DoD Neurofibromatosis Research Academy-Scholar Award | HT9425 23 NFRP NFRA SA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 NFRP NFRA SA

The DoD Neurofibromatosis Research Academy (NFRA) Scholar Award is a Department of Defense funding opportunity under the Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) designed to grow the next generation of independent neurofibromatosis (NF) researchers while pushing forward research that can reduce the real-world clinical burden of NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis. Rather than functioning like a standard standalone grant, this award places early-career investigators into a structured, multi-institutional, largely virtual "research academy" that blends research support with hands-on career development, ongoing oversight, and active community building across the NF research landscape.

At the center of the program are the Scholars, who are early-career independent investigators and who serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) on the application. Each Scholar is paired with a Career Guide (mentor), and together they work within an academy framework led by an Academy Director and Deputy Director (the NFRA Leadership). The model is intentionally interactive and collaborative: Scholars are expected to take part in recurring professional development and research-focused activities coordinated by the leadership team, including monthly webinars and individualized mentoring sessions. The program also emphasizes building a true network, so Scholars and mentors are expected to communicate and collaborate with other Scholars and Career Guides in the academy and to connect with the broader national NF research and advocacy communities, including engagement with patients and advocacy organizations.

The research component of the award supports a neurofibromatosis-focused project that can be basic, translational, and/or clinical in nature, as long as it addresses at least one of the NFRP FY23 Areas of Emphasis. The intent is to enable innovative, high-impact work while providing close guidance and iterative feedback along the way. The leadership team monitors Scholar progress, helps troubleshoot barriers, facilitates collaborations, and supports both scientific direction and professional growth. A notable part of the academy approach is its attention to the practical skills needed for long-term success, such as competencies related to winning funding and running a productive lab or research program.

Mentorship logistics are flexible across institutions, which is meant to reduce common access barriers for early-career investigators. A Scholar's primary Career Guide does not have to be at the same institution as the Scholar; however, if the primary mentor is external, the Scholar must also have a secondary Career Guide located at the Scholar's home institution. This setup is meant to ensure both high-quality subject-matter mentorship and reliable on-site support for day-to-day research and career development needs.

Participation requirements go beyond routine reporting and include in-person or event-based engagement tied to the academy. The Scholar and their primary Career Guide must attend a DoD NFRP biennial multi-day NFRA workshop, and in alternating years they must attend a DoD NFRP NFRA one-day workshop. These meetings are designed to deepen collaboration, strengthen the cohort, and keep Scholars plugged into evolving program priorities and the wider NF community.

The opportunity is explicitly welcoming to applicants who face resource constraints that limit their ability to commit to NF research, such as lacking an experienced NF mentor at their institution, limited access to NF-specific tools or infrastructure, or fewer built-in collaboration opportunities. It also encourages participation from researchers who are new to the NF field, as well as underrepresented minorities and other individuals historically underrepresented in biomedical research, reflecting a broader goal of widening the pipeline and diversifying leadership in NF science.

Administratively, the award is offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army (USAMRAA) under CFDA 12.420, and it is listed as a discretionary funding opportunity. The funding instrument types include both grants and cooperative agreements, signaling that awardees should expect a more engaged relationship with the program and NFRA Leadership than a typical investigator-initiated grant might involve. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open broadly to applicant organizations), subject to any additional eligibility language in the full announcement. For the FY23 cycle referenced in the source, the agency anticipated making about three awards, and the posting lists an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates that the maximum is not stated in that field and applicants should rely on the full funding announcement for budget limits and expectations.

In practical terms, this opportunity is best understood as a combined research funding and career acceleration program: it funds a defined NF research project while embedding the PI in a structured academy that provides mentorship, accountability, collaboration pathways, leadership development, and community connections, all aimed at building durable, productive NF researchers and generating work that can ultimately lessen the clinical impact of neurofibromatosis.

• 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 Research Academy-Scholar 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 May 22, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 2023. (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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