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Epilepsy

NEWS RELEASE

Released: November 29, 2023

Department of Defense
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Epilepsy Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)

The FY24 Defense Appropriations Bill has not been signed into law. Although FY24 funds have not been appropriated for the Epilepsy Research Program (ERP), the ERP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY24 funding opportunities. This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.

The FY24 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding for the ERP to support research to understand the mechanisms of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) and associated comorbidities to improve quality of life, especially in Service Members, Veterans, and caregivers. The managing agent for the anticipated funding opportunities is the CDMRP at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

The ERP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY24 funding opportunities. The FY24 ERP 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 FY24 ERP should address one or more of the following Focus Areas:

  • Markers and Mechanisms: Identifying biomarkers or mechanisms of PTE, which may include:
    • Predictive biomarkers of epileptogenesis (acute and chronic)
    • Research into the prevention of epilepsy and/or seizures

  • Epidemiology: Epidemiological characterization of PTE following traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may include:
    • Understanding and improving the quality of life of individuals with PTE, their families, and/or caregivers
    • Predictors of the development of epilepsy
    • Outcomes, including latency to and prevention of epilepsy, comorbidities, and mortality

  • Longitudinal Studies: Studies of the evolution of PTE, which may include:
    • Understanding and improving the quality of life of individuals with PTE, their families, and/or caregivers
    • Treatment and healthcare outcomes research, including quality of care
    • Comorbidities (e.g., psychiatric disorders, cognitive/physical deficits, sleep disorders, fatigue)

  • Innovative Research: Tools intended to better inform or improve upon PTE research and care, which may include:
    • Strategies that will improve seizure detection, characterization, visualization, or diagnosis (e.g., artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, clinical databases, devices, tissue banks)
    • Development of new models or better characterization of existing etiologically relevant models for PTE


Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Idea Development Award Level I: Early-career investigators ranging from the post-doctoral level (e.g., research associate, fellows, residents, or equivalent) to within 3 years of their first independent faculty position (mentor required)

Level II: Investigators at any career level may be named by the organization as the Principal Investigator (PI) on the application.

Intent: To solicit novel, innovative research that has the potential to increase our understanding of PTE to improve quality of life, especially in Service Members, Veterans, and/or their care partners. The work should innovatively challenge existing research paradigms or exhibit high creativity.

Applications proposing high-risk, high-reward research are encouraged.

  • Level I is intended to support early-career investigators. Requires a mentor as part of the application.

  • Level II is intended to support independent investigators. Applicants can be from any field or discipline. Study teams are expected to demonstrate experience in both TBI and epilepsy.

Preliminary data are not required; however, evidence demonstrating the research team’s ability to execute the chosen model of TBI and record subsequent seizure is required, if applicable to the research project.

Level I:
  • Maximum funding of $450,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Level II:
  • Maximum funding of $650,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Leveraging Research Award Investigators at any career level. Intent: To support research that leverages ongoing or completed research studies for which PTE was not an original focus and to provide support to expand the research to develop such a focus and increase our understanding of PTE. The project may include basic, translational, and/or clinical research studies.

The proposed study must be associated with an ongoing or completed research effort in which PTE is/was not an existing research priority and for which addition of cohorts, outcomes, assessments, or analysis specific to PTE would be scientifically justified and increase our understanding of PTE.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Research Partnership Award Investigators at any career level. Intent: To create an avenue to support new or existing collaborative research partnerships between/among investigators to address a research problem or question in a manner that would be unachievable through separate efforts.

It is expected that investigators utilize their distinct but complementary perspectives to synergistically address a central problem or question critical to PTE research and those living with PTE, their families, and/or their care partners.

Preliminary data are required.

  • Maximum funding of $1,200,000 for total costs (plus indirect costs)

  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Faculty Award Early-career investigators and investigators new to the PTE field. Intent: Solicits Faculty members to join the Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center in order to advance PTE research through the development of early-career investigators and investigators new to the PTE field.

  • Focuses on the PI’s research and career development.

  • Supports research projects with an emphasis on discovery that investigate questions across the PTE research spectrum (biology/etiology, prevention, diagnosis/detection, prognosis, treatment, and quality of life).

  • Requires a Career Guide as part of the application who demonstrates a commitment to advancing and sustaining the Faculty member’s career in PTE research.

Preliminary data are not required, although evidence demonstrating the ability to execute the chosen model of TBI and record subsequent seizure is required, if applicable to the research project.

  • Maximum funding of $525,000 for total costs (plus indirect 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 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.

For email notification when 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 ERP 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 Sunday, December 31, 1600