A Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Information (RFI) for the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Health Program (DHP) Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program (JWMRP) managed by the Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) has recently been released. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes.
The JWMRP provides an opportunity to advance previously-funded DoD or Service medical R&D projects that address the medical requirements of the Services and the Military Health System. The JWMRP complements and enhances the DHP by facilitating the further development of promising industry and academic efforts. Each year, a broad spectrum of R&D initiatives are considered for funding under the JWMRP.
For more information regarding the RFI please visit the project page.
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter’s local time):
March 23, 2021
In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) unveiled a set of “Big Ideas,” 10 bold, long-term research and process ideas that identify areas for future investment at the frontiers of science and engineering (see https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/index.jsp). The Big Ideas represent unique opportunities to position our Nation at the cutting edge of global science and engineering leadership by bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to support convergence research. As such, when responding to this solicitation, even though proposals must be submitted to the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) Office of Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities (ENG/EFMA), once received, the proposals will be managed by a cross-disciplinary team of NSF Program Directors.
The overarching vision of this program is to support multi-disciplinary research to sustain economic competitiveness, to promote worker well-being, lifelong and pervasive learning, and quality of life, and to illuminate the emerging social and economic context and drivers of innovations that are shaping the future of jobs and work.
For the purposes of this solicitation, work is defined as mental or physical activity to achieve tangible benefit such as income, profit, or community welfare. A proposal for a research grant in this program must focus on advancing fundamental understanding of future work and work outcomes for workers and society.
The specific objectives of the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier program are to (1) facilitate multi-disciplinary or convergent research that employs the joint perspectives, methods, and knowledge of behavioral science, computer science, design, economics, engineering, learning sciences, research on adult learning and workforce training, and the social sciences; (2) support deeper understanding of the societal infrastructure that accompanies and leads to new work technologies and new approaches to work and jobs, and that prepares people for the future world of work; (3) encourage the development of a research community dedicated to designing intelligent technologies and work organization and modes inspired by their positive impact on individual workers, the work at hand, the way people learn and adapt to technological change, creative and inclusive workplaces (including remote locations, homes, classrooms, or virtual spaces), and benefits for social, economic, educational, and environmental systems at different scales; (4) promote deeper basic understanding of the interdependent human-technology partnership to advance societal needs by advancing design of intelligent work technologies that operate in harmony with human workers, including consideration of how adults learn the new skills needed to interact with these technologies in the workplace, and by enabling broad and diverse workforce participation, including improving accessibility for those challenged by physical or cognitive impairment; and (5) understand, anticipate, and explore ways of mitigating potential risks including inequity arising from future work at the human-technology frontier.
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 40
Up to 15 Planning Grant Awards, up to 15 Research Grant Awards, and up to 10 Transition-to-Scale Awards.
The number of awards is dependent upon the proposals received and the degree to which proposals meet the solicitation goals and NSF merit review criteria.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $45,000,000
Three classes of proposals will be considered through this solicitation:
FW-HTF Planning Grants (FW-HTF-P) may be requested for a total budget not to exceed $150,000 and for a period of up to 1 year.
FW-HTF Research Grants (FW-HTF-R) may be requested for a total budget between $750,000 and $2,500,000 and for a period of up to 4 years.
FW-HTF Transition-to-Scale Grants (FW-HTF-T) may be requested for a total budget between $1,500,000 and $5,000,000 and for a period of up to 5 years.
For more information about eligibility or submission requirements, please see the grant page.
eRA Commons, an online interface where grant applicants, recipients, reviewers and federal staff at NIH and other eRA partner agencies can access and share administrative information related to applications and awards, will see two of its main screens redesigned and launched in January 2021.
The modernized home screen (log-in screen) and the landing screen (screen once logged in) will provide a simpler interface that reflects user feedback. The new look will also come with enhanced security and stability for the eRA Commons module.
Key information will be front and center – eRA Service Desk contact info, links to register an organization, create an account, submit a reference letter, and learn more about how to use eRA systems via information on the eRA website.
A significant change is that, once logged in, access to other eRA modules within eRA Commons will be through an apps menu at the top left of the screen.
The intent of this Program Announcement is to support the early development of high-impact materiel products and new ways, methods, or modifications to existing trauma practice (i.e., knowledge products3) for future multi-domain operations (MDO) where evacuation capabilities may be significantly delayed or unavailable. Projects should consider the varied expertise levels of the medical providers and the possible diverse environmental conditions. A focus is on enhancing capabilities at the point of greatest need, including life-saving interventions to be rendered immediately post-injury, during periods of prolonged care in-theater. Medical materiel solutions are encouraged to include characteristics relevant to military use in austere, combat environments. Characteristics and concepts to consider include but are not limited to:
• Low-weight and low-cube: Compared to existing materiel products, the product is a smaller size and weight to aid in portability and storage.
• Low-power, longer shelf life: The product has reduced power usage requirements and longer shelf life than currently available products.
• Modularity and interoperability: The materiel product is compatible with and easily added to existing technologies, equipment, or platforms being used by the military.
• Ruggedization: The materiel product is able to withstand harsh and varied environments such as extreme temperature fluctuations, vibration, and high altitude while maintaining operability and stability.
• Low-complexity, decision-supported, closed or semi-closed loop feedback or automation: The product is simple to operate, provides decision support to user, and can be partially or fully autonomous. The product can be used by various levels of medical providers with minimal training.
• Affordability: The materiel and knowledge products would result in cost-savings over what is currently available and considers the costs of maintaining and sustaining the product.
The proposed research must be relevant to Service members. It is also expected that outcomes of funded research will benefit Veterans, military beneficiaries, and the American public.
The types of awards made under the Program Announcement will be assistance agreements. An assistance agreement is appropriate when the Federal Government transfers a “thing of value” to a “state, local government,” or “other recipient” to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States instead of acquiring property or service for the direct benefit and use of the U.S. Government. An assistance agreement can take the form of a grant or cooperative agreement. The level of involvement on the part of the DoD during project performance is the key factor in determining whether to award a grant or cooperative agreement. If “no substantial involvement” on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a grant award will be made (31 USC 6304). Conversely, if substantial involvement on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a cooperative agreement will be made (31 USC 6305), and the award will identify the specific substantial involvement. Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, collaboration, participation, or intervention in the research to be performed under the award. The award type, along with the start date, will be determined during the negotiation process.
Research Scope: The FY21 DMRDP JPC-6/CCCRP BRISCC Award is structured with three different funding levels based on the scope of the research proposed. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator (PI) to select the funding level that is most appropriate for the proposed research project. The Government reserves the right to fund an application at a lower funding level.
• Funding Level 1: Innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that is in the early stages of idea development or is an untested theory that addresses an important problem. Preliminary data are not required.
• Funding Level 2: Preclinical and clinical research that is supported by substantial preliminary or published data. Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity.
• Funding Level 3: Advanced preclinical and clinical research supported by substantial preliminary or published data that require additional financial resources due to maturity of the research proposed. Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity.
The anticipated total costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY21 DMRDP BRISCC Award Funding Level 1 will not exceed $800,000. The anticipated total costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY21 DMRDP BRISCC Award Funding Level 2 will not exceed $1.25 million (M). The anticipated total costs budgeted for the entire $2.0M. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.
Awards will be made no later than September 30, 2022. For additional information refer to Section II.F.1, Federal Award Notices.
This Program Announcement may support basic, applied, preclinical, and clinical research involving human subjects and human anatomical substances; however clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity. A clinical trial is defined as a research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include placebo or other control) to evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or behavioral health-related outcomes.
Research Involving Human Anatomical Substances, Human Subjects, or Human Cadavers: All DoD-funded research involving new and ongoing research with human anatomical substances, human subjects, or human cadavers must be reviewed and approved by the USAMRDC Office of Research Protections (ORP), Human Research Protection Office (HRPO), prior to research implementation. This administrative review requirement is in addition to the local Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee (EC) review. Local IRB/EC approval at the time of submission is not required. Allow a minimum of 2 to 3 months for HRPO regulatory review and approval processes. Refer to the General Application Instructions, Appendix 1, and the Human Subject Resource Document available on the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) “Funding Opportunities & Forms” web page (https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/Program.htm) for additional information.
If the proposed research is cooperative (i.e., involving more than one institution), a written plan for single IRB review arrangements must be provided at the time of application submission or award negotiation. The lead institution responsible for developing the master protocol and master consent form should be identified and should be the single point of contact for regulatory submissions and requirements.
For more information about the grant opportunity, please visit the grant page.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (YFA) program aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior faculty positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions and expose them to Department of Defense (DoD) and National Security challenges and needs. In particular, YFA will provide high-impact funding to elite researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research directions in the context of enabling transformative DoD capabilities. The long-term goal of the program is to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers in the research community who will focus a significant portion of their future careers on DoD and National Security issues. DARPA is particularly interested in identifying outstanding researchers who have previously not been performers on DARPA programs, but the program is open to all qualified applicants with innovative research ideas.
For more information about this grant opportunity, please visit the grant page.
