DoD Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program Clinical Trial Award | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the DoD Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program Clinical Trial Award (PRORP CTA)?

The PRORP Clinical Trial Award (CTA) is a Department of Defense (DoD) funding opportunity intended to rapidly get clinically meaningful orthopaedic clinical trials up and running. It emphasizes practical, near-term evidence generation for problems that matter in the acute care of combat-relevant musculoskeletal injuries.

What is the main purpose of this award?

The main purpose is to support the rapid implementation of clinical trials (not early-stage discovery work) that can produce evidence likely to change near-term clinical care for injuries commonly seen in military settings, especially those related to battlefield trauma and urgent orthopaedic management.

What types of research does this award emphasize?

This award emphasizes practical clinical trials designed to generate actionable evidence that could influence acute trauma care pathways. The focus is on timely decision-making and outcomes in the early phases of injury management, aligning with combat casualty care realities.

Is this funding intended for early-stage discovery or basic science research?

No. The award is designed to support rapid implementation of clinical trials rather than early-stage discovery work.

What kinds of interventions or solutions can be evaluated in supported trials?

Trials may evaluate a broad range of interventions and solutions, including promising new products, pharmacologic agents (such as drugs or biologics), medical devices, clinical guidance or protocols, and emerging approaches and technologies.

Does the clinical trial need to be related to combat injuries?

The program emphasizes acute care of combat-relevant musculoskeletal injuries and expects a direct, credible connection to military medicine needs, particularly combat-related orthopaedic injury care. Applications must clearly explain the military relevance of the proposed trial.

What does "military relevance" mean for this opportunity?

Military relevance is not a generic statement about helping injured patients. Applicants are expected to explain clearly and specifically how the clinical trial question connects to the needs of military medicine, particularly combat-related orthopaedic injury care and urgent orthopaedic management in military contexts.

Is collaboration with military researchers or clinicians required?

No. Collaboration with military researchers and clinicians is encouraged and may strengthen alignment with operational realities, but partnering with military personnel is not mandatory based on the information provided.

Must the study enroll military service members or veterans?

No. The announcement indicates that enrolling military or veteran participants is not mandatory. The program highlights feasibility and rapid execution and encourages civilian recruitment when it is the most feasible or efficient way to complete the trial while still addressing a militarily relevant question.

Are trials limited to military treatment facilities?

No. The opportunity is not limited to military treatment facilities, and it explicitly encourages the use of civilian recruitment when that is the most feasible or efficient way to complete the trial.

Why does the program encourage civilian recruitment?

The program emphasizes feasibility and rapid execution. It strongly recommends recruiting civilian populations when that allows the clinical trial to be carried out effectively and efficiently while still answering a question that is clearly relevant to military medicine.

Who is offering this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the Department of the Army through USAMRAA (U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity), within a Department of Defense medical research context.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 12.420, titled Military Medical Research and Development.

What type of funding mechanism is used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

Funding may be provided through either a cooperative agreement or a grant, meaning the government may have varying degrees of involvement depending on the award mechanism used.

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

The opportunity anticipated up to 8 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $32,400,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity indicated that cost sharing or matching was not required.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning applications were open to a wide range of organizations, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may have been included in the full announcement.

What are the key dates for this opportunity?

The announcement was posted and created on July 14, 2009. The original closing date and current closing date were both November 17, 2009. The archive date was December 17, 2009.

Where could applicants get help accessing the full announcement?

The announcement provided contact points for assistance accessing the full announcement, including PA HELP.

Where could applicants get help with electronic submission?

The announcement listed the CDMRP eReceipt Help Desk as a contact point for electronic submission help.

What is the program trying to achieve in the near term?

The stated intent is practical: to support clinical trials that can generate evidence likely to change near-term care for acute, combat-relevant musculoskeletal injuries, helping move actionable orthopaedic innovations into real-world testing.