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

Arthritis

NEWS RELEASE

Released: February 13, 2026

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

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the ATRP to support innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance that will optimize the health and well-being of all people affected by arthritis. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

The ATRP 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 ATRP funding opportunity announcements on the Grants.gov website. Once released, the funding opportunity announcements will include pre-application and application deadlines.

Applications submitted to the FY26 ATRP must address one or more of the following focus areas, as applicable by award mechanism:

  • Prevention and Early Diagnosis
    • Identify factors capable of predicting the onset or progression of disease
    • Identify technologies, solutions or knowledge products for the prevention of arthritis
  • Treatment and Mitigation of Disease Progression/Burden
    • Topic 1: Evaluate interventions or treatment strategies that address the multifactorial burden of arthritis. This may include solutions that address one or more of the following factors: pain or other symptoms, function, psychosocial factors, comorbidities or the pathologic burden of disease.
    • Topic 2: Develop solutions that address the multifactorial burden of arthritis. This may include solutions that address one or more of the following factors: pain or other symptoms, function, psychosocial factors, comorbidities or the pathologic burden of disease.
Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Clinical Research Award

Two different research levels anticipated for FY26. 		Independent investigators at all academic levels, or equivalent.
  • Supports clinical research that evaluates disease-specific factors and interventions. Funded research should generate clinically useful evidence with potential to optimize patient outcomes and inform clinical care or policy.
  • Applications require preliminary and/or published data.
  • Each research level describes a general research scope.
    • Research Level 1: Applications proposing clinical research or early phase/pilot clinical trials not yet ready for a full-scale randomized controlled clinical trial.
    • Research Level 2: Applications proposing a full-scale clinical trial.
  • Applications should include a community collaborator, e.g., patient/care partner, community-based organization consultant, who will provide advice and consultation during study design and throughout study planning and implementation. The ATRP encourages a community collaborator for Research Level 1 and requires a community collaborator for Research Level 2 applications.
  • Applications must address one of the following FY26 ATRP focus areas:
    • Prevention and Early Diagnosis
    • Treatment and Mitigation of Disease Progression/Burden – Topic 1
  • The ATRP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission by invitation only.
 Research Level 1
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $1.3 million for total costs*
Research Level 2
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $3.25M for total costs*
Translational Research Award

New for FY26 		Independent investigators at all academic levels, or equivalent.
  • Supports high-impact translational research that will accelerate critical findings into clinically relevant solutions.
  • Applications cannot request support for clinical research or clinical trials.
  • Applications require preliminary and/or published data, originating from research conducted by the applicant(s) or by other researchers.
  • Applications must address one of the following FY26 ATRP focus areas:
    • Prevention and Early Diagnosis
    • Treatment and Mitigation of Disease Progression/Burden – Topic 2
  • The ATRP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission by invitation only.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding of $800,000 for total costs*
*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 ATRP 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 Tuesday, February 17, 2026