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DEPARTMENT OF WAR - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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  5. 2026 Autism Research Program

Autism

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 2, 2026

Defense Health Agency Research and Development
Medical Research and Development Command
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
Autism Research Program
Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2026

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the ARP to support research of exceptional scientific merit and innovation with high impact that focuses on autism. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

The ARP provides the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY26 funding opportunities. Investigators should not construe this pre-announcement as an obligation or promise by the government. The CDMRP will post FY26 ARP funding opportunity announcements on the Grants.gov website. Once released, the funding opportunity announcements will include pre-application and application deadlines.


Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Career Development Award Independent investigators at or below the level of Assistant Professor, or equivalent.

or

Established independent investigators in an area other than autism at or above the level of Assistant Professor, or equivalent, and seeking to transition to a career in autism research, thereby bringing their expertise to the field.

Investigators must not have previously received a Career Development Award, or equivalent, from any program within the CDMRP or other federal agency.

Investigators must not have received more than $250,000 in total direct costs for previous or concurrent autism research as a principal investigator (PI) of one or more federally or privately funded, non-mentored, peer-reviewed grants.

Must hold a Ph.D., M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or equivalent at time of pre-application submission.

Must not be a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow or other “mentored” researcher.
  • Supports early-career, independent investigators and/or the transition of established investigators from other research fields to conduct research with the potential to have a major impact on autism, including:
    • Innovative, high-impact ideas, or
    • Early-phase, proof-of-principle clinical trials.
  • Applications must include preliminary data relevant to the proposed project.
  • The ARP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Maximum funding is $750,000 for total costs*
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Clinical Trial Award Independent investigators at any career level.

or

Nested Early-Career Investigator Option: Independent investigators at any career level, termed the initiating PI, may collaborate on a single application with a young investigator, at the level of postdoctoral fellow up to early-career independent faculty, who meets the following criteria at the application submission deadline:
  • In a current postdoctoral training position or completed postdoctoral training.
  • No more than 7 years from the receipt of a terminal degree.
  • Can commit at least 50% time to the project.
  • Supports research with the potential to have a major impact on the treatment and/or management of autism.
  • Applications must include preliminary data relevant to the proposed clinical trial.
  • Nested Early-Career Investigator Option: Supports the development of young investigators pursuing or wishing to pursue a career in autism clinical trial research.
  • The ARP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Maximum funding is $1.5 million for total costs*
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
Nested Early-Career Investigator Option:
  • Maximum funding is $1.75M for total costs*
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
Idea Development Award Independent investigators at any career level.
  • Supports the development of innovative, high-impact ideas that advance the understanding of autism and ultimately lead to improved outcomes.
  • Partnering PI Option: Supports meaningful and productive partnerships between two investigators, termed the initiating PI and partnering PI, collaborating on a single application.
  • Applications must include preliminary data relevant to the proposed project.
  • Applications cannot support clinical trials, including a clinical trial aim.
  • The ARP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Maximum funding is $750,000 for total costs*
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
*Total costs include direct and indirect costs.

Before full application submission, the CDMRP requires submission of a pre-application through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal, eBRAP, prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final funding opportunity announcements available for downloading from Grants.gov. To obtain a listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities on the Grants.gov website, perform a basic search using CFDA number 12.420.

To receive email notifications upon release of funding opportunity announcements, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under "Email Subscriptions" on the eBRAP homepage. For more information about the ARP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website.

Point of Contact:
CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-7071
dha.detrick.cdmrp.mbx.public-affairs@health.mil


Last updated Wednesday, March 4, 2026