DoW Vision, Mentored Clinical Research Award
This award funds patient-oriented vision injury clinical research by a mentored clinician in training, under an established clinician or clinical scientist, on topics aligned to FY26 VRP focus areas and not involving preclinical research or clinical trials.
⚑ Key personnel must include both an established clinician or Ph.D. clinical scientist as PI and a clinician in training who conducts the work under mentorship. · Intended for patient-oriented vision injury research; preclinical research is not allowed. · Clinical trials are explicitly not allowed. · IRB/Ethics Committee approval or exemption must be documented by Jan. 1, 2027 for the application to be considered for funding.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 65 good | technical depth: minor; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | portfolio topics: public_health, national_security_defense; signature methods: community engaged; social/behavioral work is minor; funds applied research; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped); clinical-trial/biomedical core — IPPRA angle is policy/community (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 30 weak | funds applied research; deep-tech content |
Description
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Vision Research Program (VRP) Mentored Clinical Research Award (MCRA) supports patient-oriented vision injury research conducted by highly motivated military or civilian clinicians in training. The MCRA may be used to support a standalone study of high impact to vision injury care or the generation of clinical research data in preparation for a more expansive study. Research must align with at least one of the FY26 VRP Focus Areas . The MCRA may not be used to support preclinical research or clinical trials .
Distinctive Features:
· Key personnel must include an established clinician or Ph.D. clinical scientist, who will serve as Principal Investigator (PI) and a clinician in training (e.g., a fellow, resident, junior clinician, clinician in a Ph.D. program), who will conduct the proposed research under mentorship of the PI, with support from supporting personnel as appropriate.
· The clinician in training should have sufficient time remaining in their training program to complete the research proposed under the MCRA.
· Scored peer review criteria include Research Idea/Rationale, Research Strategy and Feasibility, Impact and Personnel.
· Programmatic review criteria include adherence to the intent of the MCRA, contribution to program portfolio, relative impact and relevance to military health.
· Applicants must submit documentation of Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Ethics Committee (EC) approval or exemption by January 1, 2027 , in order for the MCRA application to be considered for funding.
https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2026/vrppreann
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Teresa M Parker-Reeser Grants Officer <help@eBRAP.org>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Department of Defense (BAA-style) conventions SEE A DOD EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Department of Defense (BAA-style)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.