Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 20 LRP TVA
The Department of Defense Lupus Research Program (LRP) Transformative Vision Award (TVA) is a competitive research funding opportunity designed to support bold, high-risk, high-reward projects that could rapidly and dramatically improve the day-to-day quality of life for people living with lupus. The central expectation is that applicants propose an "extraordinary vision" for change and back it up with a clear, feasible plan to test that vision through translation-focused research, meaning the work should be positioned to produce near-term, real-world benefits rather than only longer-horizon basic science insights. Projects can focus on lupus patients of any age and may address a wide range of quality-of-life challenges, explicitly including issues affecting groups that carry disproportionate health burdens.
A key feature of this award is its strong emphasis on impact. Applications are expected to state plainly what will change for lupus patients if the project succeeds, why that change matters, and how quickly those benefits could be realized. The program is looking for research that goes beyond incremental progress and instead has the potential to shift clinical practice, care delivery, symptom control, functional status, or other patient-centered outcomes in a meaningful way. The proposal should make the case that the study is significant, that the magnitude of the potential benefit is substantial, and that the approach is plausible enough to justify the program's willingness to fund higher-risk ideas.
From a scientific and technical standpoint, the research strategy must show deep understanding of lupus and present a well-reasoned rationale supported by preliminary data, which are required. The experimental approach can be novel, but it still needs to be grounded in strong logic, existing evidence, and a clear methodology. Importantly, animal research is not permitted under this announcement, so the work must be structured around human subjects research, human-based methods, and/or clinical studies. Clinical trials are explicitly allowed, which signals that the program is open to intervention testing when justified and responsibly designed.
The award also evaluates whether the research team is appropriately qualified to carry out the proposed work. Reviewers will look for a team whose expertise matches the project needs, including the clinical, translational, methodological, and operational capabilities required to deliver results on a near-term timeline. The program includes a Partnering Principal Investigator option, allowing collaborative leadership across institutions or disciplines. One Initiating PI leads the administrative submission and coordination, and up to two additional Partnering PIs may be named. If funded, each PI receives an individual award under the recipient organization, reflecting the expectation that each PI plays a meaningful role in developing and executing the project.
Applicants must align their project with the FY20 LRP Focus Area for the Transformative Vision Award, making topic fit a hard requirement rather than a preference. In addition, the work must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the broader American public, which is a standard DoD requirement and should be addressed directly in the application narrative rather than assumed.
Funding is provided through assistance agreements, which can be either a grant or a cooperative agreement depending on how much involvement the DoD anticipates during the project. If the agency expects no substantial involvement, it will typically issue a grant; if it expects substantial involvement (such as collaboration, participation, or intervention in the research), it will use a cooperative agreement and spell out that involvement in the award terms. For FY20, the maximum total cost for the full period of performance is capped at $2,500,000 per award, and budgets must be well-justified and consistent with the program announcement's limits and restrictions.
In terms of scale and competitiveness, the program expected to allocate about $2.5 million total and anticipated funding roughly one to two awards, making selection highly competitive and strongly driven by scientific merit, programmatic fit, and the credibility of the near-term quality-of-life impact. The opportunity (W81XWH-20-LRP-TVA) was posted by the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA), with an original application closing date of September 23, 2020, and anticipated awards made no later than September 30, 2021. Funding was expected to come from FY20 funds, with availability for use limited by fiscal rules, and those funds projected to expire for use on September 30, 2026. Eligibility is broadly described as unrestricted (open to many organization types), subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement.Apply for W81XWH 20 LRP TVA
- 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 Lupus, Transformative Vision 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 29, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 23, 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the Lupus Research Program (LRP) Transformative Vision Award (TVA)?
The Department of Defense Lupus Research Program (LRP) Transformative Vision Award (TVA) is a competitive research funding opportunity intended to support bold, high-risk, high-reward projects that could rapidly and dramatically improve the day-to-day quality of life for people living with lupus.
2) What kind of research is this award trying to fund?
This award is looking for translation-focused research built around an "extraordinary vision" for meaningful change in lupus care and outcomes. The work should be positioned to produce near-term, real-world benefits, rather than focusing only on longer-horizon basic science insights.
3) What does "transformative" mean in the context of this award?
"Transformative" means the project is expected to go beyond incremental progress and instead have the potential to shift clinical practice, care delivery, symptom control, functional status, or other patient-centered outcomes in a substantial way. Applications are expected to clearly explain what will change for lupus patients if the project succeeds, why it matters, and how quickly benefits could be realized.
4) Is basic science allowed, or does it need to be directly tied to patient benefit?
The central expectation is translation-focused research that is positioned to deliver near-term, real-world benefits. The announcement emphasizes that proposals should not be limited to longer-horizon basic science insights alone.
5) Are clinical trials allowed under this funding opportunity?
Yes. Clinical trials are explicitly allowed, indicating the program is open to intervention testing when it is justified and responsibly designed.
6) Is animal research allowed?
No. Animal research is not permitted under this announcement. Projects must be structured around human subjects research, human-based methods, and/or clinical studies.
7) Are preliminary data required?
Yes. The research strategy is expected to be supported by preliminary data, and the announcement states that preliminary data are required.
8) Who can the project focus on (age groups or populations)?
Projects can focus on lupus patients of any age. The opportunity also explicitly includes quality-of-life issues affecting groups that carry disproportionate health burdens.
9) What types of outcomes or problems can be addressed?
The program describes a wide range of quality-of-life challenges as eligible targets. It is particularly interested in meaningful, patient-centered outcomes such as improvements in symptom control, functional status, care delivery, and other day-to-day quality-of-life measures.
10) What is the main thing reviewers are looking for?
A major emphasis is impact. Reviewers are looking for a clearly articulated, extraordinary vision for change paired with a feasible plan, a strong rationale grounded in evidence and logic, required preliminary data, and a credible argument that the work can deliver substantial near-term quality-of-life benefits.
11) How important is feasibility if the program is encouraging high-risk projects?
Even though the award supports high-risk, high-reward ideas, the approach still needs to be plausible and well-reasoned. The program expects strong logic, existing evidence, clear methodology, and a plan that justifies the risk in light of the potential impact.
12) Is there a requirement to align with a specific DoD focus area?
Yes. Applicants must align their project with the FY20 LRP Focus Area for the Transformative Vision Award, and the announcement describes topic fit as a hard requirement.
13) Does the project need to be relevant to military populations?
Yes. The work must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the broader American public. The announcement notes this is a standard DoD requirement and should be addressed directly in the application narrative.
14) What funding mechanism will be used (grant vs cooperative agreement)?
Funding is provided through assistance agreements, which may be either a grant or a cooperative agreement. If the DoD anticipates no substantial involvement, it will typically issue a grant. If it anticipates substantial involvement (such as collaboration, participation, or intervention in the research), it will use a cooperative agreement and specify that involvement in the award terms.
15) What is the maximum award amount?
For FY20, the maximum total cost for the full period of performance is capped at $2,500,000 per award. Budgets are expected to be well-justified and consistent with the program announcement limits and restrictions.
16) How many awards were expected to be made, and how competitive is it?
The program expected to allocate about $2.5 million total and anticipated funding roughly one to two awards. With only one to two awards expected, selection is described as highly competitive and strongly driven by scientific merit, programmatic fit, and the credibility of near-term quality-of-life impact.
17) Can the project be led by more than one Principal Investigator (PI)?
Yes. The program includes a Partnering Principal Investigator option. One Initiating PI leads the administrative submission and coordination, and up to two additional Partnering PIs may be named.
18) How are awards handled when there are Partnering PIs?
If funded, each PI receives an individual award under the recipient organization. This reflects the expectation that each PI plays a meaningful role in developing and executing the project.
19) What qualifications does the research team need to demonstrate?
The award evaluates whether the team is appropriately qualified to execute the work, including having clinical, translational, methodological, and operational capabilities that match the project needs and support delivery of results on a near-term timeline.
20) What is the opportunity number and which office posted it?
The opportunity is identified as W81XWH-20-LRP-TVA. It was posted by the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA).
21) What were the key dates listed for this opportunity?
The original application closing date was September 23, 2020. Anticipated awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2021.
22) Which fiscal year funds were expected to support awards, and when were they projected to expire for use?
Funding was expected to come from FY20 funds. Those funds were projected to expire for use on September 30, 2026, subject to fiscal rules.
23) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broadly described as unrestricted (open to many organization types), subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement.
24) What should an application say about patient impact?
Applications are expected to clearly state what will change for lupus patients if the project succeeds, why that change matters, and how quickly the benefits could be realized, with a focus on meaningful improvements in day-to-day quality of life.
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