DoW Toxic Exposures Translational Research Award

The DoW Toxic Exposures Translational Research Award is a forecasted federal funding opportunity released through the Department of Defense, specifically administered by the Department of the Army through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity under the fiscal year 2026 Toxic Exposures Research Program. The opportunity is intended to support translational research efforts that accelerate the movement of promising military-related toxic exposure findings into practical clinical applications. The award seeks to bridge basic science and clinical observations by encouraging research projects that demonstrate reciprocal information transfer between laboratory-based discoveries and clinical implementation strategies. The program is focused on advancing health care products, interventions, technologies, and clinical practice guidelines related to toxic exposure conditions affecting military populations. The program emphasizes translational research that moves beyond foundational discovery work into activities with clear clinical relevance and implementation potential. The funding announcement specifically notes that translational research may involve the integration of basic science with clinical observations and may also include the use of New Approach Methodologies. Applications are expected to provide evidence that findings or insights are flowing between clinical and laboratory settings in a way that meaningfully advances the proposed research plan. The Department of Defense intends for this funding mechanism to accelerate practical outcomes and improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of conditions associated with military toxic exposures. A distinctive feature of the fiscal year 2026 competition is the inclusion of a Partnering Principal Investigator Option. Under this structure, one investigator serves as the initiating Principal Investigator while a second investigator may participate as a Partnering Principal Investigator. If funding is recommended, each Principal Investigator will receive a separate award. The Department of Defense states that the purpose of this structure is to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations that significantly enhance research progress beyond what individual efforts could accomplish independently. The program specifically highlights partnerships between clinicians and research scientists as examples of collaborations capable of accelerating translation into clinical practice and patient-centered applications. The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development activities and is expected to support approximately four awards with an estimated total program funding amount of $6,000,000. The funding instrument is identified as a grant. No award ceiling or award floor has been provided in the forecast notice, and applicants are expected to review the final posted announcement for detailed budget guidance and allowable costs. The opportunity is listed under Assistance Listing 12.420, Military Medical Research and Development. The announcement explicitly states that there is no cost sharing or matching requirement associated with this funding mechanism. Eligibility for the opportunity is described as unrestricted, meaning that the program is open to all eligible entity types unless additional restrictions are included in future official solicitation documents. The current forecast notice does not identify exclusions or geographic limitations, indicating that the competition is intended to support a broad range of applicants capable of conducting military-related translational toxic exposure research. Because the opportunity is administered through a federal military medical research program, applicants should anticipate compliance requirements associated with federal biomedical research funding, including any future submission instructions that may appear in the full solicitation package. The opportunity is currently in forecast status. The forecasted posting date for the full application announcement is July 8, 2026. Applications are expected to be due by November 19, 2026. The estimated award date and project start date are both September 30, 2027. The notice does not identify any mandatory letters of intent, concept papers, or pre-application requirements at this forecast stage. Applicants are encouraged to monitor the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs website and related federal systems for the official release and supporting materials. Contact information currently provided for applicant assistance is the eBRAP Help Desk, which can be reached at 301-682-5507. Additional program information is referenced through the official program announcement webpage at https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2026/terppreann. The forecast notice does not specify whether the opportunity will recur annually, but the fiscal year designation and historical structure of Department of Defense medical research programs suggest the potential for future recurring cycles.

Emphasize clinically relevant translational outcomes and demonstrate meaningful integration between laboratory and clinical research approaches. Collaborative interdisciplinary partnerships between clinicians and research scientists are specifically encouraged and should clearly advance the project beyond individual investigator capabilities.