Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 TBDRP CDA
The DoD Tick-Borne Disease, Career Development Award (FY20 TBDRP CDA; Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-20-TBDRP-CDA) is a research and career-building grant designed to help early-career investigators become independent leaders in tick-borne disease research. The program is run through the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, USAMRAA) under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). The central idea is to fund a strong, hypothesis-driven research project while simultaneously supporting the applicant's transition into an independent research career through structured mentorship and a clear professional development plan.
This award is specifically aimed at discovery-oriented research that can be translational in impact, meaning it can move the field toward better understanding, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment, but it cannot be a clinical trial. Human subjects research and work with human anatomical substances are allowed, but the project must not prospectively assign human participants to interventions to evaluate health outcomes, which is the program's definition of a clinical trial. Applicants do not need preliminary data, but they are expected to propose a rigorous, well-justified study with a strong scientific rationale. The proposal must also be demonstrably novel, with the applicant and mentor showing through literature review that the work is not duplicative of existing studies.
A key feature is that the early-career investigator is the Principal Investigator (PI), and the application should center on the PI's ideas, research direction, and long-term career development rather than being primarily driven by the mentor. Eligibility for the PI is limited to early-career research scientists, physician scientists, or other qualified clinical scientists who are within 10 years of completing their terminal degree, excluding time spent in residency or on family medical leave. Because the award is meant to foster independence, the applicant's institution must commit to at least 75 percent protected time for the PI to conduct tick-borne disease research during the award period, with the announcement emphasizing that more protected time is strongly preferred.
Mentorship is required and is tightly defined. The mentor must be an established tick-borne disease researcher with a track record over the past five years of funding and publications in tick-borne disease work. The mentor must hold a rank of Associate Professor or higher (or an equivalent position) and must show a meaningful commitment to developing the PI's career. The PI and mentor may be at different institutions, but together they should have appropriate experience with the pathogen area and methods relevant to the proposed project so the mentorship and technical environment match the science.
The application must include a detailed career development plan written by the PI with input from the mentor. This plan should lay out how the PI will build the skills, expertise, and professional network needed to become a leader in tick-borne disease research, including engagement with the scientific community and, where relevant, advocacy communities. The announcement also encourages applicants to make smart use of existing resources to improve rigor and impact, such as using validated specimens from Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease biorepositories and databases to increase statistical power. Applicants are urged, where applicable, to authenticate cell lines, apply strong statistical rigor in in vitro and animal studies, and validate findings in well-characterized patient cohorts. The program is also receptive to projects that analyze large-scale patient datasets with long-term health records and associated biospecimen repositories, as well as studies using state-of-the-art genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, or mathematical modeling. If curated biospecimens or database resources are used, the proposal needs to clearly describe inclusion and exclusion criteria to support the validity and interpretability of the work.
Awards under this opportunity are issued as assistance agreements, meaning the government is supporting a public-purpose research project rather than purchasing a service for direct government use. The assistance agreement may be either a grant or a cooperative agreement, depending on how much involvement the DoD anticipates having during the project. If no substantial government involvement is expected, it will be a grant; if substantial involvement is expected (for example, collaboration or participation in aspects of the research), it will be a cooperative agreement, and the nature of that involvement will be spelled out in the award documents.
From a funding perspective, the anticipated direct costs for the full period of performance are capped at $300,000. The program expected to allocate about $1.44 million total to fund roughly three awards, though final funding depends on federal appropriations, the number of applications received, and how applications score in scientific and programmatic review. The original application closing date listed was August 27, 2020, and awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2021. The announcement also notes that awards were expected to use FY20 funds, with availability expiring for use on September 30, 2026, which matters for how long the government can obligate and expend those specific appropriated funds.
At a practical level, the program is best understood as a structured launchpad: the PI proposes an intellectually independent, discovery-focused research plan in tick-borne diseases, pairs it with an experienced mentor and a credible training and networking strategy, and demonstrates that their institution is giving them the time and support to build a real independent research program. The combination of protected time, mentorship requirements, and emphasis on rigor and validation signals that reviewers will be weighing not only the scientific merit of the project, but also whether the applicant is positioned to emerge from the award with a stronger track record and a clearer path to sustained funding and leadership in the tick-borne disease field.Apply for W81XWH 20 TBDRP CDA
- 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 Tick-Borne Disease, Career 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 Mar 17, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 27, 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 3 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.
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FAQs: DoD Tick-Borne Disease, Career Development Award (FY20 TBDRP CDA)
What is the DoD Tick-Borne Disease, Career Development Award (FY20 TBDRP CDA)?
The FY20 TBDRP Career Development Award (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-20-TBDRP-CDA) is a Department of Defense research and career-building award intended to help early-career investigators become independent leaders in tick-borne disease research. It supports a hypothesis-driven research project alongside a structured mentorship and career development plan.
Which organization runs this funding opportunity?
The award is administered through the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, USAMRAA) under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).
What is the main purpose of this award?
The central purpose is to fund a strong, discovery-oriented research project in tick-borne diseases while simultaneously supporting the applicant's transition to research independence through protected time, mentorship, and a clear professional development plan.
Who is expected to be the Principal Investigator (PI)?
The early-career investigator is expected to be the PI. The application should be centered on the PI's ideas, scientific direction, and long-term career development rather than being primarily driven by the mentor.
Who is eligible to apply as the PI?
Eligibility is limited to early-career research scientists, physician scientists, or other qualified clinical scientists who are within 10 years of completing their terminal degree. Time spent in residency or on family medical leave is excluded from that 10-year window.
Does the PI need protected research time from their institution?
Yes. The PI's institution must commit to at least 75 percent protected time for the PI to conduct tick-borne disease research during the award period. The opportunity emphasizes that more protected time is strongly preferred.
Is mentorship required?
Yes. A defined mentorship structure is a required feature of this award and is part of how the program supports the PI's transition to independence.
What are the mentor requirements?
The mentor must be an established tick-borne disease researcher with a track record in the past five years of tick-borne disease funding and publications. The mentor must hold a rank of Associate Professor or higher (or an equivalent position) and must demonstrate a meaningful commitment to developing the PI's career.
Can the PI and mentor be at different institutions?
Yes. The PI and mentor may be at different institutions, as long as together they provide appropriate expertise in the pathogen area and methods relevant to the proposed work and the mentorship and technical environment match the science.
What type of research does this award support?
The award is aimed at discovery-oriented, hypothesis-driven research with translational impact, meaning it can move the field toward better understanding, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of tick-borne diseases. The research must be rigorous, well-justified, and demonstrably novel.
Are clinical trials allowed under this opportunity?
No. The project cannot be a clinical trial. The program defines a clinical trial as research that prospectively assigns human participants to interventions to evaluate health outcomes, and that type of study is not permitted under this award.
Is human subjects research allowed?
Yes. Human subjects research is allowed, as long as the project is not a clinical trial under the program's definition (no prospective assignment to interventions to evaluate health outcomes).
Can the project use human anatomical substances?
Yes. Work with human anatomical substances is allowed, provided the overall project remains non-clinical-trial as defined by the program.
Is preliminary data required?
No preliminary data is required. However, applicants are expected to propose a rigorous, well-justified study supported by a strong scientific rationale.
How does the program define or emphasize novelty?
The proposal must be demonstrably novel. The PI and mentor are expected to show through literature review that the proposed work is not duplicative of existing studies.
What must be included in the career development plan?
A detailed career development plan is required. It is written by the PI with input from the mentor and should describe how the PI will build skills, expertise, and a professional network to become a leader in tick-borne disease research, including engagement with scientific communities and, where relevant, advocacy communities.
What kinds of resources does the announcement encourage applicants to use?
The announcement encourages smart use of existing resources that improve rigor and impact, including validated specimens from Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease biorepositories and databases to increase statistical power.
What rigor and validation practices are encouraged?
Where applicable, applicants are urged to authenticate cell lines, apply strong statistical rigor in in vitro and animal studies, and validate findings in well-characterized patient cohorts.
Are studies using large datasets, genomics, or modeling considered responsive?
Yes. The program is receptive to studies analyzing large-scale patient datasets with long-term health records and associated biospecimen repositories, and to projects using genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, or mathematical modeling.
If using curated biospecimens or databases, what details should be included?
If curated biospecimens or database resources are used, the proposal should clearly describe inclusion and exclusion criteria to support the validity and interpretability of the work.
What type of award instrument is used (grant vs cooperative agreement)?
Awards are issued as assistance agreements. Depending on anticipated DoD involvement, the award may be a grant (no substantial government involvement expected) or a cooperative agreement (substantial government involvement expected, such as collaboration or participation in aspects of the research). Any expected involvement would be described in the award documents.
What is the funding cap for this award?
The anticipated direct costs are capped at $300,000 for the full period of performance.
How many awards were expected and what was the total funding estimate?
The program expected to allocate about $1.44 million total to fund roughly three awards, with final funding dependent on federal appropriations, the number of applications received, and scientific and programmatic review outcomes.
What was the application closing date listed in the announcement?
The original application closing date listed was August 27, 2020.
When were awards expected to be made?
Awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2021.
What does it mean that the awards were expected to use FY20 funds that expire September 30, 2026?
The announcement notes that awards were expected to use FY20 funds, with availability expiring for use on September 30, 2026. This relates to how long the government can obligate and expend those specific appropriated funds.
How should applicants think about what reviewers will evaluate?
Based on the program description, reviewers will weigh both the scientific merit (hypothesis-driven, rigorous, novel, translationally relevant discovery research) and the applicant's trajectory to independence (PI-led direction, strong mentorship, credible career development plan, and institutional protected time and support).
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| DoD Spinal Cord Injury, Investigator- Initiated Research Award Apply for W81XWH 20 SCIRP IIRA Funding Number: W81XWH 20 SCIRP IIRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| DoD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research, Translational Team Science Award Apply for W81XWH 20 PRCRP TTSA Funding Number: W81XWH 20 PRCRP TTSA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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