• Overall Lead Principal Investigator (PI) must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent) with experience in developing and running large-scale initiatives.
• Leaders of individual projects may be independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent).

• Supports a team initiative that leverages the strengths of investigators specializing in different fields to address an overarching scientific challenge or question and fundamentally advance the understanding and treatment of military-relevant vision trauma.
• Overarching Challenge
  Investigators are encouraged to:
  • Consider barrier(s) to and/or gap(s) in the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, and/or treatment of eye injury or visual dysfunction associated with a military-relevant trauma and envision what may be achievable in 10 to 15 years.
  • Identify, based on the long-term vision, what should and can be achieved in the near term.
  • Design projects and research teams around these considerations.

• Research Projects
  • The team science proposal shall include at least three (3) but no more than five (5) distinct research projects that together form a concerted and synergistic effort that advances a solution beyond what would be possible through individual efforts.
  • Preliminary data to support the feasibility of each project are required.
  • May include, as a portion of the proposed research, a pilot clinical trial component that collects preliminary data to inform the feasibility, rationale, and design of subsequent clinical trials.
• Research Team
  • The overall lead PI must have demonstrated success in leading large collaborative research projects.
  • The overall lead PI must devote a minimum of 20% effort.
  • Project leader of each of the complementary and synergistic research projects must be an independent investigator with strong qualifications.
  • Must have a detailed Implementation Plan for participating research groups to coordinate efforts, facilitate collaboration, and create synergy.

• Maximum funding of $5,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• The maximum period of performance is 4 years.

• Supports studies that will yield highly impactful discoveries or major advancements.

• Funding Level 1 supports exploratory, high-risk/high-reward research in the earliest stages of development.
  • Research must have the potential to yield new avenues of investigation, such as new approaches, new research tools, or new paradigms.
  • While preliminary data are not required, applicants must provide solid rationale of the research idea.
  • The investigating team must have sufficient expertise to test the idea.

• Funding Level 2 supports the advancement of more mature research that has the potential to make significant advancements toward clinical translation.
  • Preliminary data supporting the readiness and feasibility of the proposed research are required.

• The PI is responsible for selecting the funding level most appropriate for the research proposed. The funding level should be selected based on the scope of the research project, rather than the amount of the budget.
• Clinical trials are not allowed.

• Maximum funding of $260,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• The maximum period of performance is 2 years.

Funding Level 2:

• Maximum funding of $750,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

• Supports translational research that moves promising laboratory research into clinical applications.
• It is expected that an IND or IDE application will be submitted during or by the end of the period of performance.
• Preliminary data are required.
• May include, as a portion of the proposed research, a pilot clinical trial component that collects preliminary data to inform the feasibility, rationale, and design of subsequent clinical trials.

• Maximum funding of $1,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• The maximum period of performance is 3 years.