DoD Spinal Cord Injury Qualitative Research Award | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): DoD Spinal Cord Injury Qualitative Research Award (QRA)

What is the DoD Spinal Cord Injury Qualitative Research Award (QRA)?

The DoD Spinal Cord Injury Qualitative Research Award (QRA) is a funding opportunity within the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP), managed by the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). It supports qualitative research focused on understanding the lived experiences of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) to identify better ways to support adjustment to disability and improve quality of life, health, and functional outcomes after injury.

What is the main purpose of this award?

The award is intended to fund qualitative research that deepens practical understanding of what day-to-day life is like for individuals living with SCI. The goal is to generate insights that clinicians, health systems, and communities can use to improve care and long-term reintegration outcomes.

What kind of research does this opportunity prioritize?

This mechanism prioritizes qualitative research as a form of social inquiry, emphasizing how people interpret their experiences and make meaning of their lives and environments. The focus is on lived experience rather than primarily on biomedical mechanisms.

Which populations are especially emphasized?

A key emphasis is on military and Veteran populations in the years following SCI, especially during the transition from initial injury and acute care through rehabilitation and into community reintegration.

Why is the transition from acute care to rehabilitation to community reintegration highlighted?

The opportunity notes this period as a high-stakes transition where real-world barriers and success factors can strongly shape outcomes. The program is seeking to understand and address challenges and enablers during this progression toward long-term reintegration.

Is collaboration with military researchers or clinicians required?

Collaboration with military researchers and clinicians is encouraged, particularly because the program aims to understand and address barriers and success factors relevant to Service Members and Veterans. The provided description does not state that such collaboration is required.

What types of factors can be examined in proposed studies?

The opportunity recognizes that rehabilitation and reintegration outcomes can be influenced by a wide range of personal, social, cultural, and systems-level factors. Examples mentioned include age, gender, ethnicity, injury severity, psychological health, family and caregiver dynamics, where care is received (civilian versus military facilities), and co-morbid conditions.

What kinds of qualitative study aims are considered appropriate?

Proposed studies can be exploratory, descriptive, predictive, or explanatory. Research questions may be motivated by clinical observations, population-based findings, basic discovery that raises new questions about patient experience, or structured follow-up on anecdotal patterns observed in care settings.

Are preliminary or published data required to apply?

No. Preliminary or published data related to SCI and the proposed project are encouraged but not required, indicating the program is open to well-justified early-stage ideas that address important gaps.

What are examples of research topics that fit this award?

Examples included in the opportunity description include: barriers that keep Soldiers with SCI from returning to active duty, returning home, or fully reintegrating into their communities; how personal factors and co-morbid medical conditions shape health and quality of life during hospitalization after SCI; and how cultural values and beliefs influence rehabilitation engagement and community reintegration.

Does the award support research on how care settings or treatment pathways affect outcomes?

Yes. The program expresses interest in how medical care decisions affect outcomes, including implications of receiving care in civilian versus military facilities and differences tied to treatment types and pathways.

Can projects focus on the impact of SCI on spouses, families, and caregivers?

Yes. A major theme is the ripple effect of SCI on spouses and families, including career disruption, emotional stress, physical strain or injury from caregiving, relationship and intimacy challenges, and broader household impacts.

Are psychosocial adjustment and social support within scope?

Yes. Relevant areas mentioned include strategies that improve psychosocial adjustment for individuals with SCI and their support networks, how involvement of family and friends affects quality-of-life and health outcomes, and how aging and shifting social support can affect long-term integration and independence.

Is access to care and care coordination an area of interest?

Yes. The description specifically notes interest in perceived access to care and care coordination as determinants of successful rehabilitation.

What is the funding opportunity number for this award?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is W81XWH-14-SCIRP-QRA.

When was this funding opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on June 4, 2014. The original and final closing date was October 30, 2014. The archive date was November 29, 2014.

What funding instruments were used for this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered as a discretionary funding opportunity using grant and cooperative agreement instruments.

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

The program anticipated making approximately four awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $2,560,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

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

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could be submitted by any entity type, subject to any specific constraints described in the full announcement.

What category was this opportunity listed under?

It was categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

Who can be contacted for help accessing the full posting?

For access issues related to the full posting, the support contact listed was the CDMRP Help Desk at 301-682-5507.