The DoD has released its Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) funding opportunities for its Tick-Borne Disease Research Program (TBDRP) being managed by the office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).
To meet the intent of the award mechanism, applications submitted to the FY19 TBDRP must address at least one of the following specific Focus Areas in Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases with emphasis on reducing public health burden. Applications focused on tick-borne diseases prevalent in the US and/or involving understudied patient populations are encouraged, but not required.
- Diagnosis: accurate diagnostics and biomarkers for Lyme disease and co-infections and/or other
tick-borne diseases; diagnostic biomarkers for Lyme disease that distinguish between active infection; and previous exposure, and/or monitor response to treatment. - Pathogenesis: understanding pathogenic mechanisms, including immune protection, for Lyme disease, other tick-borne diseases, and/or co-infections; understanding the complex biology of Lyme borrelia in the host (beyond in vitro studies), including its survival, evasion of the host immune system, and subversion of the effectiveness of antibiotics; and understanding underlying mechanisms of persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease.
- Treatment: antibiotic combinations and/or therapeutic options for treating acute and persistent
illness. - Prevention: safe and effective human vaccines for tick-borne diseases; identification, validation, and/or improvement of tick-targeted prevention and control interventions; and understanding the ecology of understudied tick-borne disease vectors and reservoirs with emphasis on how it relates to human risk.
The following funding programs are available:
Career Development Award
- The PI must be an early-career research scientist or physician scientist within 10 years of completion of his/her terminal degree (excluding time spent in residency or on family medical leave). The PI’s record of accomplishments and the proposed research will be evaluated regarding his/her potential for contributing to the field of tick-borne diseases research. Because career development is the focus of this award, the PI’s institution must demonstrate a commitment to the PI through a minimum of 75% protected time for tick-borne diseases research, although more protected time is highly desirable.
- The Mentor must be an experienced tick-borne diseases researcher as demonstrated by a proven record of funding and publications in tick-borne diseases research. The Mentor must hold a position at or above the level of an Associate Professor (or equivalent). In addition, the Mentor must demonstrate a commitment to developing the PI’s career in tick-borne diseases research. The Mentor and PI may be at different organizations.
- A career development plan is required and should be prepared by the PI with appropriate guidance from the Mentor. A clearly articulated strategy for acquiring the necessary skills, competence, and expertise to establish a career at the forefront of tick-borne diseases research should be included. The plan should outline how the PI will gain experience in tick-borne diseases research.
Idea Award
- Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) are eligible
to submit applications. An eligible PI, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or citizenship status, must be employed by, or affiliated with, an eligible organization.
Investigator-Initiated Research Award
- Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) are eligible
to submit applications. An eligible PI, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or citizenship status, must be employed by, or affiliated with, an eligible organization.
Deadlines: pre-application May 22, 2019; full applications August 22, 2019
Detailed descriptions of the funding opportunity, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements can be found in the Program Announcements. The Program Announcements are available electronically for downloading from the Grants.gov website (http://www.grants.gov), the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/prgdefault) and the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) (https://eBRAP.org).
All CDMRP funding opportunities, both recently and previously released, are available on the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).
Subsequent notifications will be sent when additional funding opportunities are released. A listing of all open CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.
Submission is a two-step process requiring both pre-application submission and full application submission. All pre-applications must be submitted through eBRAP (https://eBRAP.org/). Full applications from extramural organizations (non-DoD organizations) must be submitted through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/). Intramural DoD organizations may submit full applications to either eBRAP or Grants.gov. Refer to the General Application Instructions, Section II.A. for registration and submission requirements for eBRAP and Grants.gov. For detailed information on the submission process, refer to Section II.D. of the Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity.
Filed Under: Funding Opportunities