DoD Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic, Applied Research Award | W81XWH 20 PRORP ARA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 PRORP ARA

The DoD Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program (PRORP) Applied Research Award (ARA) is a Department of Defense funding opportunity run through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) and managed by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). It supports applied, translational-style orthopaedic and musculoskeletal research that is aimed at improving treatment and restoring function after injuries that affect Service members. While the work is driven by military needs, the program also expects that successful findings will have clear benefits for civilian patients as well.

The FY20 ARA specifically targets musculoskeletal injuries that occur during combat, combat-related activities, and non-battle injuries that still degrade unit readiness and limit a Service member's ability to return to duty or work. A recurring theme in the announcement is speed and practicality: applicants are encouraged to show how their research could enable care closer to the point of injury (for example, earlier diagnosis, earlier stabilization, or interventions that can be used in more austere settings) and/or shorten the time it takes a patient to regain function and return to duty or employment. To be responsive, proposals must align with one of the FY20 PRORP ARA Focus Areas named in the full announcement (the summary text references these focus areas but does not list them).

In terms of the science, the ARA is intended for applied research rather than basic discovery research. In this context, "applied" means taking existing concepts or emerging ideas and refining them into potential solutions, then testing technical feasibility and practical utility. The announcement highlights the kinds of outputs the program wants to see: promising medical products or knowledge products, pharmacologic agents, behavioral or rehabilitation interventions, diagnostic or therapeutic techniques, clinical guidance, and other emerging approaches and technologies that are closer to real-world use than fundamental mechanistic studies. In other words, the goal is not simply to understand a phenomenon better, but to move toward something that can realistically change clinical practice, rehabilitation outcomes, or operational readiness.

Awards under this opportunity are made as assistance agreements, meaning the government is providing support to carry out a public purpose rather than purchasing a service for direct government use. The assistance agreement may be issued either as a grant or as a cooperative agreement, and the deciding factor is how involved the DoD expects to be during the project. If no substantial involvement is anticipated, it will typically be a grant; if substantial involvement is expected (such as collaboration, participation, or intervention in the research), it will be a cooperative agreement, and the specific nature of that involvement would be spelled out in the award. The final award type and the project start date are settled during negotiations.

Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications in the full posting. The funding instrument types listed are grants and cooperative agreements, and the activity category is research and development (Science and Technology). The assistance listing identifier provided is CFDA 12.420.

On funding size and scale, the maximum total costs for the entire period of performance are capped at $725,000 per award. Program-level funding is projected at about $3.625 million total, with an expectation of roughly five awards, although actual awards depend on federal funding availability, the number of submissions received, and application quality as judged through scientific peer review and programmatic review, along with government requirements. The opportunity was created March 16, 2020, and the original application closing date was September 10, 2020. The agency stated that awards would be made no later than September 30, 2021. Funding for awards made under this FY20 opportunity was expected to use FY20 funds that would remain available for use until September 30, 2026, reflecting the limited period during which the obligated funds can be expended.

• 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 Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic, Applied 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 Mar 16, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 10, 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 PRORP ARA

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