Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR)

Defense Established Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) is sponsored by Department of Defense (DOD) Basic Research Office. DEPSCoR aims to increase the number of university researchers and improve the capabilities of institutions of higher education in eligible jurisdictions to perform competitive basic research in science and engineering relevant to the DoD mission and national security priorities.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program (DMDRP) Clinical/Translational Research Award (CTRA) supports advanced translational research to accelerate promising ideas in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) research toward clinical applications. Research must address at least one of the FY26 CTRA Focus Areas. Research projects investigating therapies that will be efficacious across the life span are strongly encouraged.Distinctive Features: The FY26 CTRA offers two funding levels:• Funding Level 1 to support smaller, less complex preclinical and/or clinical research.• Funding Level 2 to support larger, more complex preclinical and/or clinical research.The FY26 CTRA also offers a Partnering PI Option (PPIO) to support meaningful and productive partnerships between two investigators collaborating on the proposed research project. The PPIO has two eligibility categories:• Early-Career Partnering PI category for an independent, early-career investigator within 10 years of their first faculty appointment (or equivalent) by the time of application submission.• Established Interdisciplinary Partnering PI for independent investigators at all academic levels, or equivalent, in an area other than muscular dystrophy, seeking to transition to a career in DMD, thereby bringing their expertise to the field.Preliminary data are required for all applications. Pilot clinical trials and clinical trial readiness studies to better inform development of drugs, devices, and other interventions are allowed. Funding Opportunity Number: HT942526DMDRPCTRA. Assistance Listing: 12.420. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $8.5M total program funding.