Sponsor link https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/tbdrp

Applicants to the FY22 TBDRP funding opportunities must be relevant to at least one of the following Focus Areas.  Applicants are particularly encouraged to submit applications focused on tick-borne diseases (TBDs) and conditions endemic to the U.S., and/or involving patients with persistent Lyme disease.  The proposed research must be focused on directly impacting human health and diseases/conditions that affect the U.S. military (active duty or veteran), their beneficiaries, or the American public. 

• Prevention (Idea Development Award only)
  • Drugs, antibodies, vaccines, or other novel approaches that can be administered and/or utilized prophylactically to prevent human TBDs and conditions prevalent in the U.S. or that address multiple pathogens
  • Identification, validation, and/or improvement of tick- or reservoir-targeted prevention and control interventions that are safe and non-toxic to non-target species
• Pathogenesis (Idea Development Award only)
  • Pathogenesis of persistent clinical manifestations associated with Lyme disease
  • Immune evasion and/or tolerance of tick-borne (TB) pathogens (Lyme and/or other TBDs)
  • TB infections and co-infections (simultaneous or sequential) and their effects on human disease severity, the local and systemic immune response, or pathogen synergy and competition
  • Pathogenesis of mammalian meat allergy (allergic response to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose [alpha gal])
  • Understanding the role of TBDs on maternal health and adverse birth outcomes, including maternal-fetal transmission
• Treatment (Therapeutic/Diagnostic Idea Award only)
  • Novel preclinical therapeutic strategies for TB pathogens, Lyme disease, and/or other TBDs with priority given to those in the U.S.
    • Potential treatments designed to mitigate development of long-term sequelae following infection
    • Repurposing Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for off-label indication in preclinical evaluation for use in TBDs
• Diagnosis (Therapeutic/Diagnostic Idea Award only)
  • Priority given to development of direct detection diagnostic assays for agents of Lyme disease and/or other TBDs
  • Diagnostic biomarker panel for Lyme disease and/or other TBDs that distinguishes TB infection from other febrile illnesses
  • Approaches capable of distinguishing active infection and previous exposure and/or monitoring response to treatment
  • Innovative approaches that provide diagnosis for a single or multiple TB infections

Funding Opportunities-FY22 TBDRP, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) (army.mil)

Idea Development Award (IDA) – Preproposal due May 26, 2022

IDA: 

Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

IDA – Career Development Option:

• Principal Investigator (PI) – Investigators within 10 years of completing terminal degree at the time of application submission, working to become an independent investigator in TBD research.
• Mentor – Independent investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must be an experienced TBD researcher as demonstrated by a recent history of funding and publications in TBD research, specifically in the field of the proposed studies.
• Mentorship is required.  The PI and Mentor may be at different organizations.

• Prevention and Pathogenesis Focus Areas only.
• Supports research that could lead to impactful discoveries or significant advancements that will accelerate progress toward reducing the burden of Lyme disease and/or other tick-borne diseases (TBDs) and conditions, and improving patient care and/or quality of life.
• Research should be conceptually innovative, exhibit high levels of creativity, or challenge existing research paradigms.
• Applications must describe the short- and long-term impact of the proposed research, as well as the public health burden of the diseases being addressed.
• The Career Development Option is intended to fund early-career investigators to conduct impactful research under the mentorship of an experienced TBD researcher. Applications submitted under this option will be reviewed via separate, career development-specific evaluation criteria by a separate, dedicated peer review panel.
• Preliminary data is required, unless submitting under the Career Development Option.
• Clinical trials are not allowed; human studies/clinical research are permitted.

Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only.

IDA:

• The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $500,000 for direct costs.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.
• The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

IDA- Career Development Option:

• The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $300,000 for direct costs.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.
• The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

Therapeutic/ Diagnostic Idea Award (TDIA) – Preproposal due May 26, 2022

TDRA: 

Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

TDRA – Career Development Option:

• Principal Investigator (PI) – Investigators within 10 years of completing terminal degree at the time of application submission, working to become an independent investigator in TBD research.
• Mentor – Independent investigators at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent); must be an experienced TBD researcher as demonstrated by a recent history of funding and publications in TBD research, specifically in the field of the proposed studies.
• Mentorship is required.  The PI and Mentor may be at different organizations

• Treatment and Diagnosis Focus Areas only.
• Supports hypothesis-driven therapeutic and diagnostic development research aimed at reducing the burden of Lyme disease and/or other TBDs and conditions, and improving patient care and/or quality of life.
  • Treatment-focused applications should be therapeutic evaluation studies designed to promote new ideas aimed at drug or treatment discovery that are still in the early/preclinical stages of development.
  • Diagnosis-focused applications should propose diagnostic approaches that will be readily integrated into clinical settings.
• Research should have translational potential, with proposed studies expected to be empirical in nature and product-driven.
• Applicants with limited TBD experience are strongly encouraged to collaborate with experienced TBD investigators.
• Applicants with substantial TBD experience are strongly encouraged to partner with experts in therapeutic and diagnostic assay development and transition, particularly those from the commercial sector.
• The Career Development Option is intended to fund early-career investigators to conduct impactful research under the mentorship of an experienced TBD researcher. Applications submitted under this option will be reviewed via separate, career development-specific evaluation criteria by a separate, dedicated peer review panel.
• Preliminary data is required, unless submitting under the Career Development Option.
• Clinical trials are not allowed; human studies/clinical research are permitted.

Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only

TDRA:

• The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $825,000 for direct costs.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.
• The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

TDRA- Career Development Option:

• The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $495,000 for direct costs.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.
• The maximum period of performance is 3 years.