DoD FY15 Vision Prosthesis Pilot Study Award | Apply Online

DoD FY15 Vision Prosthesis Pilot Study Award (VPPSA) FAQs

1) What is the DoD FY15 Vision Prosthesis Pilot Study Award (VPPSA)?

The VPPSA is a Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) funding opportunity under the Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program (CRMRP). It is designed to push forward early, high-impact research that could lead to a working visual prosthesis prototype, with a particular emphasis on innovation and pilot-study style exploration rather than incremental advances.

2) What problem is this award trying to address?

The program is framed around a medical and rehabilitation gap identified by CRMRP: current options to restore vision are inadequate for Wounded Warriors, their families, and the broader public. The award supports new approaches intended to meaningfully improve day-to-day functioning by advancing the development pathway toward a visual prosthesis prototype.

3) Who is the intended beneficiary or patient population?

The opportunity targets technologies for people who have experienced either functional enucleation (loss of usable vision even if the eye remains, such as with severe macular degeneration) or structural enucleation (physical loss or destruction of the eye or visual pathway, such as from traumatic injury).

4) What does the program mean by “functional enucleation” and “structural enucleation”?

Functional enucleation refers to the loss of usable vision even when the eye is still present (an example given is severe macular degeneration). Structural enucleation refers to physical loss or destruction of the eye or the visual pathway (an example given is traumatic injury).

5) Is this opportunity focused on basic research, applied research, or prototype development?

It is positioned as exploratory and innovation-driven pilot research intended to generate findings that directly inform the practical development pathway toward a visual prosthesis prototype. The expectation is not only interesting standalone results, but results that de-risk or accelerate prototype development.

6) Are preliminary data required?

No. Preliminary data may be included, but they are not required. Proposals are expected to be supported by sound scientific rationale and logical reasoning consistent with a pilot-study mechanism.

7) What counts as a “visual prosthesis prototype” for this award?

The DoD defines a visual prosthesis prototype in functional, real-world terms. A qualifying concept should aim to enable everyday capabilities such as navigating while walking (ambulation), identifying faces and objects critical for daily life, and reading large print.

8) Does the program consider cost and scalability?

Yes. The envisioned solution must be economically feasible, signaling that affordability and scalability are part of what the program considers when evaluating whether a concept is truly “prototype-ready” or worth advancing.

9) Are there required research focus areas?

Yes. Every application must address at least one designated focus area tied to cortical visual prosthesis development.

10) What are the designated focus areas applicants can choose from?

The required focus areas include: (1) simulation studies assessing stimulation parameters for an effective cortical artificial vision device (including computational/modeling approaches); (2) studies demonstrating efficacy of novel cortical stimulation methodologies, with flexibility for stimulation of non-visual cortex if it convincingly supports proof-of-concept; and (3) preclinical studies needed to support regulatory pathways such as Premarket Approval (PMA) for devices or an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for drug-related components, specifically for elements necessary to create a cortical interface.

11) Can a project propose something outside the listed focus areas?

Possibly. The announcement leaves room for other research areas relevant to a cortical visual prosthesis, as long as applicants provide strong justification showing the work is directly tied to progress toward a cortical prosthetic vision system.

12) Does the award only support stimulation of the visual cortex?

Not strictly. While the focus is cortical visual prosthesis development, the opportunity notes that stimulation of non-visual cortex may be acceptable if it convincingly supports methodological proof-of-concept for novel cortical stimulation methodologies.

13) What types of disciplines and teams are encouraged to apply?

The opportunity encourages investigators from many disciplines, including basic science, engineering, translational research, and clinical research. This reflects the cross-disciplinary nature of visual prostheses, which may involve neuroscience, stimulation hardware, signal processing, biocompatible materials, surgical approaches, rehabilitation strategies, and usability testing.

14) What should an application clearly explain?

Applications are expected to clearly explain the critical development problem being solved, why the approach is innovative compared to existing methods, and how anticipated results would de-risk or accelerate development of a visual prosthesis prototype.

15) What agency and program administered this opportunity?

This was a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the Department of the Army and administered through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), under CDMRP and the CRMRP umbrella.

16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is W81XWH-15-CRMRP-VPPSA.

17) What funding instrument was used?

The funding instrument type was listed as a cooperative agreement or grant.

18) How many awards were anticipated and what was the total estimated funding?

The opportunity anticipated making about three awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $930,000.

19) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

20) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement.

21) What were the key dates for this funding opportunity?

The posting date was May 21, 2015. The closing date was July 22, 2015. The archive date was August 21, 2015.

22) Who was the point of contact for application access issues?

The CDMRP Help Desk was provided as the point of contact for access issues with the full announcement.

23) What broader category was this opportunity associated with?

The opportunity was listed within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.