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Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Department of Defense

DOD Defense Health Agency (DHA) Research & Development FY23-FY27 BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT for Extramural Medical Research

Open · Opportunity HT942523SBAA1 · Assistance Listing 12.420

Key facts

Deadline
Due Sep 30, 2027 · 358 days left
Award size
Not specified — see notice
Cost share / match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Anyone (unrestricted)
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Grant-ready checklist

How this fits you

  • Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
  • No cost share required
  • Tennessee recipients since 2023: 25

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

More from Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA

Read the official notice View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar Sign in to save

About this grant

The USAMRDC’s mission is to provide solutions to medical problems of importance to the American Service Member at home and abroad, as well as to the general public at large. The scope of this effort and the priorities attached to specific projects are influenced by changes in military and civilian medical science and technology (S&T), operational requirements, military threat assessments, and national defense strategies. Extramural research and development programs play a vital role in the fulfillment of the objectives established by the USAMRDC. General information on the USAMRDC can be obtained at https://mrdc.health.mil/. This BAA is intended to solicit extramural research and development ideas using the authority provided by 10 USC 4001. The BAA is issued under the provisions of the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-369), as implemented in FAR 6.102(d)(2) and 35.016 and in Department of Defense Grant and Agreement Regulations (DoDGARs) 22.315. In accordance with FAR 35.016, projects funded under this BAA must be for basic and applied research to support scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding rather than focusing on development of a specific system or hardware solution. Research and development funded through this BAA are intended and expected to benefit and inform both military and civilian medical practice and knowledge. This BAA utilizes competitive procedures in accordance with 10 USC 3012 for the selection for award of S&T proposals/applications. For the purposes of this BAA, S&T includes activities involving basic research, applied research, advanced technology development, and, under certain conditions, may include activities involving advanced component development and prototypes. The selection process is highly competitive, and the quantity of meaningful submissions (both pre-proposals/pre-applications and full proposals/applications) received typically exceeds the number of awards that available funding can support. This BAA provides a general description of USAMRDC’s research and development programs, including Research Areas of Interest, evaluation and selection criteria, pre-proposal/ pre-application and full proposal/application preparation instructions, and general administrative information. Specific submission information and...

Should we apply? (2-minute check) Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct7
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Sep9
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need time to write and sign letters.
  3. Sep23
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    University grant offices require final versions about 5 business days before the sponsor deadline. Emory Office of Sponsored Programs
  4. Sep28
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Sep30
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in your tracker and private calendar.

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the funding notice HT942523SBAA1_27Jan2026.pdf (113 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words; open the page to read it in context. The notice itself always controls.

Award size and project length

  • Project period: 5 years · p. 5
    “For contract awards: ○ The total period of performance may be proposed for up to 5 years in length; additional periods may be considered. ○ Any contract awarded under this BAA will be governed by the various provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation…” Open page 5
  • Project period: 4 years · p. 23
    “For an assistance agreement, the total period of performance may be proposed for up to 4 years in length; additional periods may be considered.” Open page 23
  • Award amounts here are for the whole project · p. 113
    “The anticipated total costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an individual FY25 Military Family Award must not exceed $3.0M.” Open page 113

Registrations you need first

  • Grants.gov · p. 1
    “This broad agency announcement must be read in conjunction with the General Submission Instructions, which are available for downloading from Grants.gov.” Open page 1
  • SAM.gov · p. 27
    “Use of the System for Award Management (SAM) and the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS):” Open page 27
  • Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 50
    “Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management The applicant organization must be registered as an entity in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/SAM/) and receive confirmation of an “Active” status before submitting a proposal/application through…” Open page 50

New to these? SAM.gov registration can take weeks, so start early: grant-ready checklist.

Steps before the deadline

  • Pre-proposal · p. 23
    “Organizations seeking additional or continuation funding must work with their respective PIs to submit new pre-proposals/pre-applications and be invited to submit full proposals/applications.” Open page 23
  • Pre-proposal · p. 28
    “Pre-proposal/pre-application content and forms must be accessed and submitted at eBRAP.org.” Open page 28
  • Pre-proposal · p. 28
    “Submission of a pre-proposal/pre-application is required and must be submitted through eBRAP.” Open page 28
  • Pre-proposal · p. 28
    “The proposal/application title, eBRAP log number, and all information for the PI, Business Official(s), performing organization, and contracting organization must be consistent throughout the entire pre-proposal/pre-application and proposal/application…” Open page 28

What to submit

  • Form SF-424 · p. 30
    “Enter the organization’s Business Official responsible for the sponsored program administration (the “person to be contacted on matters involving this application” in Block 5 of the Grants.gov SF424 Research & Related Form).” Open page 30
  • Letters of support or commitment · p. 37
    “If an investigator at an intramural organization is named as a collaborator on a proposal/application submitted through an extramural organization, the proposal/application must include a letter from the collaborator’s Commander or Commanding Officer at the…” Open page 37
  • Project abstract or summary · p. 39
    “The structured technical abstract should be clear and concise and, at a minimum, provide the following information: – Background:” Open page 39
  • Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 48
    “Provide copies of communications from the FDA relevant to the most recent status of the IND or IDE application. – If available, provide a copy of the communication from the FDA indicating the IND or IDE application is active/safe to proceed. – If an active…” Open page 48
  • Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 49
    “A biographical sketch and full description of each PI and senior/key person’s current/pending support information must be attached to the individual’s profile in the Attach Biographical Sketch and Attach Current & Pending Support fields, respectively. –…” Open page 49
  • Budget narrative / justification · p. 50
    “The budget justification for the entire period of performance must be uploaded to the Research & Related Budget after completion of the budget for Period 1.” Open page 50
  • Data management plan · p. 76
    “The application should include a clearly articulated statistical analysis plan, a power analysis reflecting sample size projections that will answer the objectives of the study and a data management plan and use of an appropriate database to safeguard and…” Open page 76
  • Organizational chart · p. 89
    “The Study Personnel and Organization attachment should include the components listed below. – Organizational Chart:” Open page 89

Length limits

  • Project Narrative: 15 pages max · p. 34
    “Project Narrative (15-page limit):” Open page 34
  • Project Narrative: 20 pages max · p. 78
    “Project Narrative (20-page limit):” Open page 78

Dates in the notice

  • October 1, 2022 · p. 1
    “October 1, 2022 Closing Date:” Open page 1

Mistakes that get applications rejected

  • Could get your application rejected · p. 29
    “Brochures or other descriptions of general organizational or individual capabilities will not be accepted as a pre-proposal/pre-application.” Open page 29
  • Could get your application rejected · p. 31
    “Full Proposal/Application Submission Content Proposals/applications will not be accepted unless notification of invitation has been received.” Open page 31
  • Could get your application rejected · p. 34
    “Attachments will be rejected if the file names are longer than 50 characters or have incorrect file names, i.e., that contain characters other than the following:” Open page 34
  • Could get your application rejected · p. 37
    “Extra items will not be reviewed – Letters of Organizational Support:” Open page 37

Who in Tennessee has won this program

25 awards to Tennessee recipients in 2 counties since federal FY2023. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee recipients
RecipientWhereAmountFY
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$9.3M2018
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$5.7M2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$4.7M2019
University Of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby County$4M2017
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$3.6M2025
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$3.5M2022
Idbiologics IncNashville, Davidson County$3.2M2019
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$3.1M2023
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.9M2017
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.7M2023
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.6M2020
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Davidson County$2.4M2025

Source: USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds; they don't guarantee future awards.

About the program (12.420)

Military Medical Research and Development

How applications are judged

All applications are reviewed for technical merit and relevance to the mission of the DHA and its programs. Also, additional specific evaluation criteria will be included in each funding opportunity announcement.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2017: No Current Data Available.Fiscal Year2018: Gulf War Illness Research ProgramFiscal Year2020: Traumatic Brain Injury Research ProgramFiscal Year2021: Hearing Restoration Research ProgramFiscal Year2022: Combat Readiness-Medical Research ProgramFiscal Year2023: Spinal Cord Injury Research Program - Clinical trial, clinical translational research, translational research, and investigator-initiated research projectsFiscal Year2025: Military Burn Research Program - Patient-centered research, technology/therapeutic development, and clinical translational research projects

Program listing on SAM.gov

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