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DEPARTMENT OF WAR - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
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Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

NEWS RELEASE

Released: February 17, 2026

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

The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding for the TSCRP to support innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance to tuberous sclerosis complex. As part of the DHA R&D-MRDC, the CDMRP is the program office managing these anticipated FY26 funding opportunities.

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

  • Understand, prevent and treat the features of TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders and reduce their impact, including pharmacological, behavioral and surgical interventions
  • Identify strategies to prevent and eradicate tumors and cysts associated with TSC, such as angiomyolipomas, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma and lymphangioleiomyomatosis, including gaining a deeper mechanistic understanding of tumor microenvironment, TSC signaling and m-TOR independent pathways
  • Prevent epilepsy, improve treatment and mitigate neurodevelopmental and adverse outcomes associated with TSC-related seizures
  • Develop, assess and test emerging diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to improve outcomes in TSC
  • Understand potential pathogenic mechanisms or improve outcomes of maternal-fetal and reproductive health of women with TSC or LAM and the perinatal care of fetuses and/or newborns with TSC

Award Mechanism Eligibility Key Mechanism Elements Funding
Clinical Translational Research Award Independent investigators at all career levels.
  • For studies that address improving clinical care of TSC, advanced practice providers, genetic counselors or nurses are eligible to serve as a principal investigator, initiating PI or partnering PI.
  • Supports studies that will move promising, well-founded preclinical and/or clinical research findings closer to clinical application, including the diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of TSC.
  • Studies advancing clinical trial readiness through the development of biomarkers, clinical endpoints and validation of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics, as well as studies piloting clinical trials that include behavioral interventions, are of particular interest.
  • Supports studies that encompass the analysis of existing real-world data practices to develop and/or improve guidelines for better outcomes in defined areas relevant to the focus areas of the program.
  • Studies that involve human samples and/or patients or leverage existing clinical data and/or ongoing clinical studies preferred.
  • Applications allow preclinical studies, but must include a clinical component.
  • Applications cannot support exploratory and/or strictly animal research studies.
  • Applications allow for a small, pilot clinical trials intended to inform the next step in the continuum of translational research.
  • Clinical translational potential, impact and research strategy are important review criteria.
  • A partnering PI option is available.
  • The TSCRP requires submission of a letter of intent prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years
  • Maximum allowable funding:
    • Single PI: $1.6 million for total costs*
    • Partnering PI Option: $1.9M for total costs*
Exploration – Hypothesis Development Award Investigators at or above postdoctoral fellow, or equivalent.
  • Supports the initial exploration of innovative, high-risk, high-gain and potentially groundbreaking concepts in the TSC research field.
  • Projects involving human subjects or human biological substances must demonstrate exemption under Title 32, Code of Federal Regulations Section 219.101(b)(4); or demonstrate eligibility for expedited review under 32 CFR 219.110 or 21 CFR 56.110.
  • Applications must propose innovative and feasible research projects supported by a strong rationale.
  • Innovation is an important review criterion.
  • Applications allow, but do not require, preliminary data.
  • Applications cannot support clinical trials.
  • The TSCRP requires submission of a letter of intent prior to full application submission.
  • Maximum period of performance is 2 years
  • Maximum allowable funding is $350,000 for total costs*
Idea Development Award Established Investigators:
Independent investigators at all career levels.

or

New-to-the-Field Investigators:
  • Independent investigators at all career levels.
  • Established independent investigators in an area other than TSC at all career levels seeking to transition to a career in TSC, thereby bringing their expertise to the field.
  • Investigators who received more than $300,000 in total direct costs for previous or concurrent TSC research as a PI of one or more federally funded, non-mentored peer-reviewed grants may not apply.
  • National Institutes of Health K awardees may apply.
  • Supports new ideas that have the potential to yield high-impact findings and new avenues of investigation.
  • Impact and research strategy are important review criteria.
  • Applications must include preliminary data.
  • Applications cannot support clinical trials.
  • New-to-the-Field Investigators Option: Supports the continued development of promising independent investigators that are early in their faculty appointments and/or the transition of established investigators from other research fields into a career in TSC research.
  • Peer and programmatic review panels will review applications from established investigators and new-to-the-field investigators separately.
  • The TSCRP requires submission of a letter of intent prior to full application submission.
  • 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 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 TSCRP 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