Defense Health Program Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Alzheimer’s Research Program Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21)
he FY21 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding to the Department of Defense PRARP to support research that addresses the long-term implications of military service as they pertain to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) for Service members, Veterans, and the general public. 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).
FY21 PRARP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.
Applications submitted to the FY21 PRARP Program Announcements must address one of the following FY21 Overarching Challenges, which may be award mechanism-specific:
PRARP FY21 Overarching Challenges |
Foundational Research: Research to examine the interrelationship between military service-related risk factors and subsequent AD/ADRD |
Paucity of Clinical Studies: The paucity of clinical studies to examine the interrelationship between military service-related risk factors and subsequent AD/ADRD |
Diagnostics and Prognostics: The need for technologies, tests, surveys, questionnaires, devices, biomarkers, or analyses to detect the relationship between military service-related risk factors and AD/ADRD |
Epidemiology: The need for epidemiological research to examine the interrelationship between military service, risk and resiliency factors, and subsequent AD/ADRD |
Quality of Life: The need for technologies, assessments, interventions, or devices to benefit individuals, especially affected Service members and Veterans, living with the symptoms of AD/ADRD |
Family and Care Support: The need for technologies, assessments, interventions, or devices that enhance the lives of those providing care to those living with the symptoms of AD/ADRD, especially affected Service members and Veterans |
In addition to addressing one of the specified FY21 Overarching Challenges, applications must also address one or more of the following FY21 Military Risk Factors in support of the FY21 Overarching Challenges.
The PRARP FY21 Military Risk Factors are listed below.
PRARP FY21 Military Risk Factors |
Traumatic Brain Injury: Studies investigating how head injuries function as risk factors for subsequent AD/ADRD |
Neuropsychological/Neurobehavioral: Alterations in cognition or behavior that may be associated with subsequent AD/ADRD |
Modifiable Risk Factors: Alterations in activities (e.g., exercise, diet, behaviors, etc.) that may be associated with subsequent AD/ADRD |
Vascular: Studies investigating the vascular (e.g., heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia) contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia risk factors for subsequent AD/ADRD |
Inflammation: Evaluating the pathways of peripheral and brain inflammation and its relationship to subsequent AD/ADRD |
Genetic: Genomic analyses or genetic manipulations that investigate the linkages with subsequent AD/ADRD |
Metabolic: Alterations in bioenergetics (e.g., diabetes, brain metabolism, endocrine dysfunction) that may be associated with subsequent AD/ADRD |
Sleep: Alterations in sleep patterns (e.g., physiological changes or glymphatic changes) that may be associated with subsequent AD/ADRD |
The following is a summary of the FY21 PRARP Program Announcements. Five award mechanisms will be offered for FY21.
https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/prarp
Convergence Science Research Award (CSRA) – Letter of Intent due June 14, 2021
Level I: Investigators at the postdoctoral level (e.g., research associates, fellows, medical residents, or equivalent) but below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Mentor required.
Level II: The Principal Investigator (PI) must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Intent: To support innovative and impactful efforts to generate research resources, tools, and new avenues of investigation for researchers and practitioners in the health sciences.
Level I: Applicant can be from any field or discipline and must write the project narrative and other application components, with appropriate guidance from the mentor(s). The mentor(s) must possess qualifications, background, and experience in both the identified military risk factor and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)/AD-related dementias (ADRD) research.
Level II: Intended to support applicants from any field or discipline at or above the level of assistant professor (or equivalent) from any field or discipline. Study teams are expected to demonstrate relevant experience in both the identified military risk factor and AD/ADRD.
Applications must address one of the following FY21 PRARP Overarching Challenges:
Foundational Research
Paucity of Clinical Studies
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Epidemiology
Applications should address one of the following FY21 PRARP Military Risk Factors:
Traumatic Brain Injury
Neurophysiological/Neurobehavioral
Vascular
Inflammation
Genetic
Metabolic
Sleep
Pharmacological interventions are specifically discouraged.
While not required, applications to either Funding Level I or II are encouraged to provide relevant preliminary data.
Research that focuses exclusively on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) research is prohibited.
Pharmacological interventions are specifically discouraged.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) research is prohibited.
Preliminary data, while not required, are encouraged.
Level I:
Maximum funding of $225,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Level II:
Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
For Both Levels:
Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s rate agreement.
Innovation in Care and Support Award (InCASA) – Letter of Intent due June 14, 2021
Level I: Investigators at the postdoctoral level (e.g., research associates, fellows, medical residents, or equivalent) but below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Mentor required.
Level II: The PI must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Intent: To support innovative and impactful research that improves the quality of life and care for individuals, families, and care providers living with AD/ADRD.
Level I: Applicant can be from any field or discipline and must write the project narrative and other application components, with appropriate guidance from the mentor(s). The mentor(s) must possess qualifications, background, and experience in both the identified military risk factor and AD/ADRD.
Level II: Intended to support applicants from any field or discipline at or above the level of assistant professor (or equivalent) from any field or discipline. Study teams are expected to demonstrate relevant experience in both the identified military risk factor and AD/ADRD.
Applications must address one of the following FY21 PRARP Overarching Challenges:
Paucity of Clinical Studies
Quality of Life
Family and Care Support
Applications should address one of the following FY21 PRARP Military Risk Factors:
Traumatic Brain Injury
Neurophysiological/Neurobehavioral
Modifiable Risk Factors
Vascular
Inflammation
Genetic
Metabolic
Sleep
Pharmacological interventions are specifically discouraged.
Animal research is prohibited.
While not required, applications to either Funding Level I or II are encouraged to provide relevant preliminary data.
Research that focuses exclusively on CTE research is prohibited.
Level I:
Maximum funding of $225,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Level II:
Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
For Both Levels:
Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s rate agreement.
Research Partnership Award (RPA) – Letter of Intent due June 14, 2021
The initiating PI must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Each named Co-PI must be at or above the level of assistant professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Intent: To create an avenue for collaborative research partnerships between/among investigators to address a research problem or question in a manner that would be unachievable through separate efforts as related to the PRARP’s mission.
Applications must include clearly stated plans for interactions between/among the partners. The plans must include communication, decision-making, allocation of resources, coordination of research progress and results, and sharing of data among all investigators and organizations participating in the project.
Applications must address one of the following FY21 PRARP Overarching Challenges:
Foundational Research
Paucity of Clinical Studies
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Epidemiology
Quality of Life
Family and Care Support
Applications should address at least one of the following FY21 PRARP Military Risk Factors:
Traumatic Brain Injury
Neurophysiological/Neurobehavioral
Modifiable Risk Factors
Vascular
Inflammation
Genetic
Metabolic
Sleep
Pharmacological interventions are specifically discouraged.
Preliminary data to support the feasibility of the research hypothesis (or hypotheses) or objectives are required.
Research that focuses exclusively on CTE research is prohibited.
Funding limit is $1.3 million (M) in total costs.
Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s rate agreement.
Accelerating Diagnostics Research Award (ADRA) – Letter of Intent due June 14, 2021
The PI must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Intent: To support high-impact, human-based development of robust diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers for military risk factors that pertain to AD/ADRD.
Applications must address the following FY21 PRARP Overarching Challenge.
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Applications must address one of the following FY21 PRARP Military Risk Factors:
Traumatic Brain Injury
Neurophysiological/Neurobehavioral
Vascular
Inflammation
Genetic
Metabolic
The proposed biomarker for investigation must correlate with clinical endpoints to include cognition and/or behavior relevant to the proposed military risk factor and AD/ADRD. The applicant must choose one biomarker category for the overall application:
Imaging-Related
Fluid-Based (e.g., cerebrospinal fluid, blood, or saliva)
Retinal
Wearable Devices
Other
Studies focused on biomarker discovery are discouraged.
Pharmacological interventions are specifically discouraged.
Animal research is prohibited.
Preliminary data regarding the suitability of the biomarker(s) for further testing toward biomarker qualification is required.
Research that focuses exclusively on CTE research is prohibited.
Funding limit is $2.8M in total costs.
Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s rate agreement.
Leveraging Approaches for Innovation in Care and Support Award (LEAP-InCASA) – Letter of Intent due June 14, 2021
The PI must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at the time of the application submission deadline.
Intent: To support high-impact, human-based development of robust diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers for military risk factors that pertain to AD/ADRD.
Applications must address the following FY21 PRARP Overarching Challenge.
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Applications must address one of the following FY21 PRARP Military Risk Factors:
Traumatic Brain Injury
Neurophysiological/Neurobehavioral
Vascular
Inflammation
Genetic
Metabolic
The proposed biomarker for investigation must correlate with clinical endpoints to include cognition and/or behavior relevant to the proposed military risk factor and AD/ADRD. The applicant must choose one biomarker category for the overall application:
Imaging-Related
Fluid-Based (e.g., cerebrospinal fluid, blood, or saliva)
Retinal
Wearable Devices
Other
Studies focused on biomarker discovery are discouraged.
Pharmacological interventions are specifically discouraged.
Animal research is prohibited.
Preliminary data regarding the suitability of the biomarker(s) for further testing toward biomarker qualification is required.
Research that focuses exclusively on CTE research is prohibited.
Funding limit is $2.8M in total costs.
Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s rate agreement.
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 PRARP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).
Point of Contact:
CDMRP Help Desk
301-682-5507
help@eBrap.org