DoD Tick-Borne Disease Research Program Therapeutic/Diagnostic Research Award | HT9425 23 TBDRP TDRA

Opportunity Information: Apply for HT9425 23 TBDRP TDRA

The DoD Tick-Borne Disease Research Program (TBDRP) Therapeutic/Diagnostic Research Award (FY23) is a competitive Department of Defense funding opportunity designed to push forward practical, hypothesis-driven research that can lead to better treatments and better diagnostic tools for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The program is aimed at work with clear translational promise, meaning the research should be positioned to move beyond basic discovery and toward real-world clinical impact. A central priority is improving patient care and quality of life for military Service Members, Veterans, their families and beneficiaries, and also the broader U.S. public affected by tick-borne illnesses and related conditions.

This award supports two main tracks of work. Under the Treatment Focus Area, projects are expected to be therapeutic evaluation studies that help generate and test new ideas for drug or treatment discovery, particularly at early or preclinical stages. In other words, the program is looking for solid, data-driven studies that evaluate promising therapeutic concepts before they are ready for large clinical trials, with the intent of building the evidence base needed to move candidates forward. Under the Diagnosis Focus Area, proposals should center on diagnostic approaches that can be readily integrated into clinical settings. That emphasis signals that the DoD wants diagnostics that are not only scientifically interesting, but also realistic for routine use in healthcare environments, with attention to factors like usability, workflow fit, and the practical steps needed for adoption.

Across both focus areas, the solicitation makes it clear that projects should be empirical and product-driven. That typically implies measurable development milestones, tangible outputs (such as a candidate therapeutic strategy, assay, or diagnostic platform), and a plan that demonstrates how the work could transition toward the clinic or toward broader deployment. The program also explicitly encourages team science and strategic partnerships: applicants who are new to tick-borne disease research are strongly encouraged to collaborate with investigators who have substantial experience in the field, while applicants who already have deep tick-borne disease expertise are strongly encouraged to bring in partners who specialize in therapeutic development, diagnostic assay development, and transition activities, especially collaborators from the commercial sector. This structure reflects an emphasis on both disease-area expertise and the specialized know-how required to move a therapeutic or diagnostic product toward real use.

Administratively, the opportunity is offered by the Department of Defense (Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, USAMRAA) under Funding Opportunity Number HT9425 23 TBDRP TDRA. The funding mechanism allows for either grants or cooperative agreements, indicating that some awards may involve closer government involvement or coordination depending on project needs. The program is listed under CFDA number 12.420 and is categorized as Science and Technology and other Research and Development. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of organization types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. For FY23, the opportunity anticipated making about four awards. The posting indicates an award ceiling of 0, which usually means applicants should rely on the detailed announcement for any budget constraints or expectations rather than assuming a fixed upper limit from the summary fields. The opportunity was created on April 4, 2023, with an original closing date of August 24, 2023.

• 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 Tick-Borne Disease Research Program Therapeutic/Diagnostic Research 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 Apr 04, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 24, 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 4 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.

Apply for HT9425 23 TBDRP TDRA

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: