DoD Neurofibromatosis, Exploration- Hypothesis Development Award | W81XWH 19 NFRP EHDA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 19 NFRP EHDA

The DoD Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Exploration - Hypothesis Development Award is a discretionary Department of Defense funding opportunity designed to spark early-stage, bold research ideas in neurofibromatosis (NF). The core purpose of this mechanism is to support the initial exploration of concepts that are high-risk and high-gain, meaning the work may be uncertain or exploratory in the short term but has the potential to produce disproportionately important breakthroughs if successful. Projects funded under this award are expected to generate insights, tools, or evidence that can open up entirely new directions for NF research and serve as a foundation for later, more extensive studies.

A central requirement is that the application be built around a well-formulated and testable hypothesis. In practical terms, this means the project should not simply describe an interesting topic area or propose broad data collection; it should put forward a clear scientific claim that can be evaluated through a thoughtful, defensible study design. The program emphasizes strong scientific rationale, so applicants are expected to explain why the hypothesis makes sense given existing knowledge and why the proposed approach is appropriate for testing it. While preliminary data and published supporting results are encouraged because they can strengthen the rationale and feasibility, they are explicitly not required, which signals that the program is intended to make room for new ideas that may not yet have extensive supporting datasets.

Innovation is the defining feature of this award. The program is looking for research that does more than extend existing findings by small steps. Competitive projects may introduce a genuinely new paradigm, challenge current assumptions in the NF field, reframe existing problems from a fresh perspective, or otherwise demonstrate highly creative scientific thinking. The opportunity statement draws a clear line between innovation and incremental progress: proposals that mainly represent minor additions to already published work are not aligned with the intent of this mechanism. Because innovation can be subjective, the Principal Investigator is expected to directly and explicitly argue what makes the project innovative in the context of NF research, rather than assuming reviewers will infer novelty on their own.

Administratively, the opportunity is offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). The funding opportunity number is W81XWH-19-NFRP-EHDA, and the activity area is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 12.420). The instrument type allows for either a grant or a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates that awards may vary in how closely the sponsoring agency is involved during project execution, depending on the specific terms. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to applicants across entity types, subject to any additional eligibility notes that may appear in the full announcement.

In terms of scale and timing as posted, the opportunity expected to make about five awards. The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates that a specific maximum dollar amount was not stated in that summary field (rather than implying no funding), and applicants would need to consult the full program announcement for precise budget limits, period of performance details, and other constraints. The opportunity was created on March 11, 2019, with an original closing date of June 6, 2019. Overall, the award is best understood as a mechanism aimed at helping investigators test daring, clearly hypothesized ideas in NF that could reshape the field or unlock new research pathways, even when the work is still at an early proof-of-concept stage.

• 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 Neurofibromatosis, Exploration- Hypothesis Development 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 11, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 06, 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 5 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 NFRP EHDA

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