DoW Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health, Health Services Research Award

The DoD Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health, Health Services Research Award is a forecasted federal funding opportunity administered by the Department of Defense through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity under the fiscal year 2026 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program. The opportunity is intended to support high-impact health services research that advances the translation of evidence into clinical practice and policy related to traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions. The program seeks to bridge the gap between research findings, implementation, and patient care outcomes by generating real-world evidence regarding how interventions, clinical practices, diagnostics, and policies can be effectively delivered to target populations at the appropriate point in care delivery. The funding opportunity specifically supports health services research approaches that include comparative effectiveness research, implementation science, validation of data science insights, and studies focused on the implementation of interventions, diagnostics, or clinical practice guidelines. Applications submitted under this mechanism are required to include clinical research or clinical trials involving human subjects, human subject data or records, or human anatomical substances. The program explicitly allows both prospective and retrospective clinical research methodologies. Preliminary data are required for all submissions, demonstrating that applicants must already possess supporting evidence or prior findings to justify the proposed work. Basic research, preclinical studies, and animal research are specifically prohibited under this funding mechanism, reinforcing the program’s focus on applied clinical and implementation-oriented outcomes. For projects that prospectively enroll human subjects, the funding opportunity requires inclusion of community-based participatory research approaches. This requirement indicates that applicants must demonstrate meaningful engagement with affected communities or stakeholders as part of study development and implementation. The award also includes an Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option that permits two Principal Investigators to participate jointly, provided that one investigator qualifies as an Early-Career Investigator. If selected for funding, each Principal Investigator under this option will receive a separate award. This structure is intended to encourage mentorship, collaboration, and workforce development within the traumatic brain injury and psychological health research community. The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development and is associated with Assistance Listing 12.420, Military Medical Research and Development. The Department of Defense anticipates making approximately two awards under this mechanism with an estimated total program funding amount of $8,000,000. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching contributions from applicants. While award ceiling and floor amounts have not yet been published, the projected funding level indicates support for large-scale, clinically focused research initiatives capable of generating impactful evidence relevant to military and veteran health systems. Eligibility for the opportunity is listed as unrestricted, meaning that applicants from a broad range of entity types may apply, subject to any future clarifications contained in the final solicitation materials. The funding announcement does not currently provide detailed restrictions regarding institution type, nonprofit status, business classification, or geographic limitations. Based on the unrestricted designation and the absence of limiting language, the opportunity appears open to institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, private industry, research institutes, government entities, and other eligible organizations capable of conducting compliant clinical and health services research. Additional eligibility details may be provided when the full application package and solicitation are released. The opportunity is currently in forecast status. The forecasted posting date is June 15, 2026, with an estimated application due date of October 15, 2026. Estimated award and project start dates are both September 30, 2027. The funding opportunity is expected to recur annually as part of the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs portfolio. Applicants are encouraged to monitor the official CDMRP website and Grants.gov for release of the complete solicitation and application instructions. Questions regarding the opportunity may be directed to the eBRAP Help Desk by phone at 301-682-5507 or by email at help@eBRAP.org. Additional program information is available through the official pre-announcement page published by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Emphasize implementation-focused clinical research that generates real-world evidence and demonstrates clear pathways for translating findings into practice or policy. Include strong preliminary data and clearly justify how proposed interventions or clinical practices will improve outcomes for targeted populations. Applications involving prospective human subjects should demonstrate meaningful community-based participatory research engagement.