DOD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Clinical/Translational Research Award

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Description

This Department of Defense (DoD) funding opportunity, managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), aims to accelerate the translation of promising Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) research into clinical applications. The Clinical/Translational Research Award (CTRA) is intended for advanced translational projects that address at least one of the FY25 CTRA focus areas, emphasizing therapies effective across all age groups and disease stages, including infants, toddlers, and nonambulatory individuals.

Distinctive features include the requirement for preliminary and/or published data relevant to DMD and the allowance of pilot, proof-of-principle clinical trials, as well as correlative studies. Two funding levels are available, with an option for an Early-Career Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) to foster collaboration and capacity-building in the DMD research field.

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Due Dates

• Pre-Application (Letter of Intent): July 25, 2025, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• Full Application: August 8, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

No invitation is required after pre-application; applicants should prepare both pre- and full applications concurrently.

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Funding Amount

• Total Program Funding: Approximately $8.46 million (subject to availability)
• Expected Number of Awards: ~6

Award Levels

• Funding Level 1:
  • Up to $910,000 total costs (max 3 years)
  • With Early-Career Partnering PI: Up to $1,000,000 (max 3 years)
• Funding Level 2:
  • Up to $1,750,000 total costs (max 4 years)
  • With Early-Career Partnering PI: Up to $1,900,000 (max 4 years)

Applicants may request the maximum amount for a shorter period if justified by the project scope.

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Eligibility

• Eligible Applicants: Unrestricted
  • Open to domestic and foreign, for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private entities, including academic institutions, research institutes, biotech companies, federal agencies (excluding DOD for extramural grants), and foundations.
• Principal Investigator:
  • Independent investigators at any career stage may apply.
  • Early-Career Partnering PI Option: Partnering PI must be within 10 years of first faculty appointment (or equivalent); explanation required for any lapses in research time.
  • All applicants must be affiliated with an eligible organization; no citizenship restrictions.

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Application Process

1. Pre-Application (Letter of Intent):

   • Submit via eBRAP by July 25, 2025.
   • Brief description of proposed research; used for program planning only.

2. Full Application:

   • Submit via Grants.gov Workspace (extramural) or eBRAP (intramural DOD only) by August 8, 2025.
   • Required attachments include:
     • Project Narrative (15 pages)
     • Supporting Documentation (e.g., references, facilities, letters of support)
     • Technical and Lay Abstracts
     • Statement of Work
     • Impact Statement
     • Animal Research Plan (if applicable)
     • Clinical Trial Strategy (if proposing a clinical trial)
     • Partnership Statement (if using Early-Career PI Option)
     • Transition Plan
     • Budget and Justification
     • Biographical Sketches and Current/Pending Support for key personnel
   • Both Initiating and Partnering PIs (if applicable) must submit full application packages.

3. Verification:

   • After submission, applications are processed in eBRAP; applicants are strongly encouraged to verify submission.

4. Review:

   • Two-tier review: peer review (technical merit) and programmatic review (relevance and program priorities).

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Additional Information

• Focus Areas: All projects must address at least one of the FY25 CTRA focus areas (see program announcement for specifics).
• Data Requirement: Applications must include preliminary and/or published data relevant to DMD.
• Collaborations: Early-Career Partnering PI Option is encouraged to foster clinical/nonclinical collaboration.
• Cost Sharing: Not required.
• Compliance: Applicants must have active SAM.gov and eBRAP registrations.
• Clinical Trials: Both pilot clinical trials and correlative clinical studies are permitted.

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External Links

• Program Announcement PDF (full details)
• Grants.gov Opportunity Listing
• eBRAP Portal
• CDMRP Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program
• SAM.gov Registration

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Contact Information

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