DoD Gulf War Illness Epidemiology Research Award | Apply Online

FAQs: DoD Gulf War Illness (GWI) Epidemiology Research Award (GWIERA)

What is the DoD Gulf War Illness (GWI) Epidemiology Research Award?

The Gulf War Illness (GWI) Epidemiology Research Award is a Department of Defense funding opportunity under the Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP). It is designed to support population-based epidemiological studies focused on U.S. Veterans deployed during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War who are affected by Gulf War Illness.

What is the main goal of this award?

The central aim is to improve understanding of how mortality, morbidity, and GWI symptom patterns have developed and changed over time. Projects are expected to use rigorous comparisons to appropriate control populations and produce findings that are informative at a population level.

Who is the population of interest for this opportunity?

The population of interest is U.S. Veterans who were deployed during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, particularly those affected by Gulf War Illness. The opportunity focuses on epidemiological characterization of this Gulf War Veteran population and GWI-related patterns.

What symptoms or health issues are commonly associated with Gulf War Illness in the solicitation?

The opportunity notes that while GWI can vary by individual, ill Gulf War Veterans often report similar symptom categories, commonly including widespread pain and headaches, fatigue, cognitive problems, gastrointestinal issues, and skin abnormalities.

Why does the solicitation emphasize case definitions for GWI?

A major motivation described is that existing GWI case definitions may be strengthened by adding more detailed epidemiological evidence about when symptoms begin, how long they last, how severe they become, and how they relate to clinical or laboratory findings.

What kinds of study approaches are supported (hypothesis-driven vs. discovery-based)?

The award supports both hypothesis-driven studies and discovery-based projects, as long as they are grounded in solid epidemiological methods and address broad, meaningful questions about the Gulf War Veteran population.

What topic areas are considered priorities under this opportunity?

Priority topic areas include measuring mortality rates and identifying causes of death; describing symptom trajectories over time (including duration, frequency, and severity); documenting clinical diagnoses and relevant laboratory findings; identifying symptom clusters and subgroups that may reflect distinct GWI subtypes; and examining differences across gender and racial groups.

Does the opportunity encourage research on causes of death and mortality patterns?

Yes. Measuring mortality rates and identifying causes of death are specifically listed as priority topic areas.

Does the opportunity support longitudinal research and follow-up over time?

Yes. It explicitly highlights the value of understanding how outcomes and symptom patterns change over time, and it gives an example of returning to previously studied cohorts to extend or strengthen longitudinal follow-up as a reasonable approach.

Are studies expected to include comparison or control populations?

Yes. The central aim includes using rigorous comparisons to appropriate control populations to better interpret mortality, morbidity, and symptom pattern findings.

Is the program looking for studies that identify subtypes or clusters of GWI symptoms?

Yes. Identifying symptom clusters and subgroups that may reflect distinct GWI subtypes is listed as a priority topic area.

Are differences across gender and racial groups within scope?

Yes. Examining differences across gender and racial groups is specifically identified as a priority topic area.

What exposure-related gaps does the opportunity mention?

The opportunity points to gaps highlighted by the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, including findings that certain exposures (such as nerve gas release and oil well fires) have been associated with increased brain cancer mortality.

Can proposals study outcomes beyond core GWI symptom patterns?

Yes, the opportunity notes that many long-term outcomes remain under-studied and allows projects to explore related conditions, but it emphasizes that the core of the proposal still needs to be epidemiological characterization of the Gulf War Veteran population and GWI-related patterns.

What examples of under-studied long-term outcomes are mentioned?

Examples include neurological diseases (such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinsons disease), other cancers, sleep disorders, and reproductive or intergenerational outcomes such as adverse pregnancy events or birth defects in Veterans children.

Are intergenerational or offspring outcomes allowed topics?

Yes. The opportunity states that projects are allowed to explore related conditions, including those affecting offspring, such as adverse pregnancy events or birth defects in Veterans children, as long as the core focus remains epidemiological characterization of Gulf War Veterans and GWI-related patterns.

Does the program prefer large, generalizable cohorts?

Yes. A key expectation is that funded work should be informative at a population level, and the GWIRP signals a preference for studies that include broad cohorts or comparative groups capable of producing generalizable insights across one or more topic areas.

Are smaller or narrowly defined cohorts allowed?

They are not automatically excluded. However, proposals focused on smaller or narrowly defined populations (for example, a single unit, a limited geographic deployment area, or a cohort with a very limited catchment) must clearly justify why the scope is constrained and how the study can still answer important epidemiological questions.

What application elements does the solicitation emphasize for strong epidemiological work?

It stresses a clearly articulated statistical analysis plan, inclusion of appropriate statistical expertise, and a power analysis tied to realistic sample size projections. These elements help reviewers assess whether the study can answer its stated questions.

Is a data management plan required?

Yes. The opportunity requires a data management plan and the use of a suitable database approach to protect, organize, and preserve data integrity over the life of the project.

What does the opportunity say about biospecimens and lab analyses?

For applicants planning to collect human anatomical substances (biospecimens) for laboratory analyses, the opportunity encourages linking laboratory results back to medical or administrative records to strengthen epidemiological interpretation and connect biological measures to clinical patterns.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this award?

The Funding Opportunity Number provided is W81XWH-16-GWIRP-GWIERA.

Which office posted this opportunity?

The posting indicates it was posted by DOD-AMRAA.

What type of funding mechanism is described?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and allows support through grants or cooperative agreements.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity lists CFDA 12.420.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of organizations may apply, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the full announcement.

How many awards were expected?

The opportunity listed an expected single award.

What does the funding history suggest about competitiveness?

The posting describes a selective history at the time it was written: since the mechanism began in FY15, 11 applications had been received and 2 recommended for funding.

What was the closing date for the opportunity?

The original and current closing date shown is October 20, 2016.

Was an award ceiling provided?

No. The provided fields did not specify an award ceiling.