DoD Epilepsy, Idea Development Award | W81XWH 21 ERP IDA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 ERP IDA

The Department of Defense Epilepsy Research Program (ERP) Idea Development Award (IDA) for FY21 is a research funding opportunity aimed at generating bold, creative, and high-impact ideas focused on post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), particularly in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The main goal is to support novel, innovative studies that improve understanding of how big the PTE problem is, why it happens biologically, and what mechanisms drive epileptogenesis after trauma. A strong application is expected to push beyond incremental work by challenging existing assumptions or using unusually inventive approaches, while still clearly showing how the results could matter in real-world settings. The program places heavy emphasis on both innovation and impact, with the expectation that funded projects will ultimately benefit military Service members, Veterans, and civilians affected by TBI-related epilepsy.

Applicants are encouraged to align their projects with one of four FY21 focus areas, although projects outside these areas can still be considered if the justification is strong. The first focus area, Innovative Research Tools, is centered on improving how PTE research is conducted through new capabilities. Examples include hardware or software platforms for better seizure detection, characterization, or diagnosis; bioinformatics approaches (including machine learning) that make it easier to access, annotate, curate, visualize, and integrate large or novel datasets; improved animal or other etiologically relevant models for PTE; studies that map or characterize the neural circuits involved in PTE; and validation of biological targets tied to post-traumatic epileptogenesis or established PTE. The second focus area, Markers and Mechanisms, supports identification of biomarkers and mechanistic pathways in preclinical models, including markers relevant to acute versus chronic stages, as well as work related to treatment, prevention, and PTE comorbidities. The third focus area, Epidemiology, supports studies that characterize PTE in human populations following TBI, including risk factors (demographics, genetics, anatomy, pathology, injury type), outcomes (time to epilepsy onset, comorbidities, mortality), the role of pre-existing psychological or psychiatric conditions, treatment and healthcare outcomes research, and efforts to distinguish true PTE from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. The fourth focus area, Longitudinal Studies, emphasizes tracking how PTE evolves over time, including seizure frequency and presentation, patient and injury characteristics, comorbidities such as depression or sleep disorders, latency between injury and PTE development, mortality, and treatment or healthcare outcomes.

The award is offered at two funding levels, reflecting different career stages and project maturity. Funding Level I is designed for investigators who may be earlier in their independent research trajectory and requires a structured mentorship component. The principal investigator can come from any discipline, but the application must include at least one mentor with strong qualifications and experience in PTE research. The application is expected to spell out exactly how the mentor will support the PI over the project period, including the frequency and types of interactions, and should describe the mentor’s track record mentoring early-career researchers in TBI and PTE. Even though this level supports developing investigators, the PI is still expected to demonstrate enough experience to carry out the proposed work. Funding Level II is intended for more established or “mature” projects that are hypothesis- or objective-driven, and the research team is expected to show credible experience spanning both TBI and epilepsy.

Preliminary data are encouraged but not required for either funding level. Acceptable preliminary support can come from the PI’s prior publications, pilot results, or relevant peer-reviewed literature; for Funding Level I, preliminary data can also be drawn from a mentor’s published work. Awardees should also be prepared for ongoing program engagement: the named PI must attend an annual one-day In-Progress Review meeting starting in the second year of the award and continuing through the rest of the project period, where they will present updates and/or share results.

Awards will be issued as assistance agreements, meaning they will be structured as either a grant or a cooperative agreement depending on the expected level of Department of Defense involvement during the project. If the government anticipates no substantial involvement, the mechanism will be a grant; if substantial involvement is expected (such as collaboration or participation in aspects of the research), the mechanism will be a cooperative agreement, and the specific nature of that involvement will be described in the final award. The specific award type and start date are set during negotiations.

Budget caps are defined in direct costs across the full period of performance: up to $300,000 for Funding Level I and up to $500,000 for Funding Level II (with additional details governed by the program’s funding restrictions section). For FY21, the program projected making about five awards total, with roughly $0.96 million planned to support about two Funding Level I awards and about $2.40 million planned to support about three Funding Level II awards, contingent on federal funding availability and the number and quality of applications received. The opportunity is run by the Department of Defense (U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity) under CFDA 12.420, with eligibility listed as unrestricted (open to a broad range of entity types, subject to any clarifications in the official announcement). The original closing date for applications was July 21, 2021, and awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2022. Projects funded under this FY21 cycle were anticipated to use FY21 funds, which are available for use through September 30, 2027.

• 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 Epilepsy, 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 Apr 13, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 2021. (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 21 ERP IDA

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: