DOD is Offering a Leadership Award for the Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center

The ERP seeks to advance PTE research through development of early-career investigators and investigators new to the PTE field. The ERP Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center (Virtual P-TERC) is a unique, interactive virtual research center providing intensive mentoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for new PTE investigators. The overarching goal of the Virtual P-TERC is to develop successful, highly productive PTE researchers in a collaborative research and career development environment to enhance quality and expand quantity of the PTE research field.

The Virtual P-TERC is a multi-institutional career development and research training platform that consists of Faculty and their Career Guides (primary mentors), and is managed by a Director and Deputy Director. Candidates for Virtual P-TERC Faculty will apply and be selected through a separate funding opportunity. The Virtual P-TERC Leadership (the Director and the Deputy Director) should catalyze the growth and professional development of the Faculty in collaboration with the Faculty member’s Career Guide, assess the progress of Faculty, promote the cross-pollination of different scientific disciplines, and facilitate communication and collaboration among all of the Faculty and Career Guides, as well as with national research societies and representatives from the community with lived PTE experience. In addition to fostering scientific development, the Virtual P-TERC, through its Leadership, should provide for professional and leadership development of the Faculty to include skills and competencies needed to fund and manage a productive laboratory.

The Virtual P-TERC should foster convergent science wherein investigators from different disciplines solve specific problems together and take a cross-disciplinary approach to move the PTE field forward. The Center should give Faculty opportunities to operate within a collegial, highly dynamic, and cutting-edge environment to lead PTE research to a new frontier. The intention is that through the Virtual P-TERC, collaborations will foster new growth and research advancements toward better understanding of PTE.

This FY22 program announcement is soliciting applicants for the Virtual P-TERC Director and Deputy Director, who will lead the Center in meeting its overarching goal. Virtual P-TERC Director and Deputy Director (referred to as the Virtual P-TERC Leadership) must be established PTE researchers, can be at different institutions, and can be from different disciplines along the PTE research spectrum. The Virtual P-TERC Leadership must demonstrate a strong record of mentoring and training independent investigators, a commitment to leadership, and the ability to objectively assess the progress of all Faculty in the Virtual P-TERC. Independent investigators new to the PTE field who are interested in applying to become a member of the Virtual P-TERC should refer to the FY22 Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Faculty Award.

Responsibilities of the Virtual P-TERC Leadership include, but are not limited to, the following. Leadership must:

•   Set the Vision and Mission of the Virtual P-TERC to include how the Center will integrate different disciplines into one cohesive unit.

•   Act as a resource for all Faculty and Career Guides in the Virtual P-TERC over the 4-year period of performance.

•   Conduct collaborative pilot project(s) that include Virtual P-TERC Faculty. These pilot projects must align to the mission of the ERP and should have the potential to improve collaboration within the Virtual P-TERC, as well as improve understanding of PTE.

•   Develop assessment criteria to evaluate the research progress made by all of the Faculty, as well as their career progression and sustainment as independent investigators in PTE research.

•   Provide constructive critiques with the goal of advancing the research and professional careers of the Faculty and strengthening the mentorship of the Career Guides.

•   Facilitate communication and collaboration among all the Faculty and Career Guides (including periodic interactive communication among all Virtual P-TERC members).

•   Provide avenues to increase the visibility of Faculty within the PTE research and lived experience communities (e.g., peer review, editorial boards, meet-and-greets, conferences/workshops/webinars).

•   Support professional development, to include leadership and management skills as well as research skills, of the Faculty through invited presentations by experts outside of the Virtual P-TERC.

•   Plan and host a biennial 1-day workshop and in alternate years a biennial multi-day workshop for all Faculty/Career Guide pairs to present their research, share knowledge, and develop collaborative efforts within the Virtual P-TERC. Faculty will be responsible for their own travel costs, which will be covered by their FY22 ERP Virtual P-TERC Faculty Award.

•   Establish a Lived Experience Consultant Panel to inform the Virtual P-TERC on the needs of the affected community and include them in Virtual P-TERC activities (i.e., meetings, lectures, conferences, etc.). Lived Experience Consultants may be representatives from community-based organizations or advocacy groups, people living with PTE, their family members, or care partners.  It is recommended that at least one of the Lived Experience Consultants be a Service Member or Veteran.

•   Establish an External Advisory Board to the Virtual P-TERC that incorporates experts in the field, Career Guides, and at least one Lived Experience Consultant from the Lived Experience Consultant Panel. To maximize the relevance of the Virtual P-TERC to military health, it is recommended that at least one of the External Advisory Board members be familiar with the unique needs of military Service Members and Veterans with PTE.

The ERP seeks to advance PTE research through development of early-career investigators and investigators new to the PTE field. The ERP Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center (Virtual P-TERC) is a unique, interactive virtual research center providing intensive mentoring, national networking, collaborations, and a peer group for new PTE investigators. The overarching goal of the Virtual P-TERC is to develop successful, highly productive PTE researchers in a collaborative research and career development environment to enhance quality and expand quantity of the PTE research field.

The Virtual P-TERC is a multi-institutional career development and research training platform that consists of Faculty and their Career Guides (primary mentors), and is managed by a Director and Deputy Director. Candidates for Virtual P-TERC Faculty will apply and be selected through a separate funding opportunity. The Virtual P-TERC Leadership (the Director and the Deputy Director) should catalyze the growth and professional development of the Faculty in collaboration with the Faculty member’s Career Guide, assess the progress of Faculty, promote the cross-pollination of different scientific disciplines, and facilitate communication and collaboration among all of the Faculty and Career Guides, as well as with national research societies and representatives from the community with lived PTE experience. In addition to fostering scientific development, the Virtual P-TERC, through its Leadership, should provide for professional and leadership development of the Faculty to include skills and competencies needed to fund and manage a productive laboratory.

The Virtual P-TERC should foster convergent science wherein investigators from different disciplines solve specific problems together and take a cross-disciplinary approach to move the PTE field forward. The Center should give Faculty opportunities to operate within a collegial, highly dynamic, and cutting-edge environment to lead PTE research to a new frontier. The intention is that through the Virtual P-TERC, collaborations will foster new growth and research advancements toward better understanding of PTE.

This FY22 program announcement is soliciting applicants for the Virtual P-TERC Director and Deputy Director, who will lead the Center in meeting its overarching goal. Virtual P-TERC Director and Deputy Director (referred to as the Virtual P-TERC Leadership) must be established PTE researchers, can be at different institutions, and can be from different disciplines along the PTE research spectrum. The Virtual P-TERC Leadership must demonstrate a strong record of mentoring and training independent investigators, a commitment to leadership, and the ability to objectively assess the progress of all Faculty in the Virtual P-TERC. Independent investigators new to the PTE field who are interested in applying to become a member of the Virtual P-TERC should refer to the FY22 Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Faculty Award.

Responsibilities of the Virtual P-TERC Leadership include, but are not limited to, the following. Leadership must:

 Set the Vision and Mission of the Virtual P-TERC to include how the Center will integrate different disciplines into one cohesive unit.

 Act as a resource for all Faculty and Career Guides in the Virtual P-TERC over the 4-year period of performance.

 Conduct collaborative pilot project(s) that include Virtual P-TERC Faculty. These pilot projects must align to the mission of the ERP and should have the potential to improve collaboration within the Virtual P-TERC, as well as improve understanding of PTE.

 Develop assessment criteria to evaluate the research progress made by all of the Faculty, as well as their career progression and sustainment as independent investigators in PTE research.

 Provide constructive critiques with the goal of advancing the research and professional careers of the Faculty and strengthening the mentorship of the Career Guides.

 Facilitate communication and collaboration among all the Faculty and Career Guides (including periodic interactive communication among all Virtual P-TERC members).

 Provide avenues to increase the visibility of Faculty within the PTE research and lived experience communities (e.g., peer review, editorial boards, meet-and-greets, conferences/workshops/webinars).

 Support professional development, to include leadership and management skills as well as research skills, of the Faculty through invited presentations by experts outside of the Virtual P-TERC.

 Plan and host a biennial 1-day workshop and in alternate years a biennial multi-day workshop for all Faculty/Career Guide pairs to present their research, share knowledge, and develop collaborative efforts within the Virtual P-TERC. Faculty will be responsible for their own travel costs, which will be covered by their FY22 ERP Virtual P-TERC Faculty Award.

 Establish a Lived Experience Consultant Panel to inform the Virtual P-TERC on the needs of the affected community and include them in Virtual P-TERC activities (i.e., meetings, lectures, conferences, etc.). Lived Experience Consultants may be representatives from community-based organizations or advocacy groups, people living with PTE, their family members, or care partners. It is recommended that at least one of the Lived Experience Consultants be a Service Member or Veteran.

 Establish an External Advisory Board to the Virtual P-TERC that incorporates experts in the field, Career Guides, and at least one Lived Experience Consultant from the Lived Experience Consultant Panel. To maximize the relevance of the Virtual P-TERC to military health, it is recommended that at least one of the External Advisory Board members be familiar with the unique needs of military Service Members and Veterans with PTE.

The Virtual P-TERC Leadership Award is structured to support two PIs, one as the Director and one as the Deputy Director. The Virtual P-TERC Director will be identified as the Initiating Principal Investigator (PI) and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The Deputy Director will be identified as the Partnering PI. Initiating and Partnering PIs each have different submission requirements, as described in Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission; however, both PIs should contribute significantly to the development of the proposed project. The application should clearly demonstrate that both PIs have equal levels of input into the proposed Virtual P-TERC Leadership and should clearly define the components to be addressed by each to continue the success of the Faculty. While it is up to the Director and Deputy Director to define their roles, both Virtual P-TERC Leaders should have interactions with the Faculty; acting as administrative support does not fulfill the intent of the Deputy Director. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named to an individual award within the recipient organization.

The types of awards made under the program announcement will be assistance agreements. An assistance agreement is appropriate when the federal government transfers a “thing of value” to a “state, local government,” or “other recipient” to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States instead of acquiring property or service for the direct benefit and use of the U.S. government. An assistance agreement can take the form of a grant or cooperative agreement. The level of involvement on the part of the Department of Defense (DOD) during project performance is the key factor in determining whether to award a grant or cooperative agreement. If “no substantial involvement” on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a grant award will be made (31 USC 6304). Conversely, if substantial involvement on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a cooperative agreement will be made (31 USC 6305), and the award will identify the specific substantial involvement. Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, collaboration, participation, or intervention in the research to be performed under the award. The award type, along with the start date, will be determined during the negotiation process.

The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY22 ERP Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Leadership Award will not exceed $1,250,000. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.

Awards will be made no later than September 30, 2023. For additional information refer to Section II.F.1, Federal Award Notices.

The CDMRP expects to allot approximately $2.0M to fund approximately one Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Leadership Award application. Funding of applications received is contingent upon the availability of federal funds for this program as well as the number of applications received, the quality and merit of the applications as evaluated by scientific and programmatic review, and the requirements of the government. Funds to be obligated on any award resulting from this funding opportunity will be available for use for a limited time period based on the fiscal year of the funds. It is anticipated that awards made from this FY22 funding opportunity will be funded with FY22 funds, which will expire for use on September 30, 2028.