DoD Epilepsy Idea Development Award | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The DoD Epilepsy Idea Development Award (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-15-ERP-IDA) was a FY2015 research funding opportunity from the Department of the Army, administered through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) Epilepsy Research Program (ERP). It supported science and technology and other research and development efforts focused on post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), with a clear emphasis on improving understanding of both the scale of the problem and the biological or physiological mechanisms that lead to PTE. While the program is motivated by military health needs, it is explicitly framed to benefit both Service members and Veterans and, more broadly, the civilian community as well.

A defining feature of this announcement is that the Idea Development Award mechanism was being offered for the first time in FY15, signaling an intent to stimulate new lines of investigation and bring fresh approaches into the PTE space. The solicitation points applicants toward specific FY15 ERP Focus Areas (referenced in the announcement) as the organizing priorities for proposals. In practical terms, that means the program was not looking for epilepsy research in general, but rather projects that fit within the ERP-defined areas tied to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the development of epilepsy following trauma, including work aimed at clarifying disease mechanisms and characterizing magnitude and impact.

The award was structured with two funding levels designed for different stages and scopes of research. Level I was geared toward investigator-initiated projects that may be high risk and/or high gain, which typically implies early-stage concepts, novel hypotheses, or exploratory approaches where the payoff could be significant even if the uncertainty is higher. Level II was intended for more advanced studies that could be multidisciplinary and/or involve multiple collaborators, which generally suggests a larger scope, more integration across methods or fields, and a more mature project plan. Applicants had to choose the level that best matched the proposed work, and the responsibility for selecting the appropriate level rested with the Principal Investigator.

Even though the mechanism encouraged innovative ideas, the program still expected applications at either Level I or Level II to include relevant preliminary data supporting the central research hypothesis or hypotheses. This requirement indicates that proposals needed more than a conceptual rationale; they needed some empirical foundation showing feasibility or early evidence that the idea is worth advancing. In addition, the solicitation stresses the importance of appropriate expertise on the study team: while Principal Investigators could come from any field or discipline, they needed to be at or above the Assistant Professor level (or equivalent), and the application had to demonstrate that the team had experience in both TBI and epilepsy research. This reflects the program view that credible progress on PTE depends on integrating knowledge of brain injury with epilepsy mechanisms and outcomes.

The announcement also includes a specific programmatic preference regarding clinical approaches: clinical research focusing on pharmacological interventions was not encouraged. That does not necessarily prohibit drug-related work, but it signals that the program was prioritizing other kinds of clinical research or preclinical and translational studies, particularly those aimed at understanding mechanisms, identifying pathways, improving characterization, or developing non-pharmacologic strategies aligned with the ERP focus areas.

Administratively, the opportunity was categorized as discretionary funding, with the funding instrument listed as both cooperative agreement and grant. The total estimated funding for the competition was $6.8 million, with an expectation of making about five awards. No cost sharing or matching was required, and eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details in the full announcement. The CFDA listing associated with the opportunity was 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development). The opportunity was posted on July 21, 2015, and the application closing date was November 24, 2015, with an archive date of December 24, 2015. For technical access issues related to the full announcement, the listed point of contact was the CDMRP Help Desk at 301-682-5507.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Dept. of the Army USAMRAA

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Next opportunity: Land Conservation and habitat restoration for Western Snowy Plover along Monterey Bay

Previous opportunity: Notice of Intent Mapping Quaternary Sand Bodies in Wadena County, Minnesota and a Pilot Program to Support a Statewide Surficial Geology Map 1500,000

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for W81XWH 15 ERP IDA

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (W81XWH 15 ERP IDA) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "W81XWH 15 ERP IDA", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.