Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 22 ERP RPA
The Department of Defense (DOD) Epilepsy Research Program (ERP) Research Partnership Award (RPA) is a competitive research funding opportunity designed to push progress in post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), particularly in ways that are difficult or impossible for a single lab or investigator to accomplish alone. The core idea is to fund one integrated project built around a true collaboration, where each partnering investigator contributes distinct expertise and effort to solve a shared, central PTE research problem. The program is explicitly aimed at generating synergistic outcomes that go beyond simply dividing up tasks, and it prioritizes work that matters to people living with PTE, their families, and care partners.
A defining requirement of this award is the partnership structure. Applications must include at least two investigators working together within one overarching study, typically with a Principal Investigator (PI) and one or more Co-PIs. The DOD is looking for a collaboration that is meaningfully integrated, where each partner brings unique capabilities that directly shape the scientific approach, execution, and interpretation of results. A partnership where one group only provides samples, data, access to patients, or a service function without an intellectually substantive role is considered inconsistent with the intent of the mechanism. In practice, applicants need to clearly explain what each investigator contributes, why those contributions are complementary, and how the collaboration produces a stronger and more innovative project than separate, parallel efforts would.
The program places heavy emphasis on impact. Applicants are expected to spell out both the near-term and longer-term significance of the work for the PTE field, for clinical care, and for real-world outcomes that affect individuals and families dealing with PTE. Projects are expected to align with one or more FY22 ERP Focus Areas, or else make a compelling case that the proposed topic is essential for advancing understanding of PTE and is directly responsive to the ERP mission. The opportunity also encourages researchers to involve people with lived PTE experience during project development and throughout the research process, with the goal of keeping the work grounded in practical needs and increasing the likelihood that results translate into usable tools, insights, or next-step interventions.
Military relevance is not optional. Proposed studies must be clearly tied to the health needs of military Service Members, their families, and Veterans affected by PTE. The announcement encourages collaboration with military and Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians and researchers, reflecting the DOD interest in projects that connect with military-relevant injury patterns, care settings, and long-term outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This requirement typically means applicants need to demonstrate how their research question, study population, data sources, or translational pathway will realistically inform prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, or management of PTE in military-connected communities.
Another critical expectation is demonstrated experience in PTE research, specifically including expertise spanning both TBI and epilepsy. The PI and Co-PI(s) can come from any discipline, but the team must show it collectively understands the intersection of brain injury and epileptogenesis well enough to design and carry out credible PTE-focused work. In other words, it is not sufficient to be strong in epilepsy alone or TBI alone; the application must show real competence across both areas as they relate to PTE.
The opportunity requires preliminary support for the proposed approach. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that justify feasibility and strengthen the scientific rationale. These supporting data can come from many sources, including lab findings, clinical observations, population-level research, or relevant peer-reviewed literature, but they must credibly back the proposed aims and methods. This requirement signals that the DOD is not treating this mechanism as purely exploratory; the project should be positioned to produce interpretable, high-value outcomes within the funded period.
In terms of allowable research, clinical trials are explicitly not permitted under this funding opportunity. However, the program allows a wide range of non-trial research, including preclinical work in animal models, observational studies involving human participants, studies using human anatomical substances, and research using existing datasets. The announcement also allows ancillary studies linked to an existing clinical trial, as long as the funded work itself is not a clinical trial. Applicants are encouraged, when relevant, to leverage established cohort studies and research infrastructures such as TRACK-TBI, the TBI Model Systems, and LIMBIC-CENC, which can strengthen feasibility, increase sample access, and improve the practical value of findings by connecting them to well-characterized populations.
Community collaboration is encouraged but not required, and the language makes clear the DOD wants research that is responsive to the priorities of people living with PTE. The announcement highlights collaborative research approaches like community-based participatory research (CBPR), participatory action research (PAR), and integrated knowledge translation (IKT). These approaches emphasize non-tokenistic partnership, where community members contribute throughout the project lifecycle, from defining needs and shaping study design to interpreting results and disseminating findings. The opportunity gives concrete examples of how teams might do this, such as including a project advisor with lived PTE experience, partnering with a community-based organization (for example, an advocacy group or service provider), or creating a community advisory board composed of multiple stakeholders.
Methodological rigor and reproducibility are also emphasized as review expectations, particularly for preclinical studies. Applicants are expected to incorporate well-established best practices such as randomization, blinding, sample-size estimation, and transparent data handling. The announcement points applicants to widely recognized standards and reporting guidance, including principles outlined by Landis et al. in Nature (2012) and the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines for animal research, signaling that the DOD is looking for studies that can be trusted, replicated, and translated rather than results that depend on fragile or poorly controlled experimental design.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, awards under this announcement are issued as assistance agreements, meaning they can take the form of either a grant or a cooperative agreement. Which form is used depends on how much involvement the DOD anticipates having during the project period. If the agency expects no substantial involvement, it will typically be a grant; if substantial involvement is expected (for example, active collaboration or participation by the agency), it will be a cooperative agreement, with the nature of that involvement spelled out during negotiation. The budget for a single FY22 ERP Research Partnership Award is capped at a total cost of up to $1.3 million for the entire period of performance. The program anticipated funding approximately one award at around $1.3 million, with final funding dependent on federal appropriations, application volume, and scientific and programmatic review outcomes. Awards were expected to be made by September 30, 2023, and the FY22 funds associated with any resulting award were anticipated to remain available for use through September 30, 2028, reflecting the time-limited nature of federal fiscal-year funds.Apply for W81XWH 22 ERP RPA
- 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 Epilepsy, Research Partnership 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, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2022. (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 1 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the DOD Epilepsy Research Program (ERP) Research Partnership Award (RPA)?
The ERP Research Partnership Award (RPA) is a competitive Department of Defense (DOD) funding mechanism intended to accelerate progress in post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). It is designed specifically for work that is difficult or impossible for a single lab or investigator to complete alone, by funding one integrated project built around a true collaboration.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The main goal is to support a single, cohesive research effort that produces synergistic outcomes in PTE research. The DOD is looking for partnerships where the combined expertise of the investigators leads to stronger, more innovative results than separate or loosely connected efforts would produce.
What topic area does the award focus on?
The award is focused on post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), with an emphasis on advancing understanding and progress in PTE in ways that can ultimately improve real-world outcomes for affected individuals, families, and care partners.
Does the project have to be a partnership, or can a single investigator apply?
A partnership is a defining requirement. Applications must include at least two investigators working together within one overarching study, typically structured with a Principal Investigator (PI) and one or more Co-PIs.
What does the DOD mean by a "true collaboration" under this award?
A true collaboration is one where each partnering investigator provides distinct expertise and meaningful effort that directly shapes the scientific approach, execution, and interpretation of results. The collaboration is expected to be integrated, not simply a set of parallel tasks split between groups.
Are "service-only" partnerships allowed (for example, one partner only provides samples or access to patients)?
The announcement indicates this is inconsistent with the intent of the mechanism. A partnership where one group only provides samples, data, access to patients, or a service function without an intellectually substantive role is not aligned with what the program is trying to fund.
How should applicants explain the roles of the PI and Co-PI(s)?
Applicants are expected to clearly describe what each investigator contributes, why those contributions are complementary, and how the partnership strengthens innovation, rigor, and outcomes compared to independent efforts.
How important is "impact" in the application?
Impact is emphasized heavily. Applicants are expected to describe both near-term and longer-term significance for the PTE field, for clinical care, and for real-world outcomes that affect individuals and families living with PTE.
Do projects need to align with specific program priorities or focus areas?
Projects are expected to align with one or more FY22 ERP Focus Areas, or applicants must provide a compelling justification that the proposed topic is essential to advancing PTE understanding and is directly responsive to the ERP mission.
Is involving people with lived PTE experience required?
The opportunity encourages involvement of people with lived PTE experience during project development and throughout the research process. The stated purpose is to keep the research grounded in practical needs and increase the likelihood of translation into usable outputs.
What kinds of community-engaged research approaches are encouraged?
The announcement highlights approaches such as community-based participatory research (CBPR), participatory action research (PAR), and integrated knowledge translation (IKT). These approaches emphasize non-tokenistic involvement throughout the project lifecycle, from shaping the research to interpreting results and supporting dissemination.
What are examples of ways to include lived experience or community input?
Examples provided include including a project advisor with lived PTE experience, partnering with a community-based organization (such as an advocacy group or service provider), or creating a community advisory board composed of multiple stakeholders.
Is military relevance required?
Yes. Military relevance is not optional. Proposed studies must be clearly tied to the health needs of military Service Members, their families, and Veterans affected by PTE.
How can an application demonstrate military relevance?
The opportunity indicates that applicants typically need to show how the research question, study population, data sources, and/or translational pathway will realistically inform prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, or management of PTE in military-connected communities, including in relation to traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Is collaboration with military or VA partners required?
It is encouraged. The announcement encourages collaboration with military and Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians and researchers to strengthen alignment with military-relevant injury patterns, care settings, and long-term outcomes after TBI.
What experience is expected from the research team?
The team is expected to demonstrate experience in PTE research, including expertise spanning both traumatic brain injury (TBI) and epilepsy. The PI and Co-PI(s) can come from any discipline, but collectively the team must show credible competence across the intersection of TBI and epileptogenesis as it relates to PTE.
Is it acceptable for the team to have deep expertise in only epilepsy or only TBI?
The announcement indicates that this is not sufficient on its own. The application must show real competence spanning both areas as they relate specifically to PTE.
Are preliminary data required?
Yes. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that justify feasibility and strengthen the scientific rationale for the proposed work.
What types of preliminary support can be used?
The announcement notes that supporting data can come from sources such as laboratory findings, clinical observations, population-level research, or relevant peer-reviewed literature, as long as they credibly support the proposed aims and methods.
Does this award support exploratory research without preliminary support?
The requirement for preliminary and/or published support signals that this mechanism is not positioned as purely exploratory. The project is expected to be feasible and able to produce interpretable, high-value outcomes within the funded period.
Are clinical trials allowed under this award?
No. Clinical trials are explicitly not permitted under this funding opportunity.
What kinds of research are allowed if clinical trials are not permitted?
The opportunity allows a wide range of non-trial research, including preclinical work in animal models, observational studies involving human participants, studies using human anatomical substances, and research using existing datasets.
Can the project be connected to an existing clinical trial?
Yes, ancillary studies linked to an existing clinical trial are allowed, as long as the work funded under this award is not itself a clinical trial.
Does the announcement encourage using existing cohorts or research infrastructures?
Yes. When relevant, applicants are encouraged to leverage established cohort studies and infrastructures such as TRACK-TBI, the TBI Model Systems, and LIMBIC-CENC to strengthen feasibility, increase access to samples or participants, and connect findings to well-characterized populations.
What expectations are described for rigor and reproducibility?
Methodological rigor and reproducibility are emphasized as review expectations, especially for preclinical studies. The announcement calls out best practices such as randomization, blinding, sample-size estimation, and transparent data handling.
Are any specific rigor or reporting guidelines mentioned?
Yes. The announcement points to principles described by Landis et al. (Nature, 2012) and the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines for animal research, signaling an expectation for trusted, replicable, and translatable results.
What form of funding agreement will be used (grant vs cooperative agreement)?
Awards are issued as assistance agreements, meaning they may be either a grant or a cooperative agreement. The form depends on the level of DOD involvement anticipated during the project period.
What determines whether the award is a grant or a cooperative agreement?
If no substantial DOD involvement is expected, the award will typically be a grant. If substantial involvement is expected (for example, active collaboration or participation by the agency), it will be a cooperative agreement, and the nature of that involvement is to be described during negotiation.
What is the maximum budget for an ERP Research Partnership Award?
The budget is capped at a total cost of up to $1.3 million for the entire period of performance for a single FY22 ERP Research Partnership Award.
How many awards were anticipated?
The program anticipated funding approximately one award at around $1.3 million, with final funding dependent on federal appropriations, the number of applications received, and scientific and programmatic review outcomes.
When were awards expected to be made?
Awards were expected to be made by September 30, 2023.
How long were the FY22 funds expected to remain available for use?
The FY22 funds associated with any resulting award were anticipated to remain available for use through September 30, 2028, reflecting the time-limited nature of federal fiscal-year funds.
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| DOD Epilepsy, Idea Development Award Apply for W81XWH 22 ERP IDA Funding Number: W81XWH 22 ERP IDA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DOD Epilepsy,Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Leadership Award Apply for W81XWH 22 ERP VIRTUAL P TERC L Funding Number: W81XWH 22 ERP VIRTUAL P TERC L Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| DoD Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes, Clinical Trial Award Apply for W81XWH 22 OPORP CTA Funding Number: W81XWH 22 OPORP CTA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes, Clinical Research Award Apply for W81XWH 22 OPORP CRA Funding Number: W81XWH 22 OPORP CRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| DOD, Spinal Cord Injury Research Program, Investigator-Initiated Research Award Apply for W81XWH 22 SCIRP IIRA Funding Number: W81XWH 22 SCIRP IIRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DOD, Spinal Cord Injury Research Program, Translational Research Award Apply for W81XWH 22 SCIRP TRA Funding Number: W81XWH 22 SCIRP TRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DOD, Autism Research Program, Idea Development Award Apply for W81XWH 22 ARP IDA Funding Number: W81XWH 22 ARP IDA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| DOD, Autism Research Program, Clinical Trial Award Apply for W81XWH 22 ARP CTA Funding Number: W81XWH 22 ARP CTA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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