Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 VRP FTTSA
The DoD Vision Focused Translational Team Science Award (FTTSA) is a FY23 funding opportunity from the Department of Defense (administered through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, USAMRAA) designed to push the field forward on eye injuries and visual dysfunction linked to military exposures. The program is aimed at problems caused by events such as blast, blunt impact, thermal or chemical injury, and directed energy trauma. The central emphasis is translation: applicants are expected to build a coordinated team effort that not only improves scientific understanding of these injuries but also moves the work toward practical prevention tools, diagnostics, and treatments that could realistically change care.
A defining feature of this award is the requirement for true team science organized around one clear, overarching challenge question. Applicants are encouraged to pick a challenge by starting with real barriers and gaps in the current landscape (for example, why diagnosis is still delayed, why certain injuries progress over time, why treatments do not reach the right tissues, or why protection and field assessment remain limited). The program asks teams to think with a long horizon, imagining what could be achievable in 10 to 15 years if the right breakthroughs occur, then working backward to define near-term goals that are feasible within the award and that set up longer-term impact. In other words, the application should not read like loosely connected projects under one umbrella; it should show a deliberate, integrated plan where distinct experts contribute different angles toward the same big outcome.
Applications must include a set of three to five research projects that operate as a concerted, synergistic package. Each project must align with one or more FY23 Vision Research Program focus areas, and the portfolio should collectively tackle the overarching challenge from multiple directions. The opportunity explicitly allows a wide range of scientific topics, including studies that uncover molecular, cellular, or biophysical mechanisms of injury; work that tracks how pathophysiology changes over time after exposure to identify windows for intervention; discovery of biomarkers or therapeutic targets; development and validation of drugs, biologics, devices, or drug delivery approaches suited to ocular trauma; creation or refinement of clinically relevant trauma models; development of protective strategies that reduce exposure-related damage; and lightweight, portable tools that can assess or diagnose vision-related injury in operational or resource-limited settings.
Even though the projects are meant to be synergistic, an important ground rule is that each project has to stand on its own scientific merits. The program is not meant to fund a chain of dependencies where Project B only works if Project A succeeds. Instead, each component should use a distinct approach to address the shared challenge and still be capable of producing meaningful results and publishable advances, with a plausible path to influence either the visual system trauma research field or patient care. To reinforce feasibility, the solicitation requires preliminary data for each proposed project, signaling that reviewers will be looking for evidence that the work can be executed as proposed rather than being purely speculative.
The award is flexible about the phase of research, allowing basic, translational, applied, clinical, or observational work across the project set. However, it draws a firm line on clinical trials: one project may include a pilot clinical trial (PCT), but the mechanism does not support a full-scale clinical trial. The pilot clinical trial is framed as an early, limited test intended to inform feasibility, rationale, and the design of later definitive trials, rather than to establish safety or efficacy in the way a large trial would. If a team proposes a PCT, the application faces additional submission requirements and review criteria, and it must demonstrate that the investigators understand the regulatory pathway and approval process relevant to the intervention being tested.
The solicitation also clarifies what counts as a clinical trial: any study in which human subjects are prospectively assigned to an intervention (including placebo or control) to evaluate effects on biomedical or behavioral health outcomes. Studies that do not measure safety, effectiveness, and/or efficacy outcomes of an intervention are not treated as clinical trials under this definition. For funded pilot clinical trials, the award comes with specific compliance obligations, including posting the informed consent form on a publicly available federal website in line with 32 CFR 219 requirements and registering the study on ClinicalTrials.gov before the study begins.
Applicants are also encouraged to leverage programs and resources from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), particularly tools that improve preclinical innovation and speed the translational pipeline. This is a signal that the DoD wants teams to take advantage of established translational infrastructure where it can reduce bottlenecks, improve rigor and reproducibility, and accelerate progress toward real-world solutions.
Administratively, the opportunity is listed as HT9425-23-VRP-FTTSA under CFDA 12.420, categorized under science and technology and other R and D. The funding instruments include cooperative agreements and grants, eligibility is broadly unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement), and the program expected to make a single award under this cycle. The original closing date for the FY23 posting was November 8, 2023.Apply for HT9425 23 VRP FTTSA
- The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Vision Focused Translational Team Science Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 11, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 08, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): DoD Vision Focused Translational Team Science Award (FTTSA) - FY23
What is the DoD Vision Focused Translational Team Science Award (FTTSA)?
The Vision Focused Translational Team Science Award (FTTSA) is an FY23 Department of Defense funding opportunity (administered through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, USAMRAA) intended to advance research on eye injuries and visual dysfunction associated with military exposures, with a strong emphasis on translation toward practical solutions.
What is the main goal of this award?
The central goal is to support coordinated team science that improves scientific understanding of exposure-related ocular and visual system injuries while also moving the work toward prevention tools, diagnostics, and treatments that could realistically change care.
What types of injuries or exposures are in scope?
The opportunity targets eye injuries and visual dysfunction linked to military-relevant exposures, including blast, blunt impact, thermal injury, chemical injury, and directed energy trauma.
What does "translational" mean in the context of this award?
Translation is the defining emphasis: teams are expected to connect mechanistic and pathophysiology-focused work to tangible outcomes such as prevention strategies, diagnostic approaches, and treatments that can move toward real-world use.
What is required in terms of "team science"?
Applicants must build a true team-science approach organized around one clear, overarching challenge question. The application is expected to read as an integrated plan, not a set of loosely related projects.
What is an "overarching challenge question" and how should teams choose it?
The overarching challenge question is a single unifying problem the team is trying to solve. Teams are encouraged to start from real barriers and gaps in the current landscape (for example, delayed diagnosis, progressive injury over time, limited tissue penetration of treatments, or constraints in protection and field assessment) and design an integrated strategy to address that challenge.
How many projects must be included in an application?
Applications must include three to five research projects that function as a concerted, synergistic package.
Do all projects need to align with specific program focus areas?
Yes. Each project must align with one or more FY23 Vision Research Program focus areas, and the collective set of projects should address the overarching challenge from multiple directions.
What types of research topics are allowed under this award?
The scope is broad and can include: molecular, cellular, or biophysical mechanisms of injury; how pathophysiology changes over time to identify windows for intervention; biomarker or therapeutic target discovery; development/validation of drugs, biologics, devices, or drug delivery approaches for ocular trauma; creation/refinement of clinically relevant trauma models; protective strategies to reduce exposure-related damage; and lightweight, portable tools for assessment or diagnosis in operational or resource-limited settings.
Does each project have to be able to succeed independently?
Yes. Although the portfolio should be synergistic, each project must stand on its own scientific merit and should not be structured as a chain of dependencies where one project only works if another succeeds.
Is preliminary data required?
Yes. The solicitation requires preliminary data for each proposed project, reflecting an expectation of feasibility and execution readiness rather than purely speculative concepts.
What stages of research are permitted (basic vs. clinical)?
The award is flexible and can support basic, translational, applied, clinical, or observational work across the set of projects.
Are clinical trials allowed under this mechanism?
One project may include a pilot clinical trial (PCT), but the mechanism does not support a full-scale clinical trial.
What is the purpose of a pilot clinical trial (PCT) under this award?
A pilot clinical trial is framed as an early, limited test intended to inform feasibility, rationale, and the design of later definitive trials, rather than establishing safety or efficacy in the way a large trial would.
If we propose a pilot clinical trial, are there extra requirements?
Yes. A proposed PCT triggers additional submission requirements and review criteria, and the application must show that investigators understand the relevant regulatory pathway and approval process for the intervention being tested.
How does the solicitation define a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is defined as a study in which human subjects are prospectively assigned to an intervention (including placebo or control) to evaluate effects on biomedical or behavioral health outcomes.
What kinds of human studies are not treated as clinical trials under this definition?
Studies that do not measure safety, effectiveness, and/or efficacy outcomes of an intervention are not treated as clinical trials under the solicitation's definition.
What compliance steps are required for funded pilot clinical trials?
For funded PCTs, the award includes compliance obligations such as posting the informed consent form on a publicly available federal website in line with 32 CFR 219 requirements and registering the study on ClinicalTrials.gov before the study begins.
Are applicants encouraged to use external translational resources?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to leverage programs and resources from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), particularly tools that improve preclinical innovation and accelerate translation.
What is the funding and administrative listing for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed as HT9425-23-VRP-FTTSA under CFDA 12.420, categorized under science and technology and other R&D.
What funding instruments are used?
The solicitation lists cooperative agreements and grants as the funding instruments.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broadly unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The program expected to make a single award under this cycle.
What was the closing date for the FY23 posting?
The original closing date for the FY23 posting was November 8, 2023.
What makes a strong application under this program's expectations?
Based on the solicitation description, a strong application would present an integrated, coordinated team strategy around one challenge question; include three to five projects that are synergistic but independently sound; provide preliminary data for every project; and clearly demonstrate a realistic translational path toward prevention, diagnosis, or treatment for exposure-related ocular/visual injuries.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Next opportunity: New Jersey NRCS Community Gardens/Farm Grants
Previous opportunity: DRL Support for Recently Exiled Cuban Human Rights Defenders
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for HT9425 23 VRP FTTSA
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (HT9425 23 VRP FTTSA) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| DoD Vision Mentored Clinical Research Award Apply for HT9425 23 VRP MCRA Funding Number: HT9425 23 VRP MCRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Vision Translational Research Award Apply for HT9425 23 VRP TRA Funding Number: HT9425 23 VRP TRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Vision Investigator-Initiated Research Award Apply for HT9425 23 VRP IIRA Funding Number: HT9425 23 VRP IIRA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Promoting Positive Employment Outcomes Among People with Disabilities who are Experiencing Long-COVID Apply for HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0000 Funding Number: HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0000 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Community Infrastructure for Research in Computer and Information Science and Engineering Apply for 23 589 Funding Number: 23 589 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| NSF Convergence Accelerator Phases 1 and 2 for the 2023 Cohort - Tracks K, L, M Apply for 23 590 Funding Number: 23 590 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Natural Resources Support at Edwards AFB, CA. Apply for W9126G 23 2 SOI 3119 Funding Number: W9126G 23 2 SOI 3119 Agency: Department of Defense Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,023,100 |
| Integrating long term datasets with next generation ecological models to quantify ecological response in aquatic systems Apply for W81EWF 23 SOI 0015 Funding Number: W81EWF 23 SOI 0015 Agency: Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE CATTAIL AND MESQUITE FOR NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE, LAUGHLIN AFB, TX Apply for W9126G 23 2 SOI 2619 Funding Number: W9126G 23 2 SOI 2619 Agency: Department of Defense, Fort Worth District Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $199,000 |
| Economics Apply for PD 23 1320 Funding Number: PD 23 1320 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Expanding TRIPODS through Partnerships Apply for 23 591 Funding Number: 23 591 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research to Continue Investigation of Hydrometeorological Prediction and the Application of Using Quantitative Precipitation Forecast Capabilities to Inform Reservoir Operations Apply for W81EWF 23 SOI 0013 Funding Number: W81EWF 23 SOI 0013 Agency: Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| DoD Combat Readiness - Translational Research Award Apply for HT9425 23 S CRRP Funding Number: HT9425 23 S CRRP Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Melanoma Focused Program Award - Rare Melanomas Apply for HT9425 23 MRP FPA RM Funding Number: HT9425 23 MRP FPA RM Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY23 DoD Melanoma Idea Award Apply for HT9425 23 MRP IA Funding Number: HT9425 23 MRP IA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Melanoma Academy Scholar Award Apply for HT9425 23 MRP MASA Funding Number: HT9425 23 MRP MASA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Melanoma Mid-Career Accelerator Award Apply for HT9425 23 MRP MCAA Funding Number: HT9425 23 MRP MCAA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DoD Melanoma Research Team Science Award Apply for HT9425 23 MRP TSA Funding Number: HT9425 23 MRP TSA Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| SOUTHEAST TEXAS HURRICANE EVACUATION STUDY RE-STUDY VULNERABILTY, BEHAVIORAL, SHELTER, and TRANSPORTATION ANALYSES Apply for W81EWF 23 SOI 0011 Funding Number: W81EWF 23 SOI 0011 Agency: Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education Apply for 23 593 Funding Number: 23 593 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "HT9425 23 VRP FTTSA", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.