DoW Vision, Mentored Clinical Research Award

The FY26 Vision Research Program Mentored Clinical Research Award supports clinician-led, patient-oriented research focused on vision injury care, targeting military or civilian clinicians in training who will conduct studies under the mentorship of an established clinician or Ph.D. clinical scientist. The award is capped at $75,000 for a maximum 18-month period and explicitly prohibits funding for preclinical research, clinical trials, salary support for the mentor or mentee, and equipment exceeding $10,000. Proposals must align with designated FY26 VRP Focus Areas and are evaluated through a two-tiered process: peer review assessing Research Idea/Rationale, Research Strategy and Feasibility, Impact, and Personnel, followed by programmatic review evaluating alignment with the program’s intent, contribution to the portfolio, relative impact, and relevance to military health. Applications must include specific attachments with strict page limits, including a Project Narrative, Statement of Work, Impact Statement, Researcher Development Plan, and documentation of IRB or Ethics Committee approval or exemption by January 1, 2027, without which funding will be denied. All key personnel must disclose foreign affiliations, and TBI-related research involving 50 or more subjects must register with the Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research consortium and submit annual data. Submissions require a two-step process: a Letter of Intent via eBRAP by August 25, 2026, and a full application via Grants.gov or eBRAP by September 10, 2026, with all documents required in PDF format using exact naming conventions. The award is granted to institutions with active SAM registration and UEI, and no organizational transfers are permitted during the final year of performance.