DoW Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health, Health Services Research Award

The FY26 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program Health Services Research Award supports high-impact health services research aimed at translating evidence into real-world clinical practice and policy for military-relevant populations. The initiative requires applications to incorporate clinical research or clinical trials involving human subjects, human data, or anatomical substances, explicitly prohibiting basic, preclinical, or animal studies. Preliminary data is mandatory, and all prospective human subject research must integrate community-based participatory research approaches to ensure meaningful stakeholder engagement. Applicants must focus on comparative effectiveness research, implementation science, or validation of data science insights to bridge gaps between research findings and operational healthcare delivery. The program encourages the Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option, allowing two separate awards to be issued to a lead PI and an early-career PI, each with distinct budgets but a jointly developed Statement of Work, under a combined total funding cap of $4 million. The maximum award amount per application is $4 million, with a total program funding ceiling of $8 million, supporting up to two awards. Proposals must follow strict formatting requirements including 12-page project narratives, five-page statements of work, two-page impact statements, and a one-page lay abstract, all submitted as PDFs with predefined filenames through Grants.gov or eBRAP. Mandatory attachments include a Regulatory Strategy, Post-Award Implementation Plan, Study Population Recruitment and Safety Plan, and a Relevance to Military Health Statement. Data sharing is required through FITBIR or NDA repositories for studies enrolling 50 or more subjects, and all clinical trials must be registered and reported on ClinicalTrials.gov. Compliance with federal reporting standards including annual RPPRs, PHS inclusion reports by sex, race, and ethnicity, and quad charts is enforced. Applicants must have an active UEI in SAM.gov, and awards are subject to administrative withdrawal for conflicts of interest, classified research, or failure to meet eligibility criteria. Performance periods are up to four years, with final funding obligated by September 30, 2027, and funds available through September 30, 2032. Evaluation is based on peer-reviewed technical merit and programmatic alignment with military health priorities, using a trade-off approach rather than lowest-price selection.