DoW Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Exploration-Hypothesis Development Award

The Exploration-Hypothesis Development Award is offered through the Defense Health Agency under the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs as part of the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program. This program is rooted in congressional appropriations that have supported research into tuberous sclerosis complex since 2002, with the intent of advancing high-impact biomedical discoveries. The administering body operates within the Department of Defense research infrastructure and emphasizes innovation, scientific rigor, and translational potential that benefits service members, veterans, and the broader public. The program reflects a long-standing federal commitment to funding novel biomedical research in areas of unmet clinical need. The purpose of this specific award mechanism is to support early-stage, high-risk, high-reward research that explores new hypotheses or groundbreaking concepts in the field of tuberous sclerosis complex. The award is designed to enable investigators to generate preliminary data that could lead to more extensive future studies. Applicants are not required to provide preliminary data at the time of submission, but they must present a strong scientific rationale and a clearly defined, testable hypothesis. The program emphasizes innovation and discourages incremental research that builds only modestly on existing findings. Funding under this opportunity is capped at 350000 dollars in total costs for the entire period of performance, with a maximum duration of two years. Approximately six awards are expected to be funded from an estimated total program allocation of 2.1 million dollars. Funds may be used for direct and indirect research costs, including limited travel for collaboration and dissemination of findings, but restrictions apply to ensure alignment with program goals. Clinical trials are explicitly not permitted, and certain types of animal research are restricted under federal guidelines. All funded projects must adhere to established standards for rigorous study design and reproducibility. Eligibility for this program is broad and inclusive. Both domestic and international organizations may apply, including for-profit and nonprofit entities, public and private institutions, and government organizations. Individual principal investigators must be affiliated with an eligible organization, and there are no restrictions based on nationality or citizenship. Independent investigators and postdoctoral researchers are eligible to serve as principal investigators, though each investigator may submit only one application under this funding opportunity. Awards are made to organizations rather than individuals, and no cost sharing is required. 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 the portal, depending on the applicant type. The full application requires multiple components, including a project narrative, technical and lay abstracts, statement of work, impact and innovation statements, and supporting documentation such as letters of support and research plans. Detailed instructions for each component are provided to ensure compliance and facilitate evaluation. Applications undergo a rigorous two-tier review process consisting of peer review and programmatic review. Peer review evaluates scientific merit based on criteria such as innovation, impact, and research feasibility, while programmatic review considers alignment with program priorities and portfolio balance. Innovation is the most heavily weighted criterion, reflecting the program’s focus on transformative research. Additional considerations include data sharing plans, personnel qualifications, budget appropriateness, and institutional support. 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 November 2026, followed by programmatic review in February 2027. Awards are anticipated to be issued no later than September 30, 2027, with funds available for use through September 30, 2032. Applicants can seek support through designated help desks for technical and submission-related inquiries, ensuring access to guidance throughout the application process.

Emphasize highly innovative high risk high gain concepts and ensure a strong testable hypothesis with rigorous study design Avoid incremental research and clearly align with program focus areas