OpenOpportunity HT942526VRPIIRA

DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Department of Defense

At a glance

DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award is an open federal grant opportunity from the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA (Department of Defense). Applications are due November 12, 2026. Total estimated funding is $4.4M across about 5 awards. The notice is unrestricted by applicant type, subject to any clarifications in the notice. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 12.420 (Military Medical Research and Development).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Posted: May 5, 2026
Close date: Nov 12, 2026
Archive date: Dec 12, 2026
Est. award date: Sep 30, 2027
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: $4,400,000
Expected awards: 5
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Who can apply

Unrestricted (any entity type)

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Vision Research Program (VRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award (IIRA) supports basic through early translational research that will yield highly impactful discoveries or major advancements in the research and/or patient care of eye injury and/or visual dysfunction related to military exposure. The IIRA may be used to support preclinical studies and/or clinical research. Research must align with at least one of the FY26 VRP Focus Areas. The IIRA cannot be used to support clinical trials.

Distinctive Features:

· The IIRA offers two Funding Levels to support research at different stages and the exploration/development of ideas of different maturity levels.

· Funding Level 2 includes a Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option (PPIO) for two PIs, an Initiating PI and a Partnering PI.

· Scored peer review criteria include Research Idea/Rationale, Research Strategy and Feasibility, Impact, and Personnel.

· Programmatic review criteria include adherence to the intent of the IIRA, contribution to the VRP portfolio, relative impact, and relevance to military health.

· The VRP may share FY26 IIRA applications and reviews with the National Eye Institute (NEI) for independent funding consideration.

https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2026/vrppreann

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

12.420Military Medical Research and DevelopmentProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 12.420

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$1.48B

FY25

$1.2B

FY26

— est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 12.420. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Teresa M Parker-Reeser Grants Officer
help@eBRAP.org
3016192171

Quick answers

When is the deadline for “DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award”?

According to the official notice, applications are due November 12, 2026. Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for “DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award”?

The notice lists eligibility as unrestricted — open to any type of entity — subject to clarifications in the notice's additional eligibility information.

How much funding is available through “DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award”?

Per the notice, total estimated program funding is $4,400,000 and the agency expects to make about 5 awards.

How do I apply for “DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity HT942526VRPIIRA), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

Closes in 6 daysALN 12.420