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Epilepsy

NEWS RELEASE

Released: December 5, 2024

Department of Defense
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)
Epilepsy Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25)

The FY25 Defense Appropriations Bill has not been signed into law. The CDMRP is unable to release new funding opportunities under the current Continuing Resolution. The CDMRP is providing pre-announcement information to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to anticipated funding opportunities should the CDMRP receive FY25 appropriations. Pre announcements should not be construed as an obligation or promise by the government. Once funding is available, CDMRP funding opportunities will be posted on the Grants.gov website. Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when opportunities are released, contingent upon future funding.

The FY25 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding for the Epilepsy Research Program (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 CDMRP at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) is the program office managing these anticipated FY25 funding opportunities.

Applications submitted to the FY25 ERP should address one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Markers and Mechanisms: Identifying biomarkers or mechanisms of PTE, which may include the following:
    • Predictive markers of epileptogenesis (acute and chronic) that are informed by or correlate with clinical observation
    • Research into the prevention of epilepsy and/or seizures
  • Epidemiology: Epidemiological characterization of PTE following traumatic brain injury, which may include the following:
    • Understanding and improving the quality of life of individuals with PTE, their families and/or their care partners
    • Identifying predictors of the development of epilepsy to inform clinical trial design and pre-clinical decision making
    • Outcomes, such as latency to and prevention of epilepsy, comorbidities and mortality
  • Longitudinal Studies: Studies of the evolution of PTE, which may include the following:
    • Understanding and improving the quality of life of individuals with PTE, their families and/or their care partners
    • Treatment and health care outcomes research, including quality of care and drug responsiveness
    • Comorbidities (e.g., psychiatric disorders and other neurological deficits, cognitive/physical deficits, sleep disorders, fatigue)
  • Innovative Research: Tools intended to better inform or improve upon PTE research and care, which may include the following:
    • 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
    • Tools that will enable the development of future clinical trials, such as those to determine/identify the most appropriate study population
Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Idea Development Award Level I: Early-career investigators ranging from the post-doctoral level to within three years of their first independent position (mentor required)

Level II: Investigators at any career level may be named as the Principal Investigator (PI) on the application. 		Intent: To solicit novel, innovative research that has the potential to increase 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.

Preliminary data are not required; however, applications must demonstrate the research team's ability to execute the chosen model of TBI and record subsequent seizure, 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 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 the addition of cohorts, outcomes, assessments, or analysis specific to PTE would be scientifically justified and increase 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 direct 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 advance and sustain the Faculty member's research career.
Preliminary data are not required; however, applications must demonstrate the research team's ability to execute the chosen model of TBI and record subsequent seizure, if applicable to the research project.
  • Maximum funding of $525,000 for direct 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