Military Medical Research and Development Grants (Assistance Listing 12.420)

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Parkinson's Research Program Early Investigator Research Award supports early-career investigators, with one funding level for fellows (requiring a mentor) and another for early-career independent investigators. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; clinical trials are not allowed. Research must address at least one program focus area. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Parkinson's Research Program Investigator-Initiated Research Award supports rigorous, multidisciplinary, high-impact Parkinson's disease research, and clinical trials are allowed. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; a Partnering PI option allows up to two partnering PIs. Research must address at least one program focus area, and preliminary data are required. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Joint Warfighter Military Medical Research and Development Award funding the continuation of prior DoD/DoW-funded research toward high-priority military medical needs. A key restriction is that applicants must already have received DoD/DoW core or Congressional Special Interest funding, so this is limited to existing DoD-funded performers. No award amount is specified. Eligibility is narrow due to the prior-funding requirement.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Bone Marrow Failure Investigator-Initiated Research Award supports translational and clinical research, preclinical model studies, and IND-enabling work, but does not support clinical trials. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; a Partnering PI option is available. Preliminary data relevant to the proposed project are required. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Orthopaedic Research Program Applied Research Award funding applied research to improve treatment and restore function for service-related orthopaedic injuries. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; preliminary data are required and clinical research is not allowed under this mechanism. No award amount is specified. Projects must demonstrate military relevance, but the stated eligibility is broad.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Orthopaedic Research Program Clinical Research Award funding clinical research and clinical trials on orthopaedic factors and interventions relevant to service members, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and informing care. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; applications must address a specified focus area. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad, but applicants need clinical research capacity.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Bone Marrow Failure award supports building a multiomic atlas from well-annotated human bone marrow failure samples, intended as an open-access resource for the research and clinical communities. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply. Applications must include a robust data resource sharing plan. No award amounts are listed, and detailed eligibility is deferred to the full announcement.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Rare Cancers Research Program Resource and Community Development Award funding the creation of research resources, datasets, and infrastructure to advance rare cancers research. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; preliminary data are not required, but patient-advocate engagement and dissemination plans are. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Bone Marrow Failure award supports innovative, high-impact research to understand and cure bone marrow failure diseases. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; it is open to both established and early-career investigators, who are reviewed under distinct criteria, and preliminary data are not required. No award amounts are listed, and detailed eligibility is deferred to the full announcement.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Rare Cancers Research Program Idea Development Award funding research ideas ready for further development with high-impact potential for rare cancers. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; preliminary data with disease-specific rationale are required. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad, though the preliminary-data requirement favors established research teams.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Melanoma Research Program Focused Program Award (Rare Melanomas) funds a multidisciplinary program of two to three complementary projects addressing rare melanomas, and requires partnering Principal Investigators (an initiating PI plus one or two partnering PIs) plus at least one rare melanoma survivor or patient advocate on the team. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. A pre-application is required, and only invited applicants may submit a full application; clinical trials are allowed. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Melanoma Research Program Team Science Award funds multidisciplinary melanoma research projects and requires multiple Principal Investigators (at least two and up to three) who jointly design and execute a single project, with multi-institutional partnerships encouraged. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. A pre-application is required, and only invited applicants may submit a full application. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Translational Research Award funds research that converts scientific findings into clinical applications for TBI and psychological health; basic research and clinical trials are prohibited and preliminary data are required. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. For prospective human-subjects research, community-based participatory research approaches are required. An early-career investigator partnering option is available. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Military Burn Research Program award funds patient-centered clinical research or clinical trials to improve burn care in austere, resource-limited military operational settings; preclinical and animal research are not allowed. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement, so a range of research organizations may apply. A new mentorship option offers higher funding to pair an experienced researcher with one or two junior mentees. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Clinical Trial Award funds clinical trials evaluating drugs, devices, diagnostics, therapies, or behavioral strategies for TBI and psychological health conditions. Funding must support a clinical trial, preliminary data are required, and community-based participatory research approaches are required. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. Two research levels (pilot/early-phase and larger-scale trials) and an early-career investigator partnering option are offered. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Melanoma Research Program Idea Award funds innovative, high-risk/high-reward exploratory melanoma research, with novelty emphasized and preliminary data discouraged. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. A pre-application is required, and investigators must be invited before submitting a full application. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Toxic Exposures Research Program Translational Research Award funding research that moves promising military toxic-exposure findings toward clinical applications such as products, interventions, or practice guidelines. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; a partnering principal investigator option supports two-PI collaborations. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Autism Research Program Idea Development Award supports innovative, high-risk/high-reward research to improve outcomes for Autistic individuals. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; a Partnering PI option lets two investigators work jointly on one project. No award amounts are listed, and detailed eligibility is deferred to the full announcement.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Autism Research Program Career Development Award supports early-career independent investigators, or established investigators transitioning into autism research, to pursue innovative ideas or early-phase clinical trials. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply. Applications with a pilot clinical trial component must name at least one community partner. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Autism Research Program award supports rapid implementation of clinical trials to improve the treatment or management of autism, ranging from small proof-of-concept trials to large efficacy trials. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; a Partnering PI option pairs an experienced investigator with an early-career one. Applications are required to name at least one community partner. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Melanoma Research Program Survivorship Research Award funds research aimed at improving the health and well-being of melanoma survivors, their families, and care partners, with clinical trials allowed. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. Note one requirement: each application must include at least one melanoma consumer collaborator (a survivor, family member, care partner, or supporting organization). Animal-model-only or survival-only studies are not responsive. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Military Burn Research Program Discovery Award supports innovative, early-concept research in combat-relevant burn care to lay the groundwork for future translational or clinical research. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply. The award emphasizes novel, hypothesis-driven or hypothesis-generating work producing preliminary data. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Toxic Exposures Research Program Clinical Trial Award funding clinical trials, from small proof-of-concept through large-scale, addressing conditions tied to military-related toxic exposures. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; a partnering principal investigator option supports two-PI collaborations. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad, but applicants need the capacity to run clinical trials.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Melanoma Research Program Melanoma Academy Scholar Award supports independent early-career investigators who are no more than seven years from their first faculty appointment, funding both their melanoma research and career development within a virtual mentoring academy; each scholar must designate an experienced Career Guide. Because it targets early-career faculty scholars, eligibility is narrow at the individual level even though the entity types are unrestricted (subject to clarification in the program announcement). Preliminary data are not required. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Health Services Research Award funds health services research bridging research, practice, and policy for TBI and psychological health, including comparative effectiveness and implementation studies. Applications must include clinical research or clinical trials, preliminary data are required, and basic/preclinical/animal research is prohibited; community-based participatory research is required for prospective human-subjects work. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. An early-career investigator partnering option is available. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Toxic Exposures Research Program Investigator-Initiated Research Award funding studies on diseases and conditions linked to military-related toxic exposures, spanning basic, translational, and preclinical/human research. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad, though projects must be relevant to military toxic-exposure research.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Military Burn Research Program Technology/Therapeutic Development Award is a product-driven mechanism funding translation of promising preclinical findings into burn-care products (such as devices, drugs, or clinical practice guidelines) for austere military settings. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. A new mentorship option offers higher funding to pair an experienced researcher with one or two junior mentees. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Impact Award supports mature research with near-term potential to affect clinical cancer care within congressionally directed FY26 topic areas. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to clarifications. Applications must include preliminary data supporting feasibility; clinical trials are allowed. Up to two partnering Principal Investigators are permitted. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Clinical Trial Award funds clinical trials (phase 0 through phase III) testing new products, drugs, devices, or approaches to treat or manage cancer within designated topic areas. Applications must include a clinical trial and patient advocates, animal studies are not allowed, and any required IND/IDE regulatory application must be submitted by the application deadline. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Idea Award supports innovative, untested, high-risk/high-reward concepts and basic cancer research relevant to the Military Health System. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to clarifications. Preliminary data are not required, but a strong scientific rationale is. A new Early Career Investigator option supports promising investigators early in faculty appointments. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Tick-Borne Disease award supports conceptually innovative research to reduce the burden of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and improve patient care. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; a Career Development Option is available to eligible early-career investigators under separate criteria. No award amounts are listed, and detailed eligibility is deferred to the full announcement.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Vision Research Program award supports translational research that turns a promising discovery into new drugs, devices, or clinical practice guidelines, including preclinical studies, clinical research, or a pilot trial, but not a full-scale clinical trial. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; a Partnering PI option allows two investigators. Research must align with the program's focus areas. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) award supports translational spinal cord injury research aimed at moving promising ideas toward clinical applications. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; an optional Early-Career Partnership allows two principal investigators, at least one early-career. Applications must name at least one spinal cord injury community partner. No award amounts are listed, and the precise eligibility details are deferred to the full announcement.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Spinal Cord Injury award supports rapid implementation of clinical trials that could significantly affect the treatment or management of spinal cord injury. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; an optional Early-Career Partnership allows two principal investigators. Applications must name at least two spinal cord injury community partners. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program Investigator-Initiated Research Award funding studies that could meaningfully advance spinal cord injury research, patient care, or quality of life, from basic through translational science. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; an early-career partnership option allows two principal investigators. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Tick-Borne Disease Therapeutic/Diagnostic Research Award supports product-driven therapeutic and diagnostic development for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, focused on early/preclinical treatment studies and clinic-ready diagnostics. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply. No award amounts are listed, and detailed eligibility is deferred to the full announcement.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Vision Research Program award supports rapid implementation of clinical trials addressing service-connected eye injury and visual dysfunction. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply. Interventions requiring IND/IDE regulatory authorization must meet specific submission and approval milestones to be considered. Research must align with the program's focus areas. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Vision Research Program award supports basic through early translational research on eye injury or visual dysfunction related to military exposure, including preclinical and clinical research but not clinical trials. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply; two funding levels and a Partnering PI option are offered. Research must align with the program's focus areas. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program Clinical Translation Research Award funding early-stage clinical research (feasibility, pilot, optimization) to prepare for larger spinal cord injury trials or implementation. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; applications must name at least two SCI community partners. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad, but applicants need clinical research capacity and required partnerships.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Pancreatic Cancer Research Program Focused Pilot Award supports exploratory, innovative pancreatic cancer research intended to produce preliminary data for future work; preliminary data are allowed but not required. Clinical research studies are permitted, but clinical trials are not allowed and preclinical animal-only studies do not meet the intent. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Pancreatic Cancer Research Program Translational Research Partnership Award funds partnerships among clinicians, population, applied, and/or basic scientists to move promising pancreatic cancer ideas toward clinical application, and requires two Principal Investigators (an initiating and a partnering PI) with at least one having pancreatic cancer expertise. Preliminary data are required; pilot clinical trials and retrospective/correlative studies are allowed, but large-scale clinical trials are not. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Pancreatic Cancer Research Program Idea Development Award funds innovative, high-risk/high-reward pancreatic cancer research; preliminary data relevant to the project are required. Clinical research studies are allowed, but clinical trials are not. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any standard entity type), subject to clarification in the program announcement. An optional partnering mechanism offers higher funding to pair an experienced PI with an early-career investigator. No specific award amount is stated in this record.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Arthritis Research Program Clinical Research Award supports clinical research evaluating disease factors and interventions, with two levels covering early-phase/pilot trials and full-scale clinical trials. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply. A community collaborator is encouraged at Level 1 and required at Level 2, and preliminary or published data are required. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Arthritis Research Program award supports high-impact translational research intended to move findings toward clinically relevant solutions; it funds preclinical or animal research and does not allow clinical research, clinical trials, or basic research. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to additional clarifications, so a range of research organizations may apply. Preliminary or published data are required. No award amounts are listed.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · $750K–$50M

Open broadly to any type of entity — universities, nonprofits, businesses (including small businesses), and others. This Department of Defense / Defense Health Agency broad agency announcement funds extramural biomedical and human-performance research and development through FY28. Awards span a very wide range, from about $750,000 to $50 million.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Defense Health Agency broad agency announcement (BAA) solicits extramural basic and applied medical research and development proposals that benefit both military and civilian medical practice. Eligibility is unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may apply, subject to clarifications in the notice. No award amount is specified. The selection process is highly competitive, and projects must focus on advancing scientific knowledge rather than developing a specific system or product.