DoD Autism Clinical Translational Research Award | W81XWH 19 ARP CTRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 19 ARP CTRA

The Department of Defense Autism Research Program (ARP) Clinical Translational Research Award (CTRA) is a funding opportunity designed to move promising autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interventions closer to real-world clinical impact. It specifically targets early-phase, proof-of-principle translational research that is hypothesis-driven and tests innovative interventions with the potential to address current clinical deficits in ASD. The intent is not to fund large, definitive clinical trials at this stage, but rather to generate credible early human evidence that an intervention is feasible, biologically or clinically meaningful, and worthy of larger efficacy-based trials later on. In other words, the program is aiming to build the scientific rationale and early data foundation that can justify subsequent, more expensive and more conclusive clinical testing that could ultimately change standard clinical care for individuals with ASD.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to align proposed projects with the program's stated Areas of Interest for the relevant fiscal year (FY19). If a proposal does not fit within those listed priority topics, it is still potentially eligible, but the application is expected to make a clear case for why the work addresses a critical unmet need for the ASD community. This emphasis signals that relevance and potential impact on pressing clinical challenges are central review considerations, alongside scientific quality and innovation. The award is positioned to support translational efforts that connect mechanistic or conceptual advances to tangible intervention strategies, with an expectation that funded projects will produce actionable results rather than purely exploratory findings.

A defining feature of this award is that projects are required to involve human subjects. The supported research must be early-phase and proof-of-principle in nature, and it may include interventional designs such as Phase 0 clinical trials or single-group intervention studies. Limited retrospective analysis can be included when it meaningfully supports the translational objectives, but proposals that are purely retrospective or focused only on database mining are not allowed. Likewise, projects that are strictly animal research, or that focus on developing/refining new technology in animals, are not permissible under this funding opportunity. The announcement also excludes research aimed at establishing the efficacy or effectiveness of diagnostic agents, indicating the program is focused on interventions and clinical deficits rather than diagnostic product validation.

Administratively, the opportunity was issued by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). It was offered under Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH-19-ARP-CTRA, categorized as a discretionary science and technology/research and development program (CFDA 12.420). The funding instrument could be either a grant or a cooperative agreement, meaning awards may range from more investigator-driven projects (grants) to projects with more substantial government involvement or coordination (cooperative agreements), depending on the needs of the selected work. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, open to any applicant type as permitted by any additional eligibility notes in the full announcement. The opportunity anticipated making a small number of awards (expected awards: 2). The posting date was March 18, 2019, with an original closing date of August 8, 2019. The award ceiling was listed as 0 in the summarized data, which typically indicates that the maximum funding level was not captured in that specific listing and would need to be confirmed in the full program announcement or associated budget guidance.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a targeted push to accelerate credible, early human testing of innovative ASD interventions that can address meaningful clinical problems. The program draws a clear boundary around what it will and will not support: it prioritizes translational intervention studies in humans, discourages purely retrospective/database work, and excludes animal-only research and diagnostic agent efficacy testing. The expected end product is early clinical evidence that can justify and shape later-stage, larger clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes and transforming ASD clinical care.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Autism Clinical Translational Research Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 18, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 08, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for W81XWH 19 ARP CTRA

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