DoW Spinal Cord Injury, Translational Research Award

The fiscal year 2026 Spinal Cord Injury Research Program Translational Research Award (HT942526SCIRPTRA) is a funding opportunity provided by the Defense Health Agency to accelerate the transition of promising spinal cord injury research into clinical applications. With approximately 8.32 million dollars available to fund about four awards, the program supports projects with a maximum period of performance of three years. Standard applications are capped at 2 million dollars, while those utilizing the Early-Career Partnership Option—which requires at least one principal investigator to be an early-career researcher—are capped at 2.16 million dollars. A mandatory requirement for all applications is the inclusion of at least one spinal cord injury community partner, such as a lived-experience consultant, to provide guidance throughout the project. The application process is a two-step sequence, requiring a pre-application by August 3, 2026, and a full application by November 12, 2026, submitted via Grants.gov or eBRAP. Applicants must maintain active registration in SAM.gov and provide a unique entity identifier. Proposals are evaluated through a two-tier process: a peer review focusing on translational potential, study design, environment, and presentation, followed by a programmatic review assessing relevance to military health and FY26 SCIRP priorities. Required documentation includes a three-page Statement of Work, a one-page Impact Statement, and a detailed translation strategy. Final funding recommendations are subject to approval by a designated official.