The Idea Development Award promotes ideas that are still in the early stages of development and have the potential to yield high-impact findings and new avenues of investigation.

This award mechanism supports conceptually innovative high-risk/high-reward research that could lead to critical

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discoveries or major advancements in scleroderma research and/or improvements in patient care.

Research projects should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong preliminary data and scientific rationale.

Submissions from and partnerships with investigators at Department of Defense (DoD) military treatment facilities and laboratories, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and research laboratories are encouraged.The following are significant features of the FY20 SRP IDA: Preliminary Data:
Preliminary data are required but need not be from the scleroderma research field.

Preliminary data may include unpublished or published results from the laboratory of the Principal Investigator (PI) or collaborators named on the application and/or data from the published literature relevant to scleroderma. Impact:
The application should support research that seeks to understand the causes and progression of scleroderma and/or realizing improvements in patient care and/or quality of life. Innovation:
Innovative research may introduce a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other uniquely creative qualities that may include high-risk/potentially high-gain approaches to scleroderma research.

Research that is merely an incremental advancement (the next logical step) is not considered innovative. Relevance to Military Health:
The SRP seeks to support research that is relevant to the healthcare needs of military Service members, Veterans, and their families.

Relevance to military health will be considered in determining relevance to the mission of the DHP and FY20 SRP during programmatic review.

Investigators are strongly encouraged to consider the following characteristics as examples of how a project may demonstrate relevance to military health:○ Use of military or Veteran populations, biospecimens, data/databases, or programs in the proposed research○ Collaboration with DoD or VA investigators○ Involvement of military consultants (Army, Air Force) or specialty leaders (Navy, Marine Corps) to the Surgeons General in a relevant specialty area○ Description of how the knowledge, information, products, or technologies gained from the proposed research could be implemented in a dual-use capacity to address a military need that also benefits the civilian populationo Explanation of how the project addresses an aspect of scleroderma that has direct relevance to military Service members, Veterans, or other Military Health System beneficiaries, including environmental exposures.The proposed research must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public. New Investigator Collaboration Option:
The FY20 SRP IDA mechanism encourages applications in which an established scleroderma researcher (as demonstrated by current funding and recent publications) partners with a New Investigator in the early stages of their career.

The New Investigator Collaboration Option is designed to support the continued development of promising independent investigators that are early in their faculty appointments.

All New Investigators must meet specific eligibility criteria as described in Section II.C, Eligibility Information.

If the New Investigator Collaboration Option is selected, one PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission.

The Initiating PI cannot be a New Investigator.

The other PI will be identified as a Partnering PI.

Both PIs should contribute significantly to the development of the proposed research project, including the Project Narrative, Statement of Work (SOW), and other required components.

If recommended for funding, each PI will be named to an individual award within the recipient organization.

For individual submission requirements for the Initiating and Partnering PIs, refer to Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission.The types of awards made under the Program Announcement will be assistance agreements.

An assistance agreement is appropriate when the Federal Government transfers a “thing of value” to a “state, local government,” or “other recipient” to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States instead of acquiring property or service for the direct benefit and use of the U.

S.

Government.

An assistance agreement can take the form of a grant or cooperative agreement.

The level of involvement on the part of the DoD during project performance is the key factor in determining whether to award a grant or cooperative agreement.

If “no substantial involvement” on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a grant award will be made (31 USC 6304).

Conversely, if substantial involvement on the part of the funding agency is anticipated, a cooperative agreement will be made (31 USC 6305), and the award will identify the specific substantial involvement.

Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, collaboration, participation, or intervention in the research to be performed under the award.

The award type, along with the start date, will be determined during the negotiation process.The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY20 SRP Idea Development Award will not exceed $300,000 for applications with a single PI or $450,000 if applying under the New Investigator Collaboration Option.

Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.Awards will be made no later than September 30, 202 1.

For additional information refer to Section II.F.1, Federal Award Notices.The CDMRP expects to allot approximately $ 2. 4M to fund approximately two Idea Development Award applications and two Idea Development - New Investigator Collaboration Option Award applications.

Funding of applications received is contingent upon the availability of Federal funds for this program as well as the number of applications received, the quality and merit of the applications as evaluated by scientific and programmatic review, and the requirements of the Government.

Funds to be obligated on any award resulting from this funding opportunity will be available for use for a limited time period based on the fiscal year of the funds.

It is anticipated that awards made from this FY20 funding opportunity will be funded with FY20 funds, which will expire for use on September 30, 202 6.