DoD Neurofibromatosis, Investigator- Initiated Research Award | W81XWH 20 NFRP IIRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 NFRP IIRA

The Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award is a competitive funding opportunity designed to push forward high-impact, carefully designed research that can meaningfully advance neurofibromatosis (NF) science and/or improve patient care. It is geared toward projects that are conceptually strong and methodologically rigorous, with a clear justification for why the work matters and how it could change what the field knows or how patients are treated or managed. A key point is that the award supports investigator-driven ideas rather than prescribing a narrow topic area, which means applicants can propose a wide range of NF-related studies as long as the work is relevant and positioned to deliver an important contribution.

This opportunity allows research at essentially any stage of the research pipeline, from early discovery through more advanced translational or applied work, but it explicitly excludes clinical trials. In practice, that means applicants can propose laboratory-based mechanistic studies, preclinical model development and validation, biomarker discovery work that does not rise to the level of a clinical trial, epidemiological and population-based analyses, or other research and development efforts that build credible evidence and set the stage for future clinical evaluation. The program also recognizes that strong research ideas do not only come from the bench; the rationale for a project can be grounded in prior laboratory findings, insights from population studies, clinical observations from direct patient care, or even well-documented anecdotal patterns that warrant deeper investigation.

A major requirement is that the application must include preliminary and/or published data directly relevant to NF and the proposed project. This signals that the program expects applicants to demonstrate feasibility and a credible scientific foundation rather than offering purely speculative concepts. The preliminary evidence should connect NF to the central hypothesis, approach, or technology being proposed, and it should help reviewers judge whether the team can execute the work and whether the expected outcomes are realistic.

Administratively, the award was released by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). The funding opportunity number is W81XWH 20 NFRP IIRA, and it falls under the broader category of science, technology, and other research and development activity (CFDA 12.420). The funding instruments listed include both grants and cooperative agreements, which generally indicates that some awards may involve a more collaborative relationship with the funding agency depending on project needs and oversight structure. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of organizations and entity types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility details that may be provided in the full announcement.

The opportunity was created on April 24, 2020, with an original closing date of July 9, 2020, and it anticipated making about five awards. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0, which typically indicates that the maximum funding amount is not specified in the summary field and would need to be confirmed in the full program announcement or associated budget guidance. Overall, the award is best understood as a mechanism for supporting well-supported, non-clinical-trial NF research projects that are positioned to deliver clear scientific or patient-centered impact, backed by relevant prior data and a strong research plan.

• 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 Neurofibromatosis, Investigator- Initiated Research 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 Apr 24, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 09, 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 5 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 NFRP IIRA

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