Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Funding Opportunity: Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (PH/TBI) Research Program (RP) 

Funding Opportunity Number: W81XWH-13-PHTBI-TBIRA 

Application Due Date: Pre-proposals are due February 27, 2013. Invited Full Proposals are due May 21, 2013.

Summary:

The PH/TBI RP TBIRA funding mechanism encourages research efforts focused on knowledge gathering and geared toward solving specific questions. The intent of the FY13 PH/TBI RP TBIRA mechanism is to: 

• Promote new/innovative ideas that have the potential to yield highly impactful data and new avenues of investigation to further the research field of interest; 
• Advance knowledge regarding the theoretical construct surrounding the TBI Research Area of interest to increase scientific understanding of certain phenomena or behaviors; 
• Propose new paradigms or challenging existing paradigms; and 

• Address the technical feasibility of promising new devices, behavioral and rehabilitation interventions, therapeutic techniques, clinical guidance, and/or emerging approaches and technologies. 

Research Area: All applications to the FY13 PH/TBI RP TBIRA mechanism must specifically address the Research Area listed below:

Translation/Clinical Research Area: 

Development of interventions or therapies to protect and/or restore neuronal function following TBI in the acute (first week), subacute (>1 week to 3 months), and chronic (≥ 3 months from time of injury) phases of care. Neuronal function, commonly referred to as “neuroplasticity,” is defined by D.G. Stein in Brain Injury Medicine Principles and Practice (Demos Medical Publishing 2007) as referring to “verifiable examples of functional and adaptive recovery after brain injury.” Additionally, the concept of structural plasticity is included, as studies have shown that functional and adaptive changes occur via structural changes in or between neurons and glia. 

Plasticity-driven solutions should demonstrate maintenance or improvement of function, as applicable, until such point that less or no further intervention is required. Such solutions should be non-invasive, as in not requiring implantation or other invasive procedures to execute. 

Applications should be designed to: 

• Provide objective evidence of induction of structural and functional changes in the brain following TBI that correlate with improved functional outcomes; 

• Maximize functional outcomes, as well as define the mechanisms involved in the structural and functional improvements; and 

• Validate methods to objectively assess structural and functional recovery. It is recognized that in some cases it may not be possible to precisely define mechanisms or to conduct testing in an animal model. In such cases, objective measures of improvement in the human condition are paramount. 

Applications focused on research areas other than the one listed above should NOT be submitted in response to this Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity. If the proposed research is not relevant to the advertised Research Area, the Government will administratively withdraw the application. 

Award Budget Information:
The maximum period of performance is 3 years. The maximum allowable total costs for the entire period of performance are $3M inclusive of indirect costs for clinical studies including clinical trials and $1M inclusive of indirect costs for applied and or mechanistic studies (the government reserves the right to determine if funding is appropriate to type of study) . 

Program Website