Defense Health Program – Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program

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The FY20 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) to support to support medical research projects of clear scientific merit and direct relevance to military health. As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency J9, Research and Development Directorate manages the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation. The managing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

The FY20 PRMRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

The vision and mission of the PRMRP is improve the health, care, and well-being of all military Service members, Veterans, and beneficiaries by encouraging, identifying, selecting, and managing medical research projects of clear scientific merit and direct relevance to military health.

Congressionally Directed Topic Areas: All applications submitted to the PRMRP must address at least one of the FY20 PRMRP Congressionally directed topic areas. The FY20 PRMRP Topic Areas are as follows:

  • Arthritis
  • Burn Pit Exposure
  • Chronic Migraine and Post-Traumatic Headache
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Constrictive Bronchiolitis
  • Diabetes
  • Dystonia
  • Eating Disorders
  • Emerging Viral Diseases
  • Endometriosis
  • Epidermolysis Bullosa
  • Familial Hypercholesterolemia
  • Fibrous Dysplasia
  • Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
  • Food Allergies
  • Fragile X
  • Frontotemporal Degeneration
  • Guillain-Barré Syndromemorrhage Control
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Immunomonitoring of Intestinal Transplants
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
  • Interstitial Cystitis
  • Metals Toxicology
  • Mitochondrial Disease
  • Musculoskeletal Health
  • Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Myotonic Dystrophy
  • Nutrition Optimization
  • Pancreatitis
  • Pathogen-Inactivated Blood Products
  • Plant-Based Vaccines
  • Polycystic Kidney Disease
  • Pressure Ulcers
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis
  • Resilience Training
  • Respiratory Health
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Sleep Disorders and Restriction
  • Spinal Muscular Atrophy
  • Sustained Release Drug Delivery
  • Vascular Malformations
  • Women’s Heart Disease

Clinical Trial Award – Letter of Intent due July 29, 2020

Assistant Professor level or above (or equivalent):

  • Supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials of novel interventions with the potential to have a significant impact on patient care in the Topic Area(s) of interest.
  • Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials through large-scale, definitive trials.
  • Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), if needed, must be approved by the FDA before the PRMRP application submission deadline unless applying to the Planning Phase with Clinical Trial application category.

New for FY20:  Optional Planning Phase available. The Planning Phase will provide support to prepare and submit an IND/IDE application to the FDA; FDA/regulatory approval to proceed is required prior to exercising option for clinical trial.

Planning Phase (optional): Maximum of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs). Maximum period of performance is 18 months. Clinical Trial: No maximum funding limit; requested funding must be appropriate for the scope of work proposed. Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Clinical Trial Award (for Emerging Viral Diseases and Respiratory Health) – Letter of Intent due June 8, 2020

Assistant Professor level or above (or equivalent):

  • Supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials of novel interventions with the potential to have a significant impact on patient care in the Topic Areas of Emerging Viral Disease and/or Respiratory Health.
  • Applications must address at least one of the Focus Area published in the Program Announcement.
  • Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials through large-scale, definitive trials.
  • IND or IDE applications to the FDA, if needed, should be submitted to the FDA before the PRMRP application submission deadline.
  • Funding limit for clinical trial not defined; requested funding must be appropriate for the scope of work proposed.
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Investigator-Initiated Research Award (for Emerging Viral Diseases and Respiratory Health) – Letter of Intent is due May 28, 2020

Assistant Professor level or above (or equivalent):

  • Supports research that will make an original and important contribution to the field of research and/or patient care in the Topic Areas of Emerging Viral Diseases and/or Respiratory Health.
  • Applications must address at least one of the Focus Areas published in the Program Announcement.
  • Partnering PI Options available.
  • Clinical trials will not be funded.
  • Maximum funding of $1.6 million for direct costs (plus indirect costs); $2.0 million for direct costs (plus indirect costs) for applications including a Partnering PI Option
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Technology/Therapeutic Development Award (for Emerging Viral Diseases and Respiratory Health) – Letter of Intent due May 28, 2020

Assistant Professor level or above (or equivalent):

  • Supports the translation of promising pre-clinical findings into clinical applications for prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, or quality of life in the Topic Areas of Emerging Viral Diseases and/or Respiratory Health.
  • Applications must address at least one of the Focus Areas published in the Program Announcement.
  • Product-oriented (e.g., device, drug, clinical guidelines). The product(s) to be developed may be a tangible item, such as a pharmacologic agent (drugs or biologics) or device, or a knowledge-based product.
  • Clinical trials will not be funded.
  • Maximum funding of $4.0 million for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website.  The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov. A listing of all CDMRP and other USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. 

For email notification when Program Announcements are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage at https://eBRAP.org. For more information about the PRMRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).