DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

NEWS RELEASE

Released: December 28, 2022

Department of Defense
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23)

The FY23 Defense Appropriations Bill has not been signed into law. Although FY23 funds have not been appropriated for the Tuberous Sclerosis Research Program (TSCRP), the TSCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY23 funding opportunities. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the Government.

The FY23 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding for the TSCRP to support innovative, high-impact tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) research. The managing agent for the anticipated funding opportunities is the CDMRP at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC). 

The TSCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY23 funding opportunities. The FY23 TSCRP funding opportunity announcements for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the announcements are released.  

Applications submitted to the FY23 TSCRP must address one or more of the following Focus Areas:

  • Understanding, preventing, and treating the features of TSC-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TAND) and reducing their impact, including pharmacological, behavioral, and surgical interventions
  • Strategies for eradicating tumors associated with TSC and TSC-associated lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), including gaining a deeper mechanistic understanding of tumor microenvironment, TSC signaling and mTOR-independent pathways
  • Preventing, epilepsy, improving treatment, and mitigating neurodevelopmental and adverse outcomes associated with TSC-related seizures
  • Developing, assessing, and testing emerging technologies including imaging and molecular therapeutic strategies, such as gene therapy, to improve outcomes in TSC

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Exploration - Hypothesis Development Award Investigators at or above postdoctoral fellow (or equivalent)
  • Supports the initial exploration of innovative, high-risk, high-gain, and potentially groundbreaking concepts in the TSC research field.
  • Projects involving human subjects or human biological substances must be exempt under Title 32, Code of Federal Regulations Section 219.101(b)(4) (32 CFR 219.101[b][4]) or eligible for expedited review under 32 CFR 219.110 or 21 CFR 56.110.
  • Research projects must be innovative, feasible, and supported by a strong rationale.
  • Innovation is an important review criterion.
  • Preliminary data are not required.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $150,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years.
Idea Development Award Established Investigators:
Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

or 

New-to-the-Field Investigators:
Independent investigator at or below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) or established independent investigators in an area other than TSC at or above the level of Assistant Professor seeking to transition to a career in TSC, thereby bringing their expertise to the field.

Must not have received more than $300,000 in total direct costs for previous or concurrent TSC research as a Principal Investigator (PI) of one or more federally funded, non-mentored peer-reviewed grants. (National Institutes of Health K Awardees are eligible to apply.) 

  • Supports new ideas that have the potential to yield high-impact findings and new avenues of investigation.
  • Impact and Innovation are important review criteria.
  • Preliminary data are expected.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • The New-to-the-Field Investigators Option supports the continued development of promising independent investigators that are early in their faculty appointments and/or the transition of established investigators from other research fields into careers in TSC research.
  • Applications from New Investigators and Established Investigators will be peer and programmatically reviewed separately.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Clinical Translational Research Award Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)
  • Supports studies that will move promising, well-founded preclinical and/or clinical research findings closer to clinical application, including diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment of TSC.
  • Studies advancing clinical trial readiness through development of biomarkers, clinical endpoints, and validation of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics, as well as pilot clinical trials including behavioral interventions, are of particular interest.
  • Preference will be given to studies that involve human samples/patients, or leverage existing clinical data and/or ongoing clinical studies.
  • Preclinical studies may be appropriate, but must include a clinical component.
  • Projects that are exploratory and/or strictly animal research will not be considered for funding.
  • Applications may include a small, pilot clinical trial intended to inform the next step in the continuum of translational research.
  • Clinical Translational Potential and Impact are important review criteria.
  • Partnering PI Option available.
  • Collaborations between laboratory scientists and clinicians are strongly encouraged.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Maximum funding of $1 million for direct costs (plus indirect costs).

  • Maximum funding of $1.15 million for applications including a Partnering PI Option.

  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final funding opportunity announcements that will be available for 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 and other USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

Submission deadlines are not available until the funding opportunity announcements are released. For email notification when announcements are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage. For more information about the TSCRP 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@health.mil


Last updated Thursday, December 29, 2022