ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS · GRANT
DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award
Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Science and Technology
- Deadline
- Nov 12, 2026 (19 days left)
- Who can apply
- Anyone eligible under the notice (unrestricted)
- Award range
- Not stated
- Expected awards
- 5
- Total program funding
- $4.4 million
- Your own money required
- No cost sharing or matching required
- Opportunity number
- HT942526VRPIIRA
- Posted
- May 5, 2026
- Assistance listing
- 12.420
What it funds
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
Open the official notice on Grants.gov ↗What to do next
- Open the official notice on Grants.gov and download the full announcement (the NOFO) and any attachments.
- Check you can apply: the eligible applicants above, and any detail in the notice's eligibility section.
- Register your organization in SAM.gov (choose "all awards") and create a Grants.gov account; allow several weeks the first time.
- Apply through Grants.gov exactly as the notice says, before Nov 12, 2026. Late applications are usually not accepted.
New to this? Applying for a federal grant, step by step · Register to apply · How to read the notice · Write the narrative · Build the budget · Agency contact: help@eBRAP.org
From Grants.gov's official daily extract of Oct 25, 2026. The notice on Grants.gov and its attachments are what count. UX Contract is independent and not a government website.