DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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NEWS RELEASE

Released: May 12, 2015

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15)

The FY15 Defense Appropriations Act provides $30 million (M) to the Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) to support innovative, high-impact spinal cord injury research. As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Research, Development, and Acquisition (DHA RDA) Directorate manages and executes the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation. The executing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

The SCIRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY15 SCIRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in June 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
Clinical Trial Award Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Funds Phase 0, I, or II clinical trials with the potential to have a major impact on treatment or management of SCI and its consequences.
  • Preclinical data are required for all clinical trial applications.
  • Maximum funding of $2,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
Qualitative Research Award Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Funds qualitative research on military Service members and Veterans in the years following spinal cord injury
  • Qualitative research is defined as a form of social inquiry that focuses on understanding the way that people interpret and make sense of their experiences and the world in which they live (i.e., seek to understand the human experience).
  • Preliminary data are encouraged but not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Translational Research Award Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Fund studies that accelerate the movement of promising ideas in SCI research into clinical applications.
  • Optional Feature: Applications that include a Qualified Collaborator that meets criteria identified in the announcement may apply for a higher level of funding.
  • Preliminary data required.
  • Clinical trials not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $1,250,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum funding of $1,500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs) for applications including an Optional Qualified Collaborator
  • 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.
  • Funds SCI-related research that has the potential to make an important contribution to SCI research and/or patient care.
  • Preliminary are data required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Clinical Research Development Award Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • A Letter of Intent is required.
  • Funds research that will establish the necessary collaborations and develop the necessary research resources that will serve as a foundation for investigator-initiated clinical trials.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $100,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 1 year

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 funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

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. For more information about the SCIRP 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