DoW Military Burn, Patient-Centered Research Award

The FY26 Military Burn Research Program Patient-Centered Research Award seeks to advance combat burn care by supporting clinical research that directly addresses gaps in the translation of research findings into practical, deployable interventions within austere military operational environments. This funding opportunity strictly prohibits preclinical or animal research and requires proposals to involve human subjects or human subject data through prospective or retrospective clinical studies. A unique feature for FY26 is the introduction of a Mentorship Option, which provides higher funding to foster collaborative research teams composed of an experienced mentor and one to two junior researchers, aiming to build long-term capacity in military burn care research while advancing critical scientific goals. Applications must align with clearly defined FY26 MBRP focus areas and demonstrate strong military relevance, including potential impact on care delivered at or near the point of injury or during early acute phases in resource-limited settings. Proposals are required to include a comprehensive set of attachments, with strict formatting and naming conventions, including a 15-page Project Narrative, a 3-page Statement of Work, a one-page Lay Abstract, a detailed Budget and Justification, an Intervention Description, an Evaluation Plan, a Sustainability Plan, a Logic Model, a Work Plan Timeline, and supporting documents such as resumes, letters of support, and references. For clinical trials, adherence to Good Clinical Practice, FDA regulatory standards, and reporting guidelines like CONSORT and SPIRIT is mandatory. All human subjects research requires dual IRB and DHA R&D Office of Research and Regulatory Compliance approvals. Applicants must be registered in SAM.gov with a valid UEI and disclose any foreign affiliations, with failure to do so resulting in withdrawal of funding consideration. The maximum award amount is $1,600,000 for standard applications and $1,800,000 for the Mentorship Option, covering a period of performance up to four years with a deadline for award issuance no later than September 30, 2027. Submissions are made through eBRAP or Grants.gov by specified deadlines, with pre-applications due July 7, 2026, and full applications due October 21, 2026. Selection is based on a two-tier review process evaluating scientific merit, military impact, team capability, and strategic alignment, followed by programmatic prioritization to ensure a balanced and impactful research portfolio. Non-compliance with ethical, regulatory, or administrative requirements, including financial disclosures and conflict of interest policies, can lead to administrative withdrawal of applications or termination