DoD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy | W81XWH 20 DMDRP TRPA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 DMDRP TRPA

The DoD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) opportunity, formally the FY20 DMDRP Translational Research Partnership Award (W81XWH-20-DMDRP-TRPA), is designed to push promising DMD research beyond basic science and closer to real clinical use. The central goal is translation: taking ideas, approaches, or candidate interventions that are already reasonably developed and moving them toward outcomes that could affect clinical research or patient care in the near term. This means the program is looking for projects with a clear clinical trajectory rather than early exploratory work, and it expects applicants to show DMD-relevant preliminary data that supports feasibility and momentum.

A defining feature of this mechanism is the requirement for a true two-investigator partnership built around complementary expertise. Each application must have two independent Principal Investigators who jointly shape the science and share intellectual ownership of the project. Partnerships that pair a research scientist with a clinician are strongly encouraged, reflecting the program's emphasis on clinically meaningful translation and practical implementation. At least one partner must bring direct expertise in either DMD research or DMD patient care, and the collaboration must be substantive; the announcement explicitly notes that a project where a clinical partner only provides patient access or supplies tissue samples does not fit the intent. The work needs to be structured so that success depends on the distinct skills, contributions, and decision-making of both partners.

The scope of supported research includes translational studies aimed at developing or advancing drugs, devices, and other interventions, including pilot or proof-of-principle clinical trials as well as correlative studies that can inform therapeutic development. The program places special emphasis on therapies that could be effective across the lifespan, with a particular encouragement for work relevant to adolescents and adults, groups that can be underrepresented in some DMD therapy development pathways. Overall, the projects should address a critical DMD problem or question in a way that would be difficult to accomplish if each investigator worked separately, highlighting the program's intent to fund collaboration that genuinely changes what is achievable.

Operationally, the application must include a clear plan for how the investigators (and any participating institutions) will work together in practice. That includes specifics on communication routines, coordination of research progress and interpretation of results, and how data will be transferred and shared. If the partnership spans multiple institutions, the application must also include an intellectual property plan that anticipates and resolves potential barriers related to intellectual and material property, with the aim of preventing institutional friction from slowing collaboration or limiting follow-through.

From an administrative standpoint, one investigator is designated the Initiating PI, who takes on most submission-related administrative responsibilities, while the other serves as the Partnering PI. Even with that division of administrative labor, both PIs are expected to contribute substantially to the core proposal content, including the project narrative and statement of work. If selected, each PI is named on an individual award within the recipient organization, reflecting the program's emphasis on balanced partnership rather than a single-lead model with a minor collaborator.

This opportunity is offered by the Department of Defense through the Department of the Army, USAMRAA, under CFDA 12.420, and allows broad eligibility (unrestricted by entity type, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice). The funding instrument can be either a cooperative agreement or a grant. The opportunity was created May 28, 2020, with an original closing date of December 7, 2020, and anticipated making two awards. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source data, which typically means applicants need to rely on the full announcement for budget limits or guidance rather than a summarized ceiling value.

• 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 Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy" 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 28, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 07, 2020. (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 2 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 20 DMDRP TRPA

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