DOD, Parkinson's Early Investigator Research Award | HT9425 23 PRP EIRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 PRP EIRA

The Department of Defense (DoD), through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), offered the Parkinson's Early Investigator Research Award (EIRA) under the Parkinson's Research Program (PRP) to support researchers who are still in the early stages of building their independent careers. The main purpose of this opportunity is to help promising early-career investigators establish themselves in Parkinson's disease (PD) research by giving them a structured, mentored pathway to lead a project while receiving guidance from experienced PD researchers. A notable feature is that the early investigator serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) on the application, signaling that the program is designed to promote independence and leadership potential rather than positioning the applicant as a junior collaborator.

A core requirement is mentorship: applications must include at least one mentor, and applicants may propose up to two mentors if that better fits the project. The mentor(s) must be well-suited to the proposed research and bring clear PD research expertise along with a strong track record of mentorship. The funding announcement specifies that mentors should demonstrate credibility through active research funding, recent peer-reviewed publications, and evidence of successful mentoring outcomes. While the PI is expected to show strong potential and clear commitment to a career at the forefront of PD research, prior experience specifically in Parkinson's research is not required, which lowers the barrier for talented investigators coming from adjacent fields who can bring new ideas or approaches into PD.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary federal funding opportunity that can be awarded as either a grant or a cooperative agreement, under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category. It is listed under CFDA number 12.420. Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," meaning it is broadly open to many types of applicant organizations or entities, subject to any extra eligibility notes that may appear in the full announcement text. The opportunity was posted on April 27, 2023, with an original closing date of August 17, 2023. The announcement anticipated making about five awards. The posted award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that the maximum award amount is not stated in that summary field and would need to be confirmed in the full funding announcement or associated program guidance.

Overall, the EIRA is best understood as a career-development-oriented PD research mechanism: it funds a PI who is early in their career, expects that PI to take ownership and demonstrate long-term commitment to Parkinson's research, and requires strong, demonstrated mentorship from established PD investigators to increase the likelihood that the early investigator will successfully transition into an independent leader in the field.

• 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, Parkinson's Early Investigator 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 Apr 27, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 17, 2023. (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 HT9425 23 PRP EIRA

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