DoW Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health, Clinical Trial Award

The DoD Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Clinical Trial Award is a forecasted federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), under the fiscal year 2026 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program. The opportunity is intended to advance clinical research that addresses traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions affecting military service members, veterans, and related patient populations. The award mechanism focuses specifically on clinical trials that have strong potential to generate impactful clinical applications, including healthcare products, medical technologies, diagnostics, therapeutics, behavioral health interventions, and evidence-based practice guidelines. The program is aligned with the Department of Defense mission to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term outcomes associated with traumatic brain injury and psychological health disorders. The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development and is listed under Assistance Listing 12.420, Military Medical Research and Development. The forecast notice indicates that approximately six awards are anticipated with an estimated total program funding amount of $18,600,000. Although award ceilings and floors are not specified in the forecast announcement, the funding structure is organized into two separate research levels that applicants must select based on the maturity and scale of their proposed clinical trial. Research Level 1 is intended to support proof-of-principle pilot studies along with phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials. Research Level 2 is designed for larger-scale and advanced clinical trials evaluating effectiveness in relevant patient populations. The inclusion of clinical trial activities is mandatory for all applications submitted under this mechanism. The announcement states that preliminary data are required, indicating that applicants must demonstrate sufficient scientific rationale and feasibility prior to application submission. Another mandatory feature of the program is the inclusion of community-based participatory research approaches. This requirement demonstrates the program's emphasis on stakeholder engagement, patient-centered methodologies, and community collaboration throughout the research process. The award supports a broad range of intervention types, including drugs, biologics, diagnostics, medical devices, behavioral health strategies, therapies, and related clinical applications. The program description suggests that proposed projects should demonstrate translational relevance and the ability to generate meaningful outcomes for clinical care and military health systems. Eligibility for the opportunity is listed as unrestricted, meaning the program is open to all eligible entity types subject to any future clarifications provided in the full funding announcement. The forecasted notice does not currently impose restrictions based on organization type, institutional affiliation, or geographic region within the United States. As a federal research funding opportunity administered through Grants.gov and the Department of Defense, eligible applicants may reasonably include institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, for-profit organizations, governmental entities, and other qualified research institutions. The opportunity also includes an Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option available for both research levels. Under this structure, two Principal Investigators may collaborate, including one designated Early-Career Investigator. If recommended for funding, each Principal Investigator will receive a separate award. The estimated posting date for the complete funding opportunity announcement is June 15, 2026, while the estimated application due date is October 15, 2026. The estimated award date and project start date are both listed as September 30, 2027. Because the opportunity is currently forecasted rather than fully posted, additional submission requirements, evaluation criteria, required application forms, budget limitations, performance periods, and review procedures are expected to become available once the official solicitation is released. The current notice does not reference a letter of intent, concept paper, or pre-application requirement. Likewise, no cost-sharing or matching requirement is identified, and the announcement explicitly states that matching is not required. Applicants are expected to monitor the official funding opportunity release and associated program announcements available through Grants.gov and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs website. The opportunity includes contact information for the eBRAP Help Desk, which serves as the primary support resource for applicant questions and technical assistance. The listed contact email is help@eBRAP.org and the contact phone number is 301-682-5507. The notice also references the official pre-announcement webpage hosted by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, which provides additional context regarding the FY26 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program. Because the announcement is forecasted and associated with a recurring annual federal research program, applicants should anticipate future related funding cycles beyond fiscal year 2026.

Focus on demonstrating strong preliminary data, meaningful clinical impact, and integration of community-based participatory research approaches because these are specifically identified as required or emphasized components of the funding mechanism.