DoD Peer Reviewed Medical Discovery Award | Apply Online

PRMRP Discovery Award (W81XWH-16-PRMRP-DA) FAQs

What is the DoD PRMRP Discovery Award?

The Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Discovery Award is a Department of Defense funding opportunity intended to push medical research in genuinely new directions. It focuses on innovative, non-incremental projects that may carry higher scientific risk than typical proposals, but that also offer the possibility of unusually high payoff.

What kinds of projects is this award meant to support?

This award is meant to support bold ideas that can change how a medical problem is understood or approached. Examples of the types of advances the program is looking for include generating new biological or clinical insights, introducing fresh conceptual frameworks, and creating novel technologies or practical applications.

Does the Discovery Award fund incremental extensions of existing research?

No. The opportunity explicitly emphasizes non-incremental work. Rather than funding small extensions of existing studies, it prioritizes innovative approaches that could open up entirely new lines of investigation.

Is high-risk research allowed or encouraged?

Yes. The Discovery Award is designed to support higher-risk ideas compared to typical grant proposals, as long as the potential payoff is unusually high and the project is scientifically well grounded.

If the program supports high-risk work, what level of scientific rigor is still expected?

Even though the award encourages ambitious ideas, applications are still expected to demonstrate strong scientific discipline. The proposal should include a clear and well-formulated hypothesis that can be tested, a solid scientific rationale, and a study design appropriate for answering the proposed questions. The application should also make it clear how results will be interpreted.

What does it mean that projects should serve as a foundation for future research?

Funded studies are expected to produce results, tools, or proof-of-concept evidence that enable subsequent, larger-scale efforts. In other words, the Discovery Award is positioned to help establish the basis for future research directions rather than to serve as a final, fully scaled solution.

What is the goal of the PRMRP Discovery Award in terms of impact?

The goal is to catalyze research that meaningfully shifts understanding or strategy in a given area by producing new insights, new frameworks for thinking about the problem, or new technologies/applications that make different approaches possible.

Who issued this funding opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by DOD-AMRAA.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is W81XWH-16-PRMRP-DA.

What is the activity area for this opportunity?

The activity area is categorized as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 12.420.

What funding instruments are available under this opportunity?

The opportunity allows for both grants and cooperative agreements. This means awards may range from projects that are more independently run to projects where the government has a more active role in oversight or collaboration, depending on the terms of the specific award.

What is the difference (in general) between a grant and a cooperative agreement here?

Based on the opportunity description, a grant may support a more independently run project, while a cooperative agreement may involve more active government participation in project oversight or collaboration. The exact level of involvement would depend on the individual award terms.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted. This indicates the competition is open to any type of applicant organization, as long as the applicant meets any additional eligibility details that may be specified in the full announcement text.

Are there additional eligibility requirements beyond "unrestricted"?

The summary states eligibility is unrestricted, but it also notes that applicants should confirm any additional eligibility details that may be spelled out in the full announcement.

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was created and posted on May 5, 2016.

What was the submission deadline?

The original and current closing date for submissions was July 21, 2016.

Is this opportunity still open?

Based on the information provided, the closing date was July 21, 2016, so it would not be open if that date has passed.

How many awards does the notice anticipate making?

The notice anticipates up to 48 awards.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is not specified in the provided information. Applicants would need to consult the full solicitation materials to confirm budget limits and any cost rules or program-specific constraints.

Does the provided information include the expected project period or duration?

No. The provided information does not specify project period expectations. The full solicitation materials would be the place to confirm project period details.

What should applicants check in the full solicitation that is not included in this summary?

Applicants should consult the full announcement to confirm budget limits (including any award ceiling), project period expectations, cost rules, program-specific constraints, and any additional eligibility details.