DoD Peer Reviewed Alzheimer’s, Convergence Science Research Award | W81XWH 19 PRARP CSRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 19 PRARP CSRA

The DoD Peer Reviewed Alzheimer's, Convergence Science Research Award (CSRA) is a Department of Defense research funding opportunity under the Peer Reviewed Alzheimer's Research Program (PRARP) designed to push the field forward through highly innovative, creative, and potentially paradigm-shifting work. The main goal is to support novel research efforts and the development of research resources or tools that can be used by researchers and health science practitioners, as long as the work aligns with the PRARP mission. A key expectation is that proposed projects do more than incrementally add knowledge; they should challenge existing assumptions, introduce new approaches, or create enabling capabilities that meaningfully change what the research community can do.

This opportunity is explicitly framed as innovation- and impact-based. That means applications are expected to make a strong case both for what is new or unconventional about the approach and for why the outcome will matter in practical terms. The program is oriented toward producing results that can benefit multiple populations, with particular emphasis on relevance to military and Veteran communities while also supporting broader civilian impact. In other words, proposals should connect the research to real-world needs and show how the work could translate into better understanding, prevention, diagnosis, or management of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), especially where those needs intersect with service-related health concerns.

A central scientific theme of this funding call is the convergence between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Alzheimer's disease/ADRD. The announcement makes it clear that study teams are expected to demonstrate relevant expertise in both domains, reflecting the program interest in understanding and addressing links between brain injury and later-life neurodegeneration or dementia-related outcomes. The "convergence science" angle signals that interdisciplinary, cross-field collaborations are encouraged, and that proposals pulling methods, theories, or technologies from different disciplines may be especially competitive when they convincingly target the TBI and AD/ADRD intersection.

The CSRA offers two funding levels structured around career stage. Funding Level I is reserved for early-career investigators who are within three years of their first independent faculty position, and it is open to investigators from any discipline as long as they meet the timing requirement. Level I applicants must include an Eligibility Statement (listed as Attachment 6) to confirm that the principal investigator meets the early-career criteria. Funding Level II is aimed at more established principal investigators at or above the rank of assistant professor (or equivalent), again without restricting the field or discipline, which reinforces the program's interest in bringing in new perspectives and capabilities from across the research landscape.

Administratively, the award mechanism can be either a grant or a cooperative agreement, and it falls under the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, managed by USAMRAA. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding within science, technology, and other research and development activities (CFDA 12.420). Eligibility is broadly unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, subject to any additional conditions that may be specified in the full announcement. The posting indicates an expected number of awards of around 10. The notice lists an award ceiling as 0, which typically signals that applicants should rely on the detailed funding guidance in the full solicitation rather than interpreting that field as a literal maximum.

Key dates included in the posting show the opportunity was created on May 16, 2019, with an original closing date of July 17, 2019, and the funding opportunity number is W81XWH 19 PRARP CSRA. Overall, this program is best understood as a targeted DoD investment in bold, cross-cutting Alzheimer's and related dementias research that also speaks directly to military and Veteran health priorities, especially through the lens of TBI-related risk, mechanisms, and interventions.

• 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 Peer Reviewed Alzheimer’s, Convergence Science 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 May 16, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 17, 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 10 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 PRARP CSRA

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