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DEPARTMENT OF WAR - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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Parkinson's

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 17, 2026

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

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the PRP to support innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance that will decrease risk, slow progression, or ease symptoms of Parkinson's disease. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

The PRP 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 PRP 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 PRP must address one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Understanding how Parkinson's disease biological and clinical heterogeneity impacts disease presentation, clinical course and therapeutic outcomes, from prodromal to late-stage Parkinson's disease
  • Development and characterization of in vitro model systems that approximate in vivo cellular and system complexity
  • Biological mechanisms or biomarkers, such as clinical, fluid, imaging, tissue, and devices, of unmet medical needs that could lead to the development of treatments for Parkinson's disease. Applications can utilize laboratory models through to human participants. Examples of unmet medical needs of interest include, but are not limited to:
    • Non-motor symptoms:
      • Autonomic
      • Cognitive
      • Fatigue
      • Olfaction
      • Pain
      • Psychiatric
      • Sensory
      • Sleep and circadian rhythm disruptions
    • Motor symptoms:
      • Dyskinesia
      • Dystonia
      • Gait and balance
      • Tremor
  • Interventions that address unmet medical needs of Parkinson's disease that include both clinical and preclinical models. Examples of interventions of interest include, but are not limited to:
    • Biologicals
    • Pharmacological
    • Non-pharmacological
    • Surgical
    • Non-surgical devices
    • Non-invasive central nervous system stimulation

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Early Investigator Research Award Postdoctoral fellow, clinical fellow, or independent investigator within 10 years of advanced degree or residency training completion, or equivalent.

Requires verification of eligibility criteria in an Eligibility Statement signed by an appropriate institutional official and the principal investigator.
  • Supports Parkinson's disease research opportunities for investigators in the early stages of their careers.
  • The principal investigator must exhibit strong potential for and commitment to pursuing a career at the forefront of Parkinson's disease research; however, the investigator need not have previous Parkinson's disease research experience.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed.
  • Each funding level supports investigators of a particular career status.
    • Funding Level 1: Applications may name early-career investigators at the postdoctoral level, including clinical fellows, as the PI. Applications must include at least one mentor appropriate to the proposed research project who has experience in PD research and mentoring, as demonstrated by a record of active funding, recent publications and successful mentorship. The selected mentor should also demonstrate a clear commitment to the development of the PI toward independence as a PD researcher.
      • Preliminary data are encouraged but not required
    • Funding Level 2: Applications may name early-career, independent investigators as the PI. Applications do not require a mentor.
      • Applications must include preliminary data.
 Funding Level 1:
  • Maximum allowable funding of $300,000 in total costs*
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years
Funding Level 2:
  • Maximum allowable funding of $1,000,000 in total costs*
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years
Investigator-Initiated Research Award Independent investigators at all academic levels, or equivalent.
  • Supports highly rigorous, multidisciplinary, high-impact research projects that have the potential to make an important contribution to Parkinson's disease research.
  • Supports basic science through clinical research studies.
  • Preliminary data are required.
  • Clinical trials are allowed.
  • Partnering PI Option: Supports meaningful and productive partnerships between two investigators, termed the initiating PI and partnering PI, collaborating on a single project.
  • Maximum allowable funding of $2,000,000 in 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 PRP 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 17, 2026