes Research Award – Letter of Intent due June 25, 2020

NEW for FY20

Independent investigators at all levels

·     Supports population-focused studies that will, if successful, identify and understand predictors of lethal prostate cancer or survivorship within the context of the FY20 PCRP Overarching Challenges.

·     Examples of appropriate research approaches include:

o  Retrospective data analysis of patient databases or biospecimens

o  Prospective observations, analyses, or sample collection from a patient population

o  Case-control, cohort, or other population science study designs

·     Clinical trials are not allowed.

·     Research ideas may include, but are not limited to, biomarkers for lethal disease; genetics/genomics; therapy and predictors of response or resistance; survivorship; and health disparity.

·     Requires demonstration of sufficient sample size to address the study objectives, a robust statistical plan, and strong biostatistical expertise in the study team.

·     Presentation of preliminary data to support the study of rationale and/or feasibility is strongly encouraged, but not required.

• Maximum funding of $1,000,000 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 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 USAMRDC 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 PCRP 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