DoD Scleroderma, Idea Development Award | W81XWH 20 SRP IDA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 SRP IDA

The DoD Scleroderma Idea Development Award (FY20 SRP IDA; Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-20-SRP-IDA) is designed to push forward early-stage research ideas that could open up entirely new directions in scleroderma science or lead to meaningful improvements in patient care. The program is aimed at conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward projects rather than safe, incremental extensions of existing work. Applicants are expected to propose a clear, testable hypothesis backed by a solid scientific rationale and preliminary data, with the overall goal of generating high-impact findings related to the causes of scleroderma, how it progresses, and how outcomes and quality of life might be improved for patients.

A central requirement is that preliminary data must be included, but the program gives applicants flexibility on where those data come from. The preliminary evidence does not have to be generated within scleroderma specifically; it can come from the Principal Investigator's lab, collaborators named in the application, or even from relevant published literature, as long as it credibly supports the proposed hypothesis and approach. This structure is meant to encourage researchers to bring in tools, models, and insights from other fields when there is a strong argument that they can be translated to scleroderma in a meaningful way.

The award places a strong emphasis on innovation and impact. Competitive applications should demonstrate that the work could change how the field thinks about a problem, challenge an established model, or apply a novel perspective or method that creates a real chance for a leap forward. In contrast, projects framed as the next expected step in a research sequence are explicitly not the target of this mechanism. The impact expectation is broad but concrete: proposals should aim to advance understanding of disease mechanisms and progression and/or produce knowledge that can translate into better clinical care, management strategies, or patient quality of life.

Because this program sits within the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs framework, military relevance is not optional. Proposed research must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public, and military health relevance is considered during programmatic review. The announcement encourages applicants to build that relevance in practical ways, such as using military or Veteran populations, biospecimens, or databases; partnering with investigators at DoD military treatment facilities or laboratories or at VA medical centers and research labs; engaging military medical consultants or specialty leaders connected to the Surgeons General; or explaining how the resulting knowledge, products, or technologies could be used in a dual-use way that addresses a military need while also benefiting civilians. Applicants are also encouraged to connect their topic to military-relevant factors such as environmental exposures when appropriate.

The funding opportunity includes a specific pathway to support early-career faculty through the New Investigator Collaboration Option. Under this option, an established scleroderma researcher partners with a New Investigator who meets defined eligibility criteria. One PI serves as the Initiating PI and handles most submission-related administrative responsibilities, and this Initiating PI cannot be the New Investigator. The Partnering PI role is held by the New Investigator, and both PIs are expected to contribute substantially to the science and core application components, including the project narrative and statement of work. If selected for funding, each PI is named on an individual award within the recipient organization, reinforcing the intent to build the New Investigator's trajectory toward independence while maintaining strong guidance from an experienced collaborator.

Awards under this opportunity are issued as assistance agreements, meaning the government is supporting a public-purpose research effort rather than purchasing a product or service for direct government use. Depending on how much hands-on involvement the DoD anticipates during the project, the agreement may be structured as a grant (when no substantial involvement is expected) or as a cooperative agreement (when substantial involvement is expected, such as active collaboration or participation). The final choice of mechanism and start details are determined during award negotiations.

On the funding side, the anticipated direct cost cap for the full period of performance is up to $300,000 for a single-PI application, or up to $450,000 when using the New Investigator Collaboration Option. The program planned to allocate about $2.4 million total to support roughly four awards overall, anticipated as two standard Idea Development Awards and two awards under the collaboration option, although final funding decisions depend on federal fund availability, the volume of submissions, and outcomes of scientific and programmatic review. The opportunity was released July 17, 2020, with an original closing date of December 4, 2020, and awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2021. The funding was anticipated to use FY20 funds, with availability for use expiring September 30, 2026. Eligible applicants were listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Scleroderma, Idea Development Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 17, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 04, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for W81XWH 20 SRP IDA

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