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

Multiple Sclerosis

NEWS RELEASE

Released: February 18, 2026

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

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the MSRP to support innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance that will address fundamental issues and gaps in multiple sclerosis. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

The MSRP 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 MSRP 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 MSRP must address one or more of the following focus areas relevant to the award mechanisms as described in the table.


Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Clinical Trial Award Independent investigators at all career levels.
  • Supports rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to significantly impact multiple sclerosis.
  • Funding Level 1: Supports small-scale, proof-of-principle clinical trials to demonstrate translational feasibility or inform the design of more advanced trials, or other clinical trials appropriate for this funding level.
  • Funding Level 2: Supports larger-scale clinical trials at phase 1 or 2 that seek to show preliminary evidence of safety or efficacy benefitting clinical or paraclinical outcomes in relevant patient populations.
  • Applications must support clinical trials.
  • Applications must include scientific rationale and preliminary data.
  • Applications must address at least one of the following focus areas:
    • Promoting repair, neuroprotection, and remyelination in multiple sclerosis
    • Treatment of multiple sclerosis symptoms
  • The MSRP requires submission of a letter of intent prior to full application submission.
 Funding Level 1
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $1 million for total costs*
Funding Level 2
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $2M for total costs*
Early Investigator Research Award Investigators must:
  • Possess a doctoral degree from an accredited organization.
  • Demonstrate involvement in a postdoctoral training or medical residency program and possess at least 1 and up to 4 years continuous postdoctoral research experience.
  • Commit at least 50% of their effort toward the project.
Investigators may receive only one Early Investigator Research Award.
  • Supports multiple sclerosis-focused research opportunities for individuals in the early stages of their careers.
  • Applications require mentorship. Investigators must name an experienced multiple sclerosis researcher as the designated mentor.
  • Applications cannot support clinical trials.
  • Applications must address at least one of the following focus areas:
    • Central nervous system repair, protection and regenerative potential in multiple sclerosis
    • Correlates of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis
    • Biology and measurements of multiple sclerosis symptoms
    • Mechanisms contributing to or associated with multiple sclerosis etiology, prodrome, onset and disease course
  • The MSRP requires submission of a letter of intent prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $300,000 for total costs*
Exploration – Hypothesis Development Award Established Investigators:
  • Independent investigators at all career levels.
or

New Investigators:
  • Independent investigators with no more than 5 years from the start of their non-mentored position.
  • Investigators who received more than $300,000 in total direct costs for previous or concurrent multiple sclerosis research as an investigator of one or more non-mentored, peer-reviewed grants from any agency may not apply.
  • Supports the initial exploration of innovative, high-risk, high-gain, and potentially groundbreaking concepts in the multiple sclerosis research field.
  • While the inclusion of preliminary data is not prohibited, the strength of the application should rely on the approach.
  • Applications cannot support clinical trials.
  • New Investigator Option: Supports applicants early in their faculty appointments.
  • Applications must address at least one of the following focus areas:
    • Central nervous system repair, protection and regenerative potential in multiple sclerosis
    • Correlates of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis
    • Biology and measurements of multiple sclerosis symptoms
    • Mechanisms contributing to or associated with multiple sclerosis etiology, prodrome, onset and disease course
  • The MSRP requires submission of a letter of intent prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $250,000 for total costs*
Investigator-Initiated Research Award Established Investigators:
  • Independent investigators at all career levels.
or

New Investigators:
  • Independent investigators with no more than 5 years from the start of their non-mentored position.
  • Investigators who received more than $300,000 in total direct costs for previous or concurrent multiple sclerosis research as an investigator of one or more non-mentored, peer-reviewed grants from any agency may not apply.
  • Supports highly rigorous, high-impact research with the potential to make an important contribution to MS research and/or patient care.
  • Applications must include preliminary data.
  • Applications cannot support clinical trials.
  • New Investigator Option: Supports applicants early in their faculty appointments.
  • Applications must address at least one of the following focus areas:
    • Central nervous system repair, protection and regenerative potential in multiple sclerosis
    • Correlates of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis
    • Biology and measurements of multiple sclerosis symptoms
    • Mechanisms contributing to or associated with multiple sclerosis etiology, prodrome, onset and disease course
  • The MSRP requires submission of a letter of intent prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $1M 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 MSRP 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, February 18, 2026