Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs)

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Vision Research Program (VRP) Mentored Clinical Research Award (MCRA) supports patient-oriented vision injury research conducted by highly motivated military or civilian clinicians in training. The MCRA may be used to support a standalone study of high impact to vision injury care or the generation of clinical research data in preparation for a more expansive study. Research must align with at least one of the FY26 VRP Focus Areas. The MCRA may not be used to support preclinical research or clinical trials. Distinctive Features: · Key personnel must include an established clinician or Ph.D. clinical scientist, who will serve as Principal Investigator (PI) and a clinician in training (e.g., a fellow, resident, junior clinician, clinician in a Ph.D. program), who will conduct the proposed research under mentorship of the PI, with support from supporting personnel as appropriate. · The clinician in training should have sufficient time remaining in their training program to complete the research proposed under the MCRA. · Scored peer review criteria include Research Idea/Rationale, Research Strategy and Feasibility, Impact and Personnel. · Programmatic review criteria include adherence to the intent of the MCRA, contribution to program portfolio, relative impact and relevance to military health. · Applicants must submit documentation of Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Ethics Committee (EC) approval or exemption by January 1, 2027, in order for the MCRA application to be considered for funding. https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2026/vrppreann Funding Opportunity Number: HT942526VRPMCRA. Assistance Listing: 12.420. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $150K total program funding.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Platform Clinical Translation Award supports the translational development and/or early-phase clinical trials for broadly applicable clinical technologies that will address urgent and complex needs related to two congressionally directed FY26 PRMRP topic areas. The platform product in development should address one of the FY26 PRMRP portfolio-specific strategic goals and address the health care needs of military Service Members, Veterans and their Families.Distinctive Features:Allows for multiple Principal Investigators (PIs). The proposed experiments may represent a single project led by a single PI, or it may consist of partnerships between principal investigators that will occur synergistically to advance a platform product. One PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. Up to two additional PIs can be identified as Partnering PIs. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named on separate awards to the recipient organization(s).Requires a PI-convened external advisory board with patient advocate participation. The patient advocate must be a person living with, or a family member or caretaker of someone with, a disease or condition addressed in one of the applicant-selected congressionally directed FY26 PRMRP topic areas.Funding Details: The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) expects to allot roughly $30M to fund approximately two Platform Clinical Translation Award applications with total cost caps of $15M per award. The maximum period of performance is 4 years. It is anticipated that awards made from this FY26 funding opportunity will be funded with a maximum of $8M in FY26, with the remaining budget to be funded out of future fiscal years depending upon meeting performance-based milestones and availability of future funds, which will expire for use on September 30, 2032. Awards supported with FY26 funds will be made no later than September 30, 2027. Funding Opportunity Number: HT942526PRMRPPCTA. Assistance Listing: 12.420. Funding Instrument: CA,G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $30M total program funding.