DoW Autism Clinical Trial Award
🏛 Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA (DOD-AMRAA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers conducting clinical trials to advance treatment or management of autism spectrum disorder. Organizations must employ or affiliate with experienced researchers capable of designing and implementing clinical trials. Institutions may range from academic medical centers to research hospitals. Trials can span from small proof-of-concept studies through large-scale efficacy trials. Community collaboration with autistic individuals, caregivers, or community-based organizations is required. Early-career investigators may partner with experienced PIs for higher funding tiers.
Applicants should align their research with the FY26 Areas of Interest when possible. The program prioritizes trials evaluating promising new products, pharmacologic agents, devices, clinical guidance, or emerging technologies for autism.
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Program description
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Autism Research Program (ARP) Clinical Trial Award supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of autism. Clinical trials may be designed to evaluate promising new products, pharmacologic agents (drugs or biologics), devices, clinical guidance and/or emerging approaches and technologies. Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials (e.g., pilot, first-in-human, phase 0) to demonstrate the feasibility or inform the design of more advanced trials through large-scale trials to determine efficacy in relevant patient populations.
Distinctive Features:
Applications are strongly encouraged to address one of the FY26 ARP Clinical Trial Award Areas of Interest.
Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option for Early-Career Investigator: The FY26 Clinical Trial Award mechanism is offering a higher level of funding for applications that propose to partner an experienced PI (i.e., Initiating PI) with an Early-Career Investigator (i.e., Partnering PI) wishing to pursue a career in autism clinical trial research.
FY26 Clinical Trial Award submissions are required to include community collaborations to optimize research impact. Research teams are therefore required to establish and utilize effective and equitable collaborations and partnerships with community members to maximize the translational and impact potential of the proposed research. Applications to the FY26 ARP Clinical Trial Award are expected to name at least one community partner (e.g., Autistic individual or caregiver, representatives of community-based organizations) who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Interactions with other team members should be well integrated and ongoing, not limited to attending seminars and semi-annual meetings (see Attachment 12, Community Collaboration Plan).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (federal application form)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Community Collaboration Plan
- Institutional Support/Biosketches for key personnel
Program contact
- 👤 JoAnn Martin Grantor
- 📧 help@eBRAP.org
- 📞 301-619-2594
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 12.420 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$2,265,729,366
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$800,631,761
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$74,531,880
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$67,205,571
-
$55,443,120
-
$34,191,124
-
$24,907,742
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$21,394,379
-
$19,100,256
-
$19,002,641
Top States by Funding
- MD 10 awards $3,150.1M
- NC 11 awards $132.3M
- CA 12 awards $107.3M
- FL 8 awards $99.8M
- TX 8 awards $76.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 12.420). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,483,968,520 | |
| 2025 | $1,201,153,417 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this award?
Research institutions with investigators experienced in clinical trial design and implementation. Early-career researchers may apply with a partnering experienced PI. Community partners from autism community must be included on the team.
What type of research is funded?
Clinical trials evaluating treatments, drugs, biologics, devices, or emerging approaches for autism. Projects can range from pilot studies to large-scale efficacy trials.
Is community collaboration required?
Yes. Applications must include at least one community partner (autistic individual, caregiver, or community-based organization) with integrated, ongoing involvement throughout the project.
What is the deadline?
October 22, 2026 (fixed deadline). No rolling submissions or preliminary letters of intent are mentioned in the program description.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This is a fully federally-funded award with no cost-sharing requirement.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Center your application on one of the FY26 Areas of Interest to strengthen competitiveness.
- Build genuine partnerships with community members early; involvement must be ongoing and integrated into all phases.
- Consider proposing an experienced PI partnering with an early-career investigator to access higher funding levels.
- Clearly explain the clinical impact and translational potential of your trial design.
- Detail your community engagement strategy and how feedback will shape trial implementation.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Underestimating the required depth of community collaboration; partnerships must involve active participation beyond meetings. Failing to align the trial design with FY26 Areas of Interest when available. Submitting clinical research that is not structured as a trial (e.g., purely observational studies without an intervention component).
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