DOD, Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Clinical Research Award | HT9425 23 OPORP CRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 OPORP CRA

The Department of Defense (DoD), through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), offered the FY23 Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Clinical Research Award (OPORP CRA) to fund clinical research focused on how orthoses and prostheses perform in real patients, measured with outcomes that matter directly to people who use these devices. The central emphasis is on patient-centric outcomes relevant to Service Members and other military beneficiaries, Veterans, and civilians living with limb loss or limb impairment. The intent is not basic lab development, but clinically grounded evidence that can help clinicians, health systems, and decision-makers choose, prescribe, fit, and manage orthotic and prosthetic care in ways that measurably improve function, comfort, safety, and overall quality of life.

A key objective of the program is to generate clinically useful evidence that can translate into practice and inform clinical or policy decisions. In other words, the DoD is looking for studies that move beyond technical performance claims and instead produce outcomes data that can guide evidence-based care. The opportunity also signals interest in multidisciplinary projects, particularly those that address strategies to mitigate secondary injuries that can occur alongside limb loss or impairment (for example, overuse injuries, joint degeneration, falls, skin breakdown, or other complications that arise from altered gait mechanics, device fit issues, or compensatory movement patterns). If a project proposes or evaluates rehabilitation strategies, the application must clearly explain how the rehab approach is expected to improve orthotic or prosthetic device outcomes compared with the current standard of care; rehabilitation is considered in-scope when it is tied directly to improving device-related results rather than being a stand-alone therapy study.

Collaboration is encouraged but not mandatory. The announcement explicitly welcomes multidisciplinary teams and cross-sector partnerships involving academia, industry, patient advocacy organizations, military Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other federal agencies. The underlying message is that strong proposals may benefit from real-world clinical access, stakeholder input, and pathways for adoption, but applicants are not required to assemble these partnerships if they can still deliver a rigorous, clinically meaningful study.

The OPORP CRA is structured around two selectable research levels, and applicants must choose only one level per submission. Research Level 1 is designed for pilot and early-stage clinical studies that are exploratory and involve limited human exposure, such as small sample sizes or early feasibility work. This level is meant to help teams gather initial clinical signals and de-risk ideas on a path toward translation; preliminary data are encouraged but not required. Research Level 2 is intended for larger, more definitive clinical research projects with robust and statistically meaningful participant numbers. These projects should have a stronger likelihood of producing high-quality outcomes that can support evidence-based practice and potentially influence clinical practice patterns. The solicitation highlights pragmatic studies and comparative effectiveness studies as particularly welcome at this level, reflecting an interest in real-world performance and head-to-head comparisons that help determine what works best for which patients and under what conditions. Unlike Level 1, Level 2 requires preliminary data relevant to the proposed clinical study.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was listed as discretionary funding and could be awarded as either a grant or a cooperative agreement. It falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 12.420). Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many types of entities, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement. The funding opportunity number is HT9425 23 OPORP CRA, with an original application deadline of July 12, 2023, and the DoD indicated an expectation of making about four awards. The notice listed the award ceiling as 0, which typically signals that applicants needed to rely on the full program announcement for budget constraints or that ceilings varied by project and were not summarized in that field.

• 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, Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Clinical 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 27, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 12, 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 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 HT9425 23 OPORP CRA

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