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Tick-Borne Disease

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 27, 2017

Defense Health Program
Department of Defense Tick-Borne Disease Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2017

Due to the current Continuing Resolution, the Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) Defense Appropriations bill has not been passed. Although funds have not been appropriated for the Department of Defense Tick-Borne Disease Research Program (TBDRP), the TBDRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY17 funding opportunities.

FY17 TBDRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on Grants.gov in May 2017. 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, and funding of research projects received in response to these Program Announcements is contingent on the availability of Federal funds appropriated for the TBDRP.

As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency (DHA), J9 Research and Development 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).

Applications submitted to the FY17 TBDRP must address at least one of the following specific Focus Areas in Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases:

  • Diagnosis
    • Direct detection of agents of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases or their products in humans
    • Biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and cure
  • Pathogenesis
    • Mechanisms of persistence of Lyme disease
    • Host-pathogen interactions
    • New research tools to support studies of pathogenesis
  • Treatment
    • Innovative approaches to treatment
    • Studies aimed at safe and effective treatments for the cause(s) of persistent symptoms in Lyme disease
  • Prevention
    • Vaccines
    • Interrupting the cycle of the disease agents in nature

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Investigator-Initiated Research Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent).
  • To fund highly rigorous, high-impact studies that have the potential to make important contributions to Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease research, patient care, and/or quality of life.
  • Applications should articulate both the short and long-term impact of the proposed research, as well as the public health burden of the disease being addressed.
  • Preliminary or published data to support feasibility are required.
  • Promotes any phase of research from basic through translational, including preclinical studies in animal models or human subjects, as well as correlative studies associated with an existing clinical trial to establish proof-of-principle for further development in future studies; however, clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Maximum funding of $700K for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Idea Award Established Investigators: Independent investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); or

New Investigators:
Investigators that meet the following criteria at the application submission deadline date:
  • Have the freedom to pursue independent research goals without formal mentorship
  • Have either completed at least 3 years of postdoctoral training or fellowship, or are within 5 years of having begun first independent faculty position (or equivalent)
  • To fund conceptually innovative, high-risk/potentially high-reward research in the early stages of development that could lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate progress in improving outcomes for individuals affected by Lyme disease and/or other tick-borne illnesses.
  • Applications should articulate the qualities that make the research innovative (not merely an incremental advance), as well as the public health burden of the disease being addressed.
  • Preliminary data that are relevant to the proposed research project are encouraged, but not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • New Investigator Option supports postdoctoral fellows and applicants early in their faculty appointments, with separate peer- and programmatic review from the Established Investigator submissions.
  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Maximum funding of $250K for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 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, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under "Email Subscriptions" on the eBRAP homepage at https://eBRAP.org. For more information about the TBDRP 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


Last updated Monday, December 16, 2024