DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
  1. Home
  2. GWIRP Research Highlights/News
  3. 2015 Gulf War Illness Research Program

NEWS RELEASE

Released: April 27, 2015

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Gulf War Illness Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15)

The FY15 Defense Appropriations Act provides $20 million (M) to the Department of Defense Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP) to support innovative, high-impact Gulf War illness research. This program is administered by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) through the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The GWIRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY15 GWIRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in May 2015. 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 Funding
Gulf War Illness Epidemiology Research Award (NEW for FY15!) Independent Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports population-based research to obtain a better understanding of mortality, morbidity and symptomatology over time in veterans with Gulf War illness (GWI).
  • Additional topics of interest include clinical diagnoses and laboratory findings, symptom clustering and subgrouping, and gender and racial differences.
  • Supports hypothesis-driven or discovery-based research.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $975,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
New Investigator Award Transitioning Postdoctoral Fellow: Senior postdoctoral fellows who have completed at least 3 years of postdoctoral training.
Early-Career Investigator: Independent investigators within 5 years since their last training position.
New GWI Researcher: Established independent investigators who have received less than $300,000 in federally funded, non-mentored GWI research funding.)
  • Encourages applications from investigators in the early stages of their careers and from established investigators new to the field of GWI research.
  • Previous experience in GWI research is not required; however, collaborations with experienced GWI researchers are encouraged.
  • Preliminary data are not required, and if provided, do not necessarily have to come from the GWI research field.
  • Studies that provide outcomes clearly translatable to clinical use are encouraged.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Investigator-Initiated Research Award Independent Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports new ideas in basic and clinical developmental research focusing on GWI.
  • Preliminary data are not required and, if provided, do not necessarily have to come from the GWI research field.
  • Studies should exhibit clear translational potential to lead to treatments for veterans with GWI.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $450,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Innovative Treatment Evaluation Award Independent Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports small-scale, early clinical trial evaluations of innovative treatments not previously studied in GWI.
  • Pilot Phase 0, I, and I/II clinical trials are allowed.
  • Provides opportunity to obtain proof-of-principle data to support future clinical trials.
  • Preliminary data are not required and, if provided, do not necessarily have to come from the GWI research field.
  • Studies with clear potential to move forward to Phase II/III clinical trials are encouraged.
  • Partnerships with the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry are encouraged.
  • Maximum funding of $700,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Clinical Trial Award Independent Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports larger, more definitive (Phase II or III or FDA device class I-III) clinical trials focusing on treatments for GWI.
  • Comparative studies of GWI treatments are allowed.
  • Proposed studies may be single-center or multi-center clinical trials.
  • Preliminary/preclinical data are required, indicating potential for substantial benefit for veterans with GWI.
  • Multiple-PI Option: allows up to four PIs, termed Initiating and Partnering PIs, to collaborate on a single application.
  • Individual PIs:
    • Maximum funding of $1,500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
    • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
  • Partnering PI(s) Option:
    • Up to 3 Partnering PIs with a maximum funding of $1,000,000 each for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
    • Maximum period of performance is 4 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 found on 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.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the CDMRP electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) (https://eBRAP.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@eBRAP.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 OCRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.health.mil).

Point of Contact:

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