DoW Peer Reviewed Medical, Technology/Therapeutic Development Award

The Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Technology/Therapeutic Development Award is offered by the Defense Health Agency under the Department of Defense and is administered through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. This funding mechanism is designed to support advanced translational research that bridges the gap between promising preclinical findings and clinical application. The program emphasizes the development of tangible and knowledge-based products such as drugs, devices, clinical decision tools, and practice guidelines that directly address healthcare needs of military Service Members, Veterans, and their Families. The award aligns with congressionally directed topic areas and strategic goals, ensuring that funded projects contribute to critical military health priorities. The purpose of this award is to move established proof-of-concept or prototype-stage innovations through the final stages of preclinical development. Projects funded under this opportunity are expected to culminate in outcomes that enable regulatory filings such as Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption applications, or direct translation into clinical practice. The program does not support early-stage discovery research or clinical trials but instead focuses on product-driven efforts with strong preliminary data demonstrating feasibility and near-term clinical relevance. Funding under this opportunity is substantial, with approximately 67.2 million dollars allocated to support around 12 awards. Each award may request up to 5.6 million dollars in total costs over a maximum performance period of four years. Funds must be used in accordance with federal cost principles and may include expenses related to product development, validation studies, regulatory preparation, and limited travel for dissemination of findings. Tuition and excessive travel costs are not allowable. Cost sharing is not required for this program. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is broad and inclusive. Both domestic and international organizations may apply, including for-profit and nonprofit entities, public and private institutions, and intramural or extramural Department of Defense organizations. Applications must be submitted by independent investigators affiliated with eligible organizations. Individuals cannot receive awards directly, as funding is issued to organizations. Each principal investigator may only submit one application to this program in the given fiscal year. The application process is structured as a two-step submission. Applicants must first submit a pre-application in the form of a Letter of Intent through the Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal. Following this, a full application must be submitted either through Grants.gov or eBRAP depending on the organization type. The application package includes multiple required components such as a project narrative, technical and lay abstracts, statement of work, impact statement, transition plan, and supporting documentation. Applications must clearly demonstrate alignment with a designated topic area and strategic goal, and include sufficient preliminary data to justify feasibility. Applications are evaluated through a rigorous two-tier review process consisting of peer review and programmatic review. Review criteria include the potential impact of the research, strength of the scientific rationale, feasibility of the approach, quality of preliminary data, and the robustness of the post-award transition plan. Additional considerations include the qualifications of the research team, the adequacy of the research environment, and the appropriateness of the proposed budget. Successful applications are those that demonstrate strong potential to improve patient outcomes and advance military-relevant healthcare solutions. Key deadlines for this funding opportunity include a pre-application submission deadline of July 23, 2026, and a full application deadline of August 6, 2026. Peer review is expected to occur in October and November 2026, followed by programmatic review in early 2027. Awards are anticipated to be issued no later than September 30, 2027. Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin preparations early due to the complexity of the submission requirements and the need for multiple system registrations. Support is available through eBRAP and Grants.gov help desks for technical and submission-related inquiries.

Strong preliminary data and clear clinical translation pathway are critical; ensure alignment with topic area and strategic goals; emphasize regulatory readiness and near term impact