DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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NEWS RELEASE

Released: April 6, 2012

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Autism Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2012

The Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) Defense Appropriations Act provides $5.12 million (M) to the Department of Defense Autism Research Program (ARP). The vision of the ARP is to improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) 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 ARP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY12 ARP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on Grants.gov in May 2012. 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.

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements FY12 Areas of Interest (Encouraged) Funding
Idea Development Award Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports the development of innovative, high-impact ideas that advance the understanding of ASD and lead to improved outcomes.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Multiple Principal Investigator (PI) Option: Up to three investigators may collaborate on a single application, each of whom will be recognized as a PI and receive a separate award.
  • Investigators are encouraged to submit their data to the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), a secure bioinformatics platform for data-sharing.
  • Improved sub-grouping of individuals with ASD to inform the mechanisms, natural history, and response to treatment (e.g., biomarkers, risk factors, sex ratio).
  • Identification of therapeutic targets, excluding new gene discovery.
  • Psychosocial research across the lifespan, including influences on brain function/structure.
  • Co-morbid conditions across the lifespan, especially sleep disorders and gastrointestinal issues.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $400,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • For multiple PIs, the combined funding for all PIs for the entire period of performance may not exceed $400,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Pilot Award Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will drive the field of ASD forward.
  • Preliminary data are not allowed.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Projects involving human subjects or human biological substances must be either exempt under Title 32, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 219, Section 101(b) (32 CFR 219.101[b]) or eligible for expedited review (32 CFR 219.110 or 21 CFR 56.110).
  • Improved sub-grouping of individuals with ASD to inform the mechanisms, natural history, and response to treatment (e.g., biomarkers, risk factors, sex ratio).
  • Identification of therapeutic targets, excluding new gene discovery.
  • Psychosocial research across the lifespan, including influences on brain function/structure.
  • Co-morbid conditions across the lifespan, especially sleep disorders and gastrointestinal issues.
  • Maximum funding for the entire period of performance is $100,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years

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 made available on the Grants.gov website. 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.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the CDMRP eReceipt website (http://cdmrp.org) prior to the pre-application deadline. Applications must be submitted through the federal government's single entry portal, Grants.gov. Submission deadlines are not available until the Program Announcements are released. Requests for email notification of the Program Announcements release may be sent to help@cdmrp.org. Email notifications of funding opportunities are sent as a courtesy and should not be used as a sole source of notification; applicants should monitor Grants.gov for official postings of funding opportunities.

For more information about the ARP or other CDMRP-sponsored programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.health.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-9783
CDMRP.PublicAffairs@amedd.army.mil