DOD Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Faculty Award

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.

The Virtual P-TERC Leadership (the Director and the Deputy Director) serve as a resource for the Faculty and Career Guides, assessing the progress of Faculty, and facilitating 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, provides for professional and leadership development of the Faculty to include skills and competencies needed to fund and manage a productive PTE research laboratory.

This FY22 program announcement is soliciting Faculty members to join the Virtual P-TERC. Under this award mechanism, the application should focus on BOTH the Faculty member’s research and career development. This award allows the Faculty member (the investigator named as the Principal Investigator [PI] on the application) to pursue an impactful research project with an emphasis on discovery that investigates questions across the PTE research spectrum (Biology/Etiology, Prevention, Diagnosis/Detection, Prognosis, Treatment, and Quality of Life). Applications should address at least one of the FY22 ERP Focus Areas or provide a strong justification as to why the alternative topic is critical to advance understanding of PTE and addresses the ERP mission. This research must be performed under the guidance of a Career Guide. The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Faculty member.

The Faculty member is required to participate in all development and training activities hosted by the Virtual P-TERC, including monthly calls with Virtual P-TERC Leadership. Additionally, the Faculty member and Career Guide are required to attend a biennial multi-day Virtual P- TERC workshop and, in alternate years, a Virtual P-TERC 1-day workshop.

The ERP encourages applications from Faculty members whose ability to commit to conducting PTE research is limited by minimal resources or a lack of resources, such as a qualified Career Guide at their institution, access to PTE research tools, opportunities for establishing collaborations, or other obstacles.

Important aspects of this award mechanism include:

•   Principal Investigator: The PI must be an independent investigator new to the field of PTE research with the potential to significantly contribute to the advancement of the field. This award mechanism is not limited to early-career investigators. Independent investigators at any stage of their career are eligible to be named as PI provided that they have only nominal publication and/or funding history in the field. The PI’s record of accomplishments will be evaluated regarding their potential for becoming an established PTE investigator, as will their commitment to the Virtual P-TERC.

•   Career Guide: The Faculty member must designate a Career Guide. The Career Guide must be an experienced PTE researcher, as demonstrated by a strong record of funding and publications. In addition, the Career Guide must demonstrate a commitment to advancing and sustaining the PI’s career in PTE research. The Career Guide must also be committed to fully participating in the Virtual P-TERC and potentially serving on the Virtual P-TERC Advisory Board as requested by the Virtual P-TERC Leadership.

•   Career Development: A Career Development and Sustainment Plan (Attachment 6) is required and should be prepared with appropriate guidance from the Career Guide. The Career Development Plan should include a clearly articulated strategy for acquiring the necessary skills, competence, and expertise to advance and sustain an independent career at the forefront of PTE research. The PI must articulate commitment to interactions with the Virtual P-TERC.

•   Impact: Applications should articulate the short-term and long-term impact of the proposed research on the PTE research field, patient care, and those living with PTE. Projects should address one or more of the FY22 ERP Focus Areas or provide a strong justification as to why the alternative topic is critical to advance understanding of PTE and addresses the ERP mission.  Applicants are encouraged to consult with individuals living with PTE during the development and 

execution of the proposed research project, to ensure research outcomes maximize translational and impact potential.

•   Relevance to Military Health: Projects must be relevant to military Service Members, their families, and Veterans with PTE. Collaboration with military and VA researchers and clinicians is encouraged.

Preliminary data are encouraged but NOT required, though evidence demonstrating the ability of the applicant to execute the chosen model of TBI within their laboratory or the laboratory of a collaborator is required.

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.

The Virtual P-TERC Leadership (the Director and the Deputy Director) serve as a resource for the Faculty and Career Guides, assessing the progress of Faculty, and facilitating 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, provides for professional and leadership development of the Faculty to include skills and competencies needed to fund and manage a productive PTE research laboratory.

This FY22 program announcement is soliciting Faculty members to join the Virtual P-TERC. Under this award mechanism, the application should focus on BOTH the Faculty member’s research and career development. This award allows the Faculty member (the investigator named as the Principal Investigator [PI] on the application) to pursue an impactful research project with an emphasis on discovery that investigates questions across the PTE research spectrum (Biology/Etiology, Prevention, Diagnosis/Detection, Prognosis, Treatment, and Quality of Life). Applications should address at least one of the FY22 ERP Focus Areas or provide a strong justification as to why the alternative topic is critical to advance understanding of PTE and addresses the ERP mission. This research must be performed under the guidance of a Career Guide. The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Faculty member.

The Faculty member is required to participate in all development and training activities hosted by the Virtual P-TERC, including monthly calls with Virtual P-TERC Leadership. Additionally, the Faculty member and Career Guide are required to attend a biennial multi-day Virtual P-TERC workshop and, in alternate years, a Virtual P-TERC 1-day workshop.

The ERP encourages applications from Faculty members whose ability to commit to conducting PTE research is limited by minimal resources or a lack of resources, such as a qualified Career Guide at their institution, access to PTE research tools, opportunities for establishing collaborations, or other obstacles.

Important aspects of this award mechanism include:

 Principal Investigator: The PI must be an independent investigator new to the field of PTE research with the potential to significantly contribute to the advancement of the field. This award mechanism is not limited to early-career investigators. Independent investigators at any stage of their career are eligible to be named as PI provided that they have only nominal publication and/or funding history in the field. The PI’s record of accomplishments will be evaluated regarding their potential for becoming an established PTE investigator, as will their commitment to the Virtual P-TERC.

 Career Guide: The Faculty member must designate a Career Guide. The Career Guide must be an experienced PTE researcher, as demonstrated by a strong record of funding and publications. In addition, the Career Guide must demonstrate a commitment to advancing and sustaining the PI’s career in PTE research. The Career Guide must also be committed to fully participating in the Virtual P-TERC and potentially serving on the Virtual P-TERC Advisory Board as requested by the Virtual P-TERC Leadership.

 Career Development: A Career Development and Sustainment Plan (Attachment 6) is required and should be prepared with appropriate guidance from the Career Guide. The Career Development Plan should include a clearly articulated strategy for acquiring the necessary skills, competence, and expertise to advance and sustain an independent career at the forefront of PTE research. The PI must articulate commitment to interactions with the Virtual P-TERC.

 Impact: Applications should articulate the short-term and long-term impact of the proposed research on the PTE research field, patient care, and those living with PTE. Projects should address one or more of the FY22 ERP Focus Areas or provide a strong justification as to why the alternative topic is critical to advance understanding of PTE and addresses the ERP mission. Applicants are encouraged to consult with individuals living with PTE during the development and execution of the proposed research project, to ensure research outcomes maximize translational and impact potential.

 Relevance to Military Health: Projects must be relevant to military Service Members, their families, and Veterans with PTE. Collaboration with military and VA researchers and clinicians is encouraged.

Preliminary data are encouraged but NOT required, though evidence demonstrating the ability of the applicant to execute the chosen model of TBI within their laboratory or the laboratory of a collaborator is required.

Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity. Permitted research includes preclinical studies in animal models, observational research with human subjects, or research involving human anatomical substances or data, as well as ancillary studies associated with an existing clinical trial. When appropriate, applicants are encouraged to leverage ongoing cohort studies, such as Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI), TBI-Model Systems, and Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC).

Employing community collaborations to optimize research impact is encouraged but NOT required. Research funded by the FY22 ERP should be responsive to the needs of people with PTE, their families, and/or their care partners. Research teams are therefore encouraged to establish and utilize effective and equitable collaborations and partnerships with community members to maximize the translational and impact potential of the proposed research. Collaborative research approaches such as community-based participatory research (CBPR), participatory action research (PAR), and integrated knowledge transition (IKT), create partnerships between scientific researchers and community members to create knowledge useable by both sets of stakeholders. Recognizing the strengths of each partner, scientific researchers and community members collaborate and contribute equitably on all aspects of the project, which may include needs assessment, planning, research intervention design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. Collaborative research approaches feature shared responsibility and ownership for the research project to ensure non-tokenistic involvement of community members within the research team. Research results are jointly interpreted, disseminated, fed back to affected communities, and may be translated into interventions or policy. These methods are critically important for community-level interventions and can also have important impacts on translational research and prototype development to identify and augment the potential impact of a research program on people living with PTE, their families, and/or their care partners. Collaborative research approaches are characterized by the equitable collaboration between community members and researchers. These collaborative relationships are often established through integrating community members into research teams as co-researchers, advisors, and/or consultants. Some examples for implementing collaborative research approaches include:  Lived Experience Consultation: The research team includes at least one project advisor with lived PTE experience who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Lived Experience Consultants may include individuals with PTE, their family members, or care partners.

 Partnership with a community-based organization: The research team establishes partnerships with at least one community-based organization that provides advice and consultation throughout planning and implementation of the research project. Community-based organizations may include advocacy groups, service providers, policy makers, or other formal organizational stakeholders.

 Community Advisory Board: A community advisory board is composed of multiple community stakeholders and can take many forms, from a board of Lived Experience Consultants to a coalition of community-based organizations or any combination thereof. As with Lived Experience Consultants and organizational partners, the community advisory board provides advice and consultation throughout planning and implementation of the research project.

Additional information on collaborative research approaches can be found here:  Wallerstein N and Duran B. 2010. Community-based participatory research contributions to intervention research: The intersection of science and practice to improve health equity. American Journal of Public Health 100(S1):S40-S46. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.184036.  Jull J, Giles A, Graham ID. 2017. Community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation: advancing the co-creation of knowledge. Implementation Science 12(1):150. doi: 10.1186/s13012-017-0696-3.

Experimental design should maximize rigor and reproducibility. All projects should adhere to accepted standards for rigorous study design and reporting to maximize the reproducibility and translational potential of preclinical research. Core standards are described in Landis, S.C., et al., A call for transparent reporting to optimize the predictive value of preclinical research. Nature 2012, 490:187-191 (https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11556). While these standards are written for preclinical studies, the basic principles of randomization, blinding, sample-size estimation, and data handling derive from well-established best practices in clinical studies. Applicants should consult the ARRIVE 2.0 (Animal Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments) guidelines to ensure relevant aspects of rigorous animal research are adequately planned for and, ultimately, reported. The ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines can be found at https://arriveguidelines.org/arrive-guidelines.

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-P-TERC-F Award will not exceed $500,000. 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 $3.2M to fund approximately four Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Faculty Award applications. 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.