DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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NEWS RELEASE

Released: January 21, 2009
Updated: January 28, 2009

Department of Defense Autism Research Program (ARP)
Funding for Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09)

The Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) Defense Appropriations Act provides $8 million to the Department of Defense Autism Research Program (ARP) to find and fund the best research to improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders now. This program is administered by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command through the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The FY09 ARP encourages proposals that specifically address critical needs of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the community following areas (Revised for FY09):

  • Co-morbidity: (e.g., manifestations such as disorders [gastrointestinal, sleep, behavioral, speech/language], psychiatric, seizures, immune dysfunction, motor and sensory deficits, metabolic dysfunction, and effects of ASD on intellectual ability)
  • Predictors for Treatment Outcomes: Identification of biomarkers, clinical characteristics, or other phenotypic markers that predict outcomes of a treatment, or populations that will or will not respond to a treatment (traditional or complementary and alternative)

FY09 ARP program announcements and application instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted and available on Grants.gov in February 2009.

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Clinical Trial Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Fund Phase 0, I, or II clinical trials relevant to ASD; combinations of phases are permitted
  • Preclinical data required for all clinical trial proposals
  • Phase I or pilot clinical trial data required for Phase II clinical trial proposals
  • Preproposal is required; proposal submission is by invitation only
  • Maximum funding of $750,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 4 years
  • Anticipate 2 awards
Idea Award Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Supports conceptually innovative research relevant to ASD
  • Impact and innovation are the most important review criterion
  • Preliminary data allowed, but not required
  • In the absence of preliminary data, sound scientific rationale for the proposed idea is required
  • Clinical trials are not permitted
  • Preproposal is required; proposal submission is by invitation only
  • Maximum funding of $375,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 3 years
  • Anticipate 7 awards
Concept Award Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Funds exploration of untested questions relevant to ASD
  • Preliminary data not allowed
  • Clinical trials are not permitted
  • Maximum funding of $75,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Period of performance should not exceed 1 year
  • Anticipate 7 awards

Information in this pre-announcement is being provided to allow investigators time to plan and develop proposals. All proposals submitted must conform to the final program announcements, which will be posted on Grants.gov in February 2009. Deadlines will not be available until the Program Announcements are released.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the CDMRP eReceipt website (http://cdmrp.org) prior to proposal submission. Proposals must be submitted through the federal government's single-entry portal, Grants.gov. A listing of all USAMRMC funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. The number of awards anticipated in each mechanism is based on available funds, average cost of proposals, and quality of proposals received. The ARP reserves the right to make awards in greater or lesser numbers than anticipated. Each program announcement will be available electronically for downloading from the Grants.gov website. The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov.

Requests for email notification of the Program Announcements release may be sent to help@cdmrp.org. For more information about the ARP or other CDMRP-sponsored programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://CDMRP.HEALTH.MIL).

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