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

Epilepsy

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 3, 2026

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

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the ERP to support innovative, high-impact research to understand the mechanisms of post-traumatic epilepsy and associated comorbidities to improve quality of life, especially for Service Members, Veterans and caregivers. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

The ERP 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 ERP 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 ERP should address one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Markers and Mechanisms of PTE
    Research focused on understanding the underlying biology of PTE, including:
    • Identification of acute or chronic biomarkers that are informed by or correlated with clinical observation and predict the development of epilepsy.
    • Investigation of biological mechanisms that can be targeted to prevent or interrupt epileptogenesis and seizure activity.
  • Epidemiological Characterization of PTE
    Population-level research to define the patterns, causes, and public health burden of PTE, including:
    • Identifying predictors for the development of epilepsy to inform clinical trial design and pre-clinical research priorities.
    • Assessing key patient outcomes, including the latency period before epilepsy onset, associated comorbidities, and mortality rates.
    • Quantifying the impact of PTE on the quality of life for individuals, their families and/or their care partners.
  • Longitudinal Studies of PTE Progression
    Studies tracking the evolution of post-traumatic epilepsy over time in individuals, including:
    • Assessing facilitators and barriers to long-term well-being of individuals with PTE, their families, and their care partners.
    • Evaluating healthcare outcomes, quality of care, and responsiveness to different drug therapies.
    • Analyzing the onset, progression, and interaction of comorbid conditions, including but not limited to psychiatric disorders, cognitive deficits, physical deficits, sleep disorders, and fatigue.
  • Innovative Research Tools and Technologies
    Development of novel tools and strategies to advance PTE research and clinical care, including:
    • Application of artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, clinical databases, and advanced device technologies for improved seizure detection, characterization, visualization, or diagnosis.
    • New or better-characterized, etiologically relevant models for post-traumatic epilepsy.
    • Tools to enable the design of future clinical trials, such as methods to identify appropriate study populations.

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Idea Development Award Independent investigators at any career level may be named as the Principal Investigator (PI) on an application.
  • Supports novel research that has the potential to increase understanding of PTE and associated comorbidities to improve quality of life, especially for Service Members, Veterans and/or their care partners.
  • Prioritizes innovative research that challenges existing research paradigms or exhibits high creativity.
  • Applicants are not required to provide preliminary data; however, applications must demonstrate the research team’s ability to execute the chosen model of traumatic brain injury and record subsequent seizure, if applicable to the research project.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $1 million for total costs*
Leveraging Research Award Independent investigators at any career level may be named as the PI on an application.
  • Supports basic, translational and/or clinical research that repurposes or expands existing research resources to accelerate the understanding of PTE and associated comorbidities.
  • Applications must:
    • Adapt a cohort, resource, research tool or intervention for which PTE was not a prior focus;
    • Provide a strong scientific justification for adding PTE-specific cohorts, outcomes, assessments or analyses; and
    • Demonstrate how this new focus will significantly advance knowledge of the condition.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $800,000 for total costs*
Research Partnership Award Structured to support two named Principal Investigators, both of whom may be independent investigators at any career level.
  • Supports new or existing research partnerships focused on collaboratively addressing critical questions relevant to PTE.
  • Applications must include preliminary data.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $2 million for total costs*
Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center - Leadership Award The Director and Deputy Director of the Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center (Virtual P-TERC) must be independent investigators with a strong history of PTE research funding, peer-reviewed publications, and mentorship experience. The Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Leadership will:
  • Execute the Center's Mission: Guide the development of successful and highly productive PTE researchers within a collaborative, virtual environment.
  • Provide Intensive Mentorship: Oversee and facilitate intensive mentoring, national networking opportunities and peer group support for new PTE investigators.
  • Foster Collaboration: Facilitate regular, interactive communication and collaboration among all Virtual P-TERC members.
  • Assess Progress: Track and assess the research outcomes and career progression of the center's faculty to ensure their success.
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $1.6 million for total costs*
Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center – Faculty Award Early-career investigators and investigators new to the PTE field may be named as the PI on an application.
  • 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.
  • Supports research projects investigating questions across the PTE research spectrum, including biology and etiology, prevention, diagnosis and detection, prognosis, treatment, and quality of life.
  • Applications must address the faculty member’s research and career development.
  • Applications must name a career guide who demonstrates a commitment to advance and sustain the faculty member’s research career.
  • Applicants are not required to provide preliminary data; however, applications must demonstrate the research team’s ability to execute the chosen model of traumatic brain injury and record subsequent seizure, if applicable to the research project.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $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 FY26 ERP pre-applications are Letters of Intent, therefore an invitation to submit a full application is not required. 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 ERP 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, March 3, 2026