DoD Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Award | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The DoD Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) Award is a Department of the Army (USAMRAA) funding opportunity designed to build a coordinated, multi-site research consortium focused on the long-term (3 months or longer) consequences of traumatic brain injury, with a primary emphasis on mild TBI (mTBI)/concussion and repeated exposures. The scientific motivation behind the program is that even injuries categorized as "mild" can trigger lasting neuronal changes and a wide range of cognitive, behavioral, psychological, and sensory impairments. The overall aim is to develop a clearer, evidence-based understanding of chronic neurotrauma outcomes across a patient’s lifespan and to translate that understanding into better diagnostics and better care for Service Members and Veterans.

A central feature of the opportunity is that it targets three persistent gaps in the field. First, it seeks research that can identify and characterize the underlying anatomic, molecular, and physiological mechanisms that drive chronic symptoms and functional decline after neurotrauma. Second, it prioritizes evaluation of comorbidities and how they are associated with, worsened by, or intertwined with neurotrauma over time (for example, co-occurring psychological health conditions and other medical issues that can complicate recovery and long-term functioning). Third, it supports the development and testing of appropriate treatment and rehabilitation strategies intended to improve long-term health and well-being, rather than focusing only on short-term symptom resolution.

The consortium’s scope is explicitly translational, meaning it is expected to connect basic science findings to clinically relevant tools and interventions. The announcement describes a coordinated portfolio that includes translational preclinical work and clinical studies, plus structured approaches for collecting, storing, using, and analyzing research data and anatomical specimens. The program places particular emphasis on basic and preclinical studies when addressing mechanism-focused questions, while placing heavy emphasis on clinical studies when addressing comorbidity-focused questions. Importantly, there is an expectation that the consortium will show a clear progression toward translational and clinical impact over the life of the award, rather than remaining primarily descriptive or exploratory.

The opportunity uses the DoD/VA definition of mTBI/concussion as the primary clinical anchor for the research focus. Under that definition, mTBI is associated with normal structural imaging (not counting advanced modalities such as DTI or fMRI), loss of consciousness of 30 minutes or less, alteration of consciousness or mental state lasting from a moment up to 24 hours, and post-traumatic amnesia of 1 day or less. By grounding the consortium in this shared definition, the program is aiming for consistency across studies, improved comparability of findings, and ultimately stronger evidence that can inform DoD and VA clinical decision-making.

Diagnostics are highlighted as a major priority, with explicit interest in developing a broad range of biomarkers and other diagnostic approaches that can help detect, characterize, or predict chronic effects after neurotrauma. Alongside diagnostics, the program encourages novel treatment and rehabilitation strategies that can be evaluated and refined through clinical research pathways, with the practical goal of improving long-term outcomes for military and veteran populations. The intent is not only to generate knowledge, but to produce tools and strategies that are realistically positioned for adoption in real-world care settings.

Special expectations are included for studies using animal models and for blast-related TBI research. If animal models are part of the proposed work, applicants are required to justify the model’s validation at the time of application, and any introduction of new animal models must be clearly justified. For teams proposing blast-related TBI studies, the announcement notes that investigators should have access to a blast physics expert, reflecting the need for technical rigor in characterizing blast exposure and relating it to biological and clinical outcomes.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary research and development opportunity funded through a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial coordination and partnership with the sponsoring agency may be expected during execution. The opportunity anticipated a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1) with an estimated total funding level of $37,175,000 and no cost-sharing requirement. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The opportunity was posted September 6, 2012, with an original and current closing date of January 4, 2013, under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-12-PHTBI-CENC, and is associated with CFDA 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development). For applicant support, the announcement provides a CDMRP Help Desk phone contact at 301-682-5507 for issues accessing the full materials.

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: DoD Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Consortium to Alleviate PTSD Award

Previous opportunity: Sponsorship for Conservation Biology

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 12 PHTBI CENC

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (W81XWH 12 PHTBI CENC) 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 12 PHTBI CENC", 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.