DOD Peer Reviewed Alzheimer’s, Convergence Science Research Award | W81XWH 21 PRARP CSRA

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DOD Peer Reviewed Alzheimer's, Convergence Science Research Award (CSRA)

What is the DOD Peer Reviewed Alzheimer's, Convergence Science Research Award (CSRA)?

The CSRA is a Department of Defense (DOD) research funding opportunity intended to push Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) research in new, highly creative directions. It is designed to support projects that go beyond incremental advances and instead produce broadly useful resources, tools, and new avenues of investigation for the field.

What is the main goal of this award?

The core goal is to fund work that can change the trajectory of AD/ADRD research by generating enabling outputs (for example, tools, datasets, platforms, methods, technologies, or validated measures) that other researchers and health practitioners can use to accelerate progress.

What kind of research is this program trying to fund?

The program is looking for innovation- and impact-based projects that deliberately challenge current research assumptions or methods, or introduce genuinely novel approaches that could reshape how AD/ADRD problems are studied or addressed. The emphasis is on convergence science and practical impact rather than traditional, purely hypothesis-driven work.

What does the opportunity mean by "convergence science"?

Based on the description provided, convergence science is treated as an approach that brings together ideas, methods, or innovations in a way that enables new lines of inquiry and practical outputs for AD/ADRD research. The focus is on producing results that can be used broadly by others, not just answering a narrow research question.

Is this award intended for incremental or routine extensions of existing projects?

No. The CSRA is positioned as a high-bar, innovation-first award. It is intended to seed efforts that can meaningfully alter the field's direction, rather than fund routine extensions or incremental additions to existing knowledge.

What types of deliverables or outputs are expected from funded projects?

Projects are expected to produce broadly useful outputs that others can adopt, such as new datasets, methods, platforms, technologies, validated measures, or other enabling resources. The intent is to create tools and resources that open up fresh avenues of investigation and accelerate future work.

How is "impact" described for this award?

Impact is framed as producing practical, enabling outcomes that can be used by the wider research and health practitioner communities. The work should be positioned to benefit military and Veteran health contexts while also translating to broader civilian public health or clinical benefit.

What is the required connection to military-related risk factors and populations?

A central requirement is relevance to military-related risk factors and populations. Applications are expected to clearly demonstrate how the proposed work relates to military and Veteran contexts and why it matters for Service members and Veterans, while still producing knowledge and tools that can benefit civilians as well.

Does the research team need specific expertise?

Yes. The opportunity indicates that applications are expected to demonstrate that the study team has credible experience in both (1) military risk factor-related research and (2) AD/ADRD research, in a way that aligns with the proposed work.

Who is offering this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is offered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA).

What type of funding is this categorized as?

It is categorized as discretionary funding within science, technology, and other research and development activities, with CFDA 12.420.

What funding mechanisms are used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

The listing states that the funding instruments include both grants and cooperative agreements. This means some awards may involve a higher level of government programmatic involvement than a standard grant, depending on which mechanism is ultimately used.

What does it mean that cooperative agreements may have more government involvement?

Based on the description provided, a cooperative agreement may involve more active programmatic involvement from the government than a traditional grant. The exact level of involvement would depend on the final mechanism used.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many types of applicant organizations, subject to any additional eligibility details that may appear in the full announcement.

Is an award ceiling or maximum budget listed?

No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided listing (shown as 0). This typically indicates that applicants need to consult the full funding announcement for budget limits, expectations, or constraints.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated making around five awards.

When was this opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on April 8, 2021, with an original closing date of July 21, 2021.

What does AD/ADRD stand for in this opportunity?

AD/ADRD refers to Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias.

What distinguishes this award from traditional hypothesis-driven research funding?

The CSRA emphasizes innovation and impact over traditional hypothesis-driven approaches. Proposals are expected to challenge existing assumptions or methods and produce enabling resources that can be broadly used, rather than focusing primarily on incremental hypothesis testing.

Is civilian benefit part of the intent, or is it strictly military-focused?

Civilian benefit is part of the intent. While the program requires a clear line of sight to military and Veteran risk factors and relevance, it also expects resulting knowledge and tools to translate to wider public health or clinical benefit for the broader civilian community.

Where should applicants look for details not included in this listing?

The listing indicates that key details such as budget limits and any additional eligibility constraints may be found in the full funding announcement.