DOD Neurofibromatosis, Synergistic Idea Award | W81XWH 21 NFRP SIA

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 NFRP SIA

The Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Synergistic Idea Award is a discretionary research funding opportunity administered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through USAMRAA. It is aimed at advancing neurofibromatosis (NF) research by supporting projects built around genuinely collaborative, synergy-driven concepts rather than single-lab efforts. The core premise is that certain NF problems are best tackled when multiple investigators combine distinct expertise, approaches, and ways of thinking to produce outcomes that would be difficult to achieve independently.

This award specifically requires a team-based structure led by two or three Principal Investigators (PIs). The expectation is that the investigators bring complementary strengths and integrate their perspectives in a way that directly serves a shared central problem or research question in NF. In other words, the work should not look like separate subprojects loosely bundled together; it should read as an intentionally coordinated effort where the collaboration itself is essential to the scientific strategy and the anticipated advances. The program allows for both new collaborations and established partnerships, recognizing that either can produce strong synergy when the scientific fit is right.

A notable feature of the opportunity is its encouragement of participation from PIs outside the traditional NF research community. This is meant to draw in methods, technologies, and conceptual frameworks from other fields that could unlock new angles on NF biology, diagnosis, treatment, or disease management. In practice, that could mean pairing NF specialists with experts in areas like genomics, immunology, bioengineering, computational biology, imaging, drug delivery, or other adjacent disciplines, as long as the combined expertise is clearly aligned to an NF-focused objective.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W81XWH 21 NFRP SIA) supports projects through either a grant or a cooperative agreement mechanism, both categorized under science and technology and other research and development. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full announcement. The listing notes an expected number of awards of 1. The award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that the specific maximum funding level may be defined elsewhere in the full program announcement or may depend on the proposed scope, rather than being stated in the summary field.

Key dates included in the public listing show a creation date of April 30, 2021, with an original closing date of July 22, 2021. Overall, the Synergistic Idea Award is best understood as a mechanism for funding high-value NF research questions where progress depends on tight, well-justified collaboration among two or three PIs, including teams that intentionally bridge NF research with outside disciplines to generate new ideas and more powerful combined approaches.

• 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 Neurofibromatosis, Synergistic Idea 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 30, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2021. (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 1 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 W81XWH 21 NFRP SIA

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