DoW Vision, Clinical Trial Award
🏛 Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA (DOD-AMRAA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 29, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations conducting clinical trials on service-connected eye injury and visual dysfunction in military populations.
Eligible applicants include academic medical centers, hospitals, research institutions, and other organizations with IRB and regulatory compliance experience. Work must align with FY26 Vision Research Program Focus Areas and meet military health relevance.
Research institutions at any location may apply. Investigators must have regulatory authorization (IND/IDE) submitted by the deadline and approved by March 1, 2027. Prior military vision research experience is valuable but not required.
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Program description
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Vision Research Program (VRP) Clinical Trial Award (CTA) supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of service-connected eye injury and visual dysfunction. Research must align with at least one of the FY26 VRP Focus Areas.
Distinctive Features:
· For interventions that require Investigational New Drug (IND)/Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) or equivalent regulatory authorizations for clinical testing, the IND/IDE application or equivalent must be submitted to the relevant Regulatory Agency by the CTA application submission deadline. In addition, applicants must provide documentation of communication from the Regulatory Agency indicating that the IND/IDE or equivalent is active/safe to proceed by March 1, 2027, in order for the CTA application to be considered for funding. Refer to Attachment 7: Regulatory Strategy for further details.
· Scored peer review criteria include Clinical Impact; Research Strategy and Feasibility; Recruitment, Accrual, Retention; Regulatory Strategy and Transition Plan; Statistical Plan and Data Analysis; Ethical Considerations; Personnel and Communication.
· Programmatic review criteria include adherence to the intent of the CTA, contribution to program portfolio, relative impact and relevance to military health.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (federal application form)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Justification
- IRB approval documentation
- IND/IDE regulatory authorization or submission documentation
- Curriculum Vitae of key personnel
- Letters of commitment from partner institutions
- Regulatory Strategy (Attachment 7)
Program contact
- 👤 Teresa M Parker-Reeser Grants Officer
- 📧 help@eBRAP.org
- 📞 3016192171
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
-
$67,205,571
-
$55,443,120
-
$34,191,124
-
$24,783,894
-
$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
- MA 8 awards $83.2M
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 lead a clinical trial application?
Principal Investigators must have appropriate qualifications in ophthalmology, optometry, or related fields. The lead organization must have IRB and regulatory compliance infrastructure.
When is the deadline?
The fixed deadline is November 12, 2026. IND/IDE regulatory approval documentation must be received by March 1, 2027.
What types of clinical trials are supported?
Trials addressing service-connected eye injury and visual dysfunction in military beneficiaries. Research must align with designated FY26 Vision Research Program focus areas.
How competitive is this award?
Very competitive. Peer review emphasizes clinical impact, recruitment feasibility, regulatory readiness, and statistical rigor. Only projects with strong military health relevance advance.
What is the typical funding range?
The total pool is $2.6 million, but individual award amounts are not specified. Budget requests should match project scope and complexity.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Have your IND/IDE or equivalent regulatory authorization submitted and documented before the November deadline. Delayed regulatory approval is a common reason for rejection.
- Focus your research strategy on rapid implementation and recruitment feasibility. DoD prioritizes trials that enroll participants quickly and generate timely results.
- Clearly articulate the military health impact and relevance to service-connected vision loss. Civilian research benefit alone is insufficient.
- Develop a realistic statistical plan and data analysis strategy specific to your trial design. Methodological rigor is a major scored criterion.
- Assemble a multidisciplinary team with regulatory, statistical, and clinical expertise. Weak personnel or communication plans reduce competitiveness significantly.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting without active IND/IDE authorization or regulatory approval documentation by the March 2027 deadline. Proposing trials with unclear military health applicability or vague recruitment strategies. Underestimating statistical complexity or providing inadequate data analysis plans.
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