DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

NEWS RELEASE

Released: July 19, 2016

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Reconstructive Transplant Research Program
Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16)

The FY16 Defense Appropriations Act provides $12million (M) to the Department of Defense Reconstructive Transplant Research Program (RTRP) to support research of exceptional scientific merit that has the potential to make a significant impact on improving the function, wellness, and overall quality of life for injured military Service members and Veterans, their caregivers and family members, and the American public. 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 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).

The RTRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications. FY16 RTRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in August 2016. 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.

Focus Areas: The FY16 RTRP encourages research projects that specifically address needs in the field of vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) in the following focus areas:

  1. Immune system regulation as specifically applied to VCA
  2. Improve ex vivo VCA tissue preservation techniques or technologies to extend the time between procurement and transplantation (goal: 24 hours)
  3. Reconstructive transplantation rehabilitation
  4. Graft surveillance – acute and chronic clinical monitoring
  5. Psychosocial issues associated with VCA

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Concept Award Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Pre-application (Letter of Intent) is required.
  • Funds the exploration of a highly innovative new concept or untested theory that addresses an important problem relevant to reconstructive transplant.
  • Preliminary data are NOT allowed.
  • Reviewers at both tiers of review will be blinded to the identity of the Principal Investigator (PI), collaborators, and their organizations.
    • Applications must address one or more of the FY16 RTRP Focus Areas 1 through 4 as noted above.
  • Maximum funding of $200,000 for total costs
  • Maximum period of performance is 18 months
Investigator-Initiated Research Award Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Support studies that have the potential to make an important contribution to the reconstructive transplant research field, patient care, and/or quality of life
  • Preliminary or published data required.
  • Partnering PI Option supports synergistic partnerships among two to four independent investigators collaborating on a single application.
    • Applications must address one or more of the FY16 RTRP Focus Areas 1 through 4 as noted above.
Individual PIs:
  • Maximum funding of $1 million (M) for total costs
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Partnering PI Option:

  • Maximum funding of $1.5M for total costs
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Technology Development Award (TDA) Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports translation of promising preclinical findings into products.
  • Proof of concept should already be established.
  • Preliminary or published data required.
  • Applications must address one or more of the FY16 RTRP TDA Focus Areas:
    • Improve ex vivo VCA tissue preservation techniques or technologies
    • Graft surveillance – acute and chronic clinical monitoring
  • Maximum funding of $1M for total costs
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Qualitative Research Award (QRA) Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Preproposal is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports qualitative research studies that will help researchers and clinicians to better understand the experiences of individuals who are considering, or have already received, reconstructive transplant surgery.
  • Theoretical perspective of qualitative research must be identified.
  • Rigorous and appropriate data collection and data analyses methods are important components.
  • Applications must address one or more of the FY16 RTRP QRA Focus Areas:
    • Psychosocial issues associated with VCA
    • Development and validation of Quality of Life outcome measures for VCA
  • Partnering PI Option supports synergistic partnerships among two to four independent investigators collaborating on a single application.
Individual PIs:
  • Maximum funding of $1M for total costs
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Partnering PI Option:
  • Maximum funding of $1.5M for total 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 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. For email notification when Program Announcements are released go to the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.health.mil) and select Subscribe to Funding Opportunities & Program Communications. For more information about the RTRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.health.mil).



Point of Contact:

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


Last updated Thursday, December 5, 2024