DoD Grant: Investigator-Initiated Research for Alzheimer’s and TBI Studies

The FY22 PRARP IIRA is intended to support studies that will make important contributions to TBI and/or military-service-related factors as they pertain to AD/ADRD research, patient care, and quality of life. The work should innovatively challenge existing paradigms or exhibit high levels of creativity.

Important aspects of this award mechanism include:

Impact: Applications should address the short- and long-term impact of the proposed research on the intersectional TBI, and/or AD/ADRD research field as well as persons with dementia and/or their support network.

Innovation: Applications must address research under one or more of the PRARP IIRA Focus Areas using innovative approaches that represent novel directions, ideas, or advances in the field. Innovative research may introduce a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other highly creative qualities.

Relevance to Military Health: Projects must have relevance to military Service Members, Veterans, and/or their family members and care partners. Applicants are encouraged to integrate and/or align their research projects with Department of Defense (DOD) and/or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) research laboratories and programs. Collaborations between researchers, at military or Veterans institutions and non-military institutions, are strongly encouraged. A list of websites that may be useful in identifying additional information about ongoing DOD and VA areas of research interest or potential opportunities for collaboration can be found in Appendix 2.

IIRA applications may focus on any phase of research from basic through translational. Permitted research includes preclinical studies in animal models (except where otherwise specified), research with human subjects, or human anatomical substances, as well as ancillary studies associated with an existing clinical trial. Inclusion of preliminary data is required. Use of animal models, if allowable, must be fully justified for relevance to human health. Clinical research applications are required to include a community collaboration research element.