Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 ERP RPA
The DoD Epilepsy Research Partnership Award (FY21 ERP RPA) is a Department of Defense funding opportunity designed to push epilepsy research forward through true, tightly integrated collaboration. The core idea is that the proposed work has to be something the investigators could not realistically accomplish if they were working separately. Applications are expected to be impact-based, meaning they should clearly explain what concrete outcomes the project will produce in the near term (results that can be directly attributed to the study) and how those outcomes set up longer-term scientific and clinical gains. The program is particularly focused on research that will meaningfully benefit military personnel, Veterans, and civilians, with an emphasis on post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
A central feature of this opportunity is that it funds team science rather than single-lab projects. At least two investigators must partner to jointly design one unified research project, and the application must make it obvious that each partner had equal intellectual input in shaping the study. One investigator is named as the Initiating Principal Investigator and the other(s) serve as Co-PI(s). Multi-institutional partnerships are encouraged (though not required), and the project must be strengthened by the distinct expertise each partner brings. Because this is meant to accelerate progress toward clinical application, the team also needs to demonstrate experience spanning both TBI and epilepsy research, not just one or the other.
The FY21 competition is organized into two funding levels, each tied to specific focus areas and distinct rules about what kinds of studies are allowed. Funding Level I supports preclinical or pre-validation research and is limited to two focus areas. The first Level I focus area, Markers and Mechanisms, supports efforts to identify markers or mechanisms using preclinical models that address PTE, including work related to acute or chronic biomarkers, treatment concepts, prevention strategies, and relevant comorbidities. The second Level I focus area, Epidemiology, supports epidemiological characterization of PTE following TBI, including identification of risk factors (such as demographics, genetics, anatomy, pathology, and injury type), outcomes (including latency to epilepsy, comorbidities, and mortality), the role of pre-existing psychological or psychiatric conditions, treatment and healthcare outcomes research, and work that helps differentiate PTE from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).
Funding Level II is built around prospective, patient-centered longitudinal research and is restricted to the Longitudinal Studies focus area. Level II applications must have access to a patient cohort and must center on a prospective study that tracks the evolution of PTE over time. Topics can include seizure frequency and seizure characteristics, patient and injury-related factors (demographics, genetics, anatomy, pathology, type of injury), comorbidities such as depression or sleep disorders, latency between injury and PTE onset, mortality, and treatment and healthcare outcomes. The program explicitly encourages Level II studies that test the feasibility of combining different measures, such as neuropsychological testing, imaging, and genomics, to better assess or predict PTE. In addition, Level II proposals must clearly describe how TBI will be characterized within the cohort and how that characterization will be incorporated into the statistical plan, including appropriate statistical methods for analyzing the relationship between TBI and later PTE.
Level II also comes with strict prohibitions that reflect its prospective and human-subjects orientation. Animal research is not allowed under Funding Level II. Retrospective aims are also not allowed, and neither are studies that are primarily epidemiological analyses of pre-existing datasets, nor analyses relying on existing biorepository data or previously collected specimens. The intent is to fund forward-looking, longitudinal cohort work rather than secondary data analyses.
Across both funding levels, the program places heavy emphasis on how the partnership will function day-to-day. Applications are expected to include concrete plans for collaboration, including how partners will communicate, make decisions, allocate resources, coordinate progress, share results, and manage data sharing across investigators and institutions. If multiple institutions are involved, the application must also include an intellectual property plan that addresses potential IP and material transfer issues early, with the goal of reducing institutional friction and protecting the project’s ability to operate as a single integrated effort. Another cross-cutting requirement is preliminary data: applicants must provide evidence supporting the feasibility of the hypothesis or objectives, and that evidence can come from lab discoveries, clinical observations, population-based studies, or relevant peer-reviewed literature.
Awards under this announcement are issued as assistance agreements, meaning they will be structured either as a grant or a cooperative agreement depending on how much involvement the DoD anticipates having during performance. If substantial involvement by the DoD is expected (for example, collaboration or participation in aspects of the research), the award will be a cooperative agreement; otherwise, it will be a grant. The final instrument type and start date are determined during award negotiations.
In terms of funding, the anticipated maximum total cost for a Level I award is $1.3 million for the full period of performance, and the anticipated maximum total cost for a Level II award is $3.1 million for the full period of performance. The program expected to make roughly two awards total: about one Level I and one Level II, contingent on federal funding availability and on scientific and programmatic review outcomes. The named PI is also required to attend an annual, one-day In-Progress Review meeting starting in year 2 and continuing through the remainder of the award, to present updates and disseminate results. Key dates and administrative details from the source include an original closing date of July 21, 2021, awards planned no later than September 30, 2022, and FY21 funds anticipated to remain available for use through September 30, 2027 (reflecting the federal period of availability for those appropriated funds).Apply for W81XWH 21 ERP RPA
- The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Epilepsy, Research Partnership Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 13, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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FAQs: DoD Epilepsy Research Partnership Award (FY21 ERP RPA)
What is the DoD Epilepsy Research Partnership Award (FY21 ERP RPA)?
The FY21 ERP RPA is a Department of Defense funding opportunity intended to move epilepsy research forward through tightly integrated, team-based collaboration. It is structured to support a unified project that partners could not realistically complete if working separately.
What is the main scientific and program focus of this opportunity?
The opportunity is focused on research that will meaningfully benefit military personnel, Veterans, and civilians, with a particular emphasis on post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
What does the program mean by "true, tightly integrated collaboration"?
It means the proposed research must be designed as one unified project built jointly by the partners, with clear evidence that each investigator provided equal intellectual input. The work should be synergistic, not a set of parallel or loosely connected subprojects.
How many investigators are required, and what roles are used?
At least two investigators are required. One is designated as the Initiating Principal Investigator, and the other investigator(s) serve as Co-PI(s).
Are multi-institutional partnerships required?
No. Multi-institutional partnerships are encouraged but not required. Regardless of whether the team is at one institution or multiple institutions, the application must show that the project is strengthened by the distinct expertise each partner brings.
What expertise does the team need to demonstrate?
The team is expected to demonstrate experience spanning both TBI and epilepsy research (not just one area). This reflects the program's emphasis on accelerating progress toward clinical application in PTE following TBI.
What does "impact-based" mean for this application?
Applications are expected to clearly describe concrete near-term outcomes that can be directly attributed to the proposed study, and explain how those near-term outcomes will enable longer-term scientific and clinical advances.
How is the FY21 competition structured?
The competition has two funding levels (Level I and Level II). Each level is tied to specific focus areas and has different rules about what types of studies are allowed.
What is Funding Level I intended to support?
Funding Level I supports preclinical or pre-validation research. It is limited to two focus areas: (1) Markers and Mechanisms and (2) Epidemiology.
What topics fit under Level I: Markers and Mechanisms?
This focus area supports identifying markers or mechanisms using preclinical models addressing PTE. It includes acute or chronic biomarkers, treatment concepts, prevention strategies, and relevant comorbidities.
What topics fit under Level I: Epidemiology?
This focus area supports epidemiological characterization of PTE following TBI, including risk factors (demographics, genetics, anatomy, pathology, injury type), outcomes (latency to epilepsy, comorbidities, mortality), the role of pre-existing psychological or psychiatric conditions, treatment and healthcare outcomes research, and work differentiating PTE from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).
What is Funding Level II intended to support?
Funding Level II supports prospective, patient-centered longitudinal research and is restricted to the Longitudinal Studies focus area. It is designed for forward-looking cohort studies that track the evolution of PTE over time.
What does Level II require regarding patient access?
Level II applications must have access to a patient cohort and must be centered on a prospective study that follows participants over time.
What types of research questions are appropriate for Level II Longitudinal Studies?
Examples include seizure frequency and characteristics, patient and injury-related factors (demographics, genetics, anatomy, pathology, type of injury), comorbidities (such as depression or sleep disorders), latency between injury and PTE onset, mortality, and treatment and healthcare outcomes.
Does Level II encourage combining multiple measurement types?
Yes. Level II explicitly encourages studies testing feasibility of combining different measures (for example, neuropsychological testing, imaging, and genomics) to better assess or predict PTE.
What are the TBI characterization and statistics requirements for Level II?
Level II proposals must clearly describe how TBI will be characterized within the cohort and how that characterization will be incorporated into the statistical plan, including appropriate statistical methods to analyze the relationship between TBI and later PTE.
Is animal research allowed under Funding Level II?
No. Animal research is explicitly prohibited under Funding Level II.
Are retrospective studies allowed under Funding Level II?
No. Retrospective aims are not allowed for Level II.
Can Level II be primarily an epidemiological analysis of pre-existing datasets?
No. Level II does not allow studies that are primarily epidemiological analyses of pre-existing datasets.
Can Level II rely on existing biorepository data or previously collected specimens?
No. Level II does not allow analyses relying on existing biorepository data or previously collected specimens. The intent is to fund prospective, longitudinal cohort work rather than secondary analyses.
What collaboration planning is expected across both funding levels?
Applications are expected to include concrete plans for how the partnership will function day-to-day, including communication, decision-making, resource allocation, progress coordination, results sharing, and cross-investigator or cross-institution data sharing.
What is required if multiple institutions are involved?
If multiple institutions participate, the application must include an intellectual property (IP) plan addressing potential IP and material transfer issues early, to reduce institutional friction and support operation as a single integrated effort.
Is preliminary data required?
Yes. Applicants must provide evidence supporting feasibility of the hypothesis or objectives. This evidence may come from lab discoveries, clinical observations, population-based studies, or relevant peer-reviewed literature.
What type of award instrument will be used (grant vs cooperative agreement)?
Awards are issued as assistance agreements and will be structured as either a grant or a cooperative agreement. If the DoD expects substantial involvement during performance (such as collaboration or participation in aspects of the research), the award will be a cooperative agreement; otherwise, it will be a grant.
When are the final instrument type and project start date determined?
The final instrument type and start date are determined during award negotiations.
What is the maximum funding amount for Level I?
The anticipated maximum total cost for a Level I award is $1.3 million for the full period of performance.
What is the maximum funding amount for Level II?
The anticipated maximum total cost for a Level II award is $3.1 million for the full period of performance.
How many awards does the program expect to make?
The program expected to make roughly two awards total: about one Level I and one Level II, contingent on federal funding availability and on scientific and programmatic review outcomes.
Is there a required meeting for awardees?
Yes. The named PI must attend an annual, one-day In-Progress Review meeting starting in year 2 and continuing through the remainder of the award to present updates and disseminate results.
What was the original closing date for the FY21 competition?
The original closing date listed for this opportunity was July 21, 2021.
By when were awards planned to be made?
Awards were planned no later than September 30, 2022.
How long are FY21 funds anticipated to remain available for use?
FY21 funds were anticipated to remain available through September 30, 2027, reflecting the federal period of availability for those appropriated funds.
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