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

Toxic Exposures

NEWS RELEASE

Released: March 16, 2026

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

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the TERP to support innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance that will improve the health and quality of life and mitigate risks for those impacted by military-related toxic exposures. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

The TERP 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 TERP 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 TERP must address one or more of the following program goals:

The program does not list program goals in order of importance. The TERP provides bulleted items for additional context on current program priorities. While encouraged, the TERP does not require applicants to specifically address bulleted items.

Predict and prevent: Identify strategies that can anticipate, identify, monitor and prevent adverse effects of exposures to toxic substances, such as:

  • Understand the full range of effects from military-related environmental and toxic exposures
  • Understand the mechanisms of multigenerational effects of military-related toxic exposures and the impact of these exposures on reproductive health
  • Identify biological and/or psychosocial variables and risk factors that can impact disease outcomes from toxic exposures
  • Develop, adapt, validate or optimize monitoring; for example, personal devices and individual environmental exposures

Diagnose: Understand the clinical signs, symptoms and outcomes associated with exposures, and predict disease progression to develop specific or improved diagnostics, such as:

  • Understand complex, multi-exposure/physiological or non-chemical stressor combinations and how exposure impacts outcome; examples of stressors include hormonal, sleep disorders and thermal stress
  • Identify behavioral factors, such as smoking, substance abuse, etc.; comorbidities; and preexisting medical conditions that may impact exposure outcomes
  • Identify biomarkers of exposure to individual or multiple toxic substances alone or in combination with physiological/non-chemical stressors
  • Develop diagnostic screens/assays/devices for toxic exposures

Treat: Minimize symptoms and disease progression associated with exposures, such as:

  • Develop new or improve existing therapeutics, treatments and strategies
  • Advance new therapeutics, treatments and strategies
  • Address the need for preclinical models that capture the adverse outcomes of human toxic exposures

Applications submitted to the FY26 TERP must address at least one of the following topic areas:

The TERP does not list topic areas in order of importance.

  1. Neurotoxin Exposure
  2. Gulf War Illness and Its Treatment
  3. Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits
  4. Other Military Service-Related Toxic Exposures in General, Including Prophylactic Medications, Pesticides, Organophosphates, Toxic Industrial Chemicals, Materials, Metals and Minerals

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Clinical Trial Award Independent investigators at all career levels.


Partnering Principal Investigator Option: Up to two investigators may collaborate on a single application, each of whom will be recognized as a PI and receive a separate award.
  • The TERP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission by invitation only.
  • Supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to significantly impact prevention, treatment or management of symptoms, diseases or conditions associated with or resulting from military-related toxic exposures.
  • Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials through large-scale, definitive trials, including pragmatic clinical trials, to determine efficacy in relevant patient populations.
  • Supports clinical trials designed to evaluate promising new products; pharmacologic agents, such as drugs or biologics; devices; clinical guidance; and/or emerging approaches and technologies.
  • The TERP expects initiation of proposed clinical trials within 12 to 18 months of the award date.
  • Applications cannot include preclinical studies, including animal research.
  • Applications must address at least one of the FY26 TERP program goals and at least one of the FY26 TERP topic areas.
  • The TERP strongly encourages participation of at least one military or Veteran consumer as a member of the research team.
  • The TERP encourages collaboration with military and/or VA researchers and clinicians.
  • The TERP encourages the inclusion of at least one clinician on the study team.
  • Applications must include preliminary data.
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $4.5 million for total costs*
Investigator-Initiated Research Award Independent investigators at all career levels.
  • The TERP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission by invitation only.
  • Supports studies that will make an important contribution to research and/or patient care for a disease or condition associated with military-related toxic exposures.
  • Proposed projects may range from basic laboratory research through translational research, including preclinical studies in animal models and human subjects, as well as correlative studies associated with existing clinical trials.
  • Applications may include research involving human subjects and human anatomical substances; however, applications cannot include clinical trials.
  • Applications must address at least one of the FY26 TERP program goals and at least one of the FY26 TERP topic areas.
  • The TERP encourages collaboration with military and/or VA researchers and clinicians.
  • Applications must include preliminary data.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $800,000 for total costs*
Translational Research Award Independent investigators at all career levels.


Partnering Principal Investigator Option: Up to two investigators may collaborate on a single application, each of whom will be recognized as a PI and receive a separate award.
  • The TERP requires submission of a preproposal; application submission by invitation only.
  • Supports translational research that will accelerate the movement of promising ideas in military-related toxic exposure research into clinical applications, including health care products, interventions, technologies and/or clinical practice guidelines.
  • Applications may include research involving human subjects and human anatomical substances; however, applications cannot include clinical trials.
  • Applications must address at least one of the FY26 TERP program goals and at least one of the FY26 TERP topic areas.
  • The TERP strongly encourages participation of at least one military or Veteran consumer as a member of the research team.
  • The TERP encourages collaboration with military and/or VA researchers and clinicians.
  • Applications must include preliminary data.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $1.5M 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 TERP 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 Monday, March 16, 2026