Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Department of Defense
DoW Spinal Cord Injury, Clinical Trial Award
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Nov 12, 2026 · 36 days left
- Award size
- Not stated: see the official notice
- Total available
- $9.8M · about 2 awards
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Anyone (unrestricted)
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 115
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/bf8f6a45-ca5b-4bed-93b2-93efa39040a1 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/2abae05e-4a58-4f0f-9503-b88825095e41
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About this grant
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) 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 spinal cord injury (SCI).
Distinctive Features: This funding opportunity contains an Early-Career Partnership Option, which allows for two Principal Investigators (PIs). If this option is selected, at least one of the named PIs must be an early-career investigator. Only the Initiating PI will submit a pre-application, but all PIs will need to submit full applications. The Partnering PI’s application is an abbreviated package specific to their distinct portion of the research project. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named on a separate award to the recipient organization(s). Be advised, all associated applications for a research project may be withdrawn if the initiating or partnering application is rejected or administratively withdrawn.
Applications to this funding opportunity must name at least two spinal cord injury (SCI) community partners (e.g., SCI Lived-Experience Consultants, representatives of community-based organizations) who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project.
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- 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 - Oct22
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Nov5
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Nov10
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Nov12
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice HT942526SCIRPCTA_GG.pdf (41 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.
Award size and project length
Project period: 4 years · p. 4
“The maximum period of performance is 4 years.” Open page 4
Award amounts here are for the whole project · p. 10
“The application’s total costs budgeted for the entire period of performance should not exceed $4.8M. 3.5.2.” Open page 10
Registrations you need first (2)
SAM.gov, Grants.gov · p. 3
“Active SAM.gov, eBRAP.org and Grants.gov registrations are required for application submission.” Open page 3
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 25
“Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management The applicant organization must be registered as an entity in the System for Award Management (SAM), SAM.gov, and receive confirmation of an “Active” status before submitting an application through…” Open page 25
Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
Steps before the deadline
Pre-application · p. 12
“Pre-Application Components The PI, or Initiating PI if selecting the Early-Career Partnership Option, must submit the following pre-application components.” Open page 12
Pre-application · p. 13
“The items to be included as supporting documentation for the pre-application must be uploaded as individual files and are limited to the following: ○ References Cited (one-page limit):” Open page 13
Pre-application · p. 25
“Pre-Application Submission All pre-application components must be submitted by the PI or Initiating PI through eBRAP, including the submission of contact information for the Partnering PI if selecting the Early-Career Partnership Option.” Open page 25
Pre-application · p. 26
“The Partnering PI must follow the instructions provided in the email to associate the partnering pre-application with their eBRAP account.” Open page 26
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 13
“(a) SF424 Research & Related Application for Federal Assistance Form (Grants.gov submissions only):” Open page 13
Letters of support or commitment · p. 16
“If applicable, provide a letter of support, signed by the lowest- ranking person with approval authority, confirming participation of intramural DOW collaborator(s) and/or access to military populations, databases or DOW resources.” Open page 16
Data management plan · p. 16
“Do not submit a copy of the National Institutes of Health Data Management and Sharing Plan or duplicate the Data Management Plan, which will be requested only after a recommendation for funding is made.” Open page 16
Memorandum of understanding (MOU) · p. 18
“Also include a plan for obtaining any required data sharing, memorandum of understanding or other agreements required to access and publish data.” Open page 18
Organizational chart · p. 20
“Provide an organizational chart that identifies key members of the study team and an outline of the governing structure for multi-institutional studies.” Open page 20
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 23
“Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) ○ Biographical Sketch ○ Current/Pending Support Intragovernmental applicants must include their internally supported research and development programs. ii.” Open page 23
Length limits
Project Narrative: 20 pages max · p. 13
“Project Narrative (20-page limit):” Open page 13
Dates in the notice
August 03, 2026 · p. 1
“August 03, 2026 Application Due:” Open page 1
September 30, 2027 · p. 4
“Awards supported with FY26 funds will be made no later than September 30, 2027.” Open page 4
Mistakes that get applications rejected (2)
Extra or uninvited material: Uninvited full application submissions will be rejected. · p. 13
“Uninvited full application submissions will be rejected.” Open page 13
Extra or uninvited material: Extra items will not be reviewed. · p. 16
“Extra items will not be reviewed.” Open page 16
Who in Tennessee has won this program
30 awards to Tennessee groups in 2 counties since 2016. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $12.7M spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $9.3M | 2018 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $5.7M | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $4.7M | 2019 |
| University of Tennessee | Memphis, Shelby County | $4M | 2017 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.6M | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.5M | 2022 |
| Idbiologics Inc | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.2M | 2019 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.1M | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $2.9M | 2017 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $2.7M | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $2.6M | 2020 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse, USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through Tennessee Department of Education
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Education passes it on: watch that agency for applications, not the federal agency. 85 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Rochester | $2.6M | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Rochester | $2.5M | 2023 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis, Shelby County | Ohio State University, the | $2.1M | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Regents of the University of Michigan | $1.5M | 2023 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | University of Arkansas, Little Rock | $730K spent that year | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Civil-Military Innovation Institute, Inc | $677K spent that year | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | The Ohio State University | $651K spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | The General Hospital Corporation | $446K | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Massachusetts General Hospital | $439K spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | The General Hospital Corporation | $420K | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | $390K spent that year | 2023 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | University of Pittsburgh | $373K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
Military Medical Research and Development
Program number 12.420 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency (DHA) · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
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.
Match
None required (federal program listing).
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2017: No Current Data Available.
Fiscal year 2018: Gulf War Illness Research Program
Fiscal year 2020: Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program
Fiscal year 2021: Hearing Restoration Research Program
Fiscal year 2022: Combat Readiness-Medical Research Program
Fiscal year 2023: Spinal Cord Injury Research Program - Clinical trial, clinical translational research, translational research, and investigator-initiated research projects
Fiscal year 2025: Military Burn Research Program - Patient-centered research, technology/therapeutic development, and clinical translational research projects