DoD Vision Mentored Clinical Research Award | HT9425 23 VRP MCRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 VRP MCRA

The DoD Vision Mentored Clinical Research Award (MCRA) is a fiscal year 2023 funding opportunity under the Department of Defense Vision Research Program that focuses on patient-oriented clinical research aimed at improving care for vision injuries. The program is designed with a dual purpose: to generate clinically meaningful findings that can directly influence vision injury care, and to deliberately build the clinical research skills of physicians-in-training who are poised to become independent investigators. Projects can either stand on their own as high-impact clinical studies or serve as early, data-generating work that sets the stage for a larger, more definitive trial or broader clinical research effort.

A central feature of this award is its mentored structure. Each application must be led by an established clinician or a Ph.D. clinical scientist who serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) and provides formal mentorship. In addition to the PI, the application must name a physician-in-training as key personnel. Examples include residents, fellows, or junior clinicians, but the key requirement is that this trainee has at least 18 months remaining in their training program at the time of application. The intent is that the trainee will carry out the research under the PI's guidance, gaining hands-on experience in clinical research design, execution, analysis, and dissemination. Although the project team may include other junior clinicians or scientists, the award mechanism is structured around a single designated mentee, meaning only one physician-in-training may be named as the trainee supported through the mentored component.

Because the award supports clinical research, the scope is limited to studies involving human subjects or human-derived materials and data. This includes traditional human-subjects research as well as research using specimens, tissues, or datasets obtained from human participants. A strict compliance requirement applies: to be considered for funding, the application must have documentation of Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee (EC) approval, or an official exemption, in place by December 1, 2023. This requirement signals that proposals should be mature and ready to move into execution, rather than being purely conceptual.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). It is listed as Funding Opportunity Number HT9425 23 VRP MCRA and falls under CFDA 12.420 within the Science and Technology / Research and Development category. The opportunity allows for either grants or cooperative agreements as the funding instrument. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may apply as long as it meets the requirements stated in the full announcement. The posting date is May 11, 2023, with an original closing date of August 23, 2023, and the program anticipated making around three awards.

Applications must also include specific documentation demonstrating institutional and trainee commitment. Required supporting materials include a Letter of Organizational Support and Mentee Eligibility signed by the department chair or an appropriate organizational official, confirming both institutional backing and that the trainee meets eligibility criteria. In addition, a Letter of Commitment signed by the mentee is required, reinforcing that the physician-in-training is prepared to participate meaningfully and complete the mentored research experience. Taken together, the program is structured to fund clinically relevant vision injury research while intentionally developing the next generation of clinician-researchers through a clearly defined mentorship and compliance-ready clinical research plan.

• 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 Vision Mentored Clinical Research 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 May 11, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 23, 2023. (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 3 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.

Apply for HT9425 23 VRP MCRA

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