DOD Epilepsy,Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Leadership Award | W81XWH 22 ERP VIRTUAL P TERC L

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The DOD Epilepsy Research Program (ERP) Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center (Virtual P-TERC) Leadership Award is a Department of Defense funding opportunity designed to strengthen the post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) research workforce by building a structured, high-touch mentoring and collaboration environment for early-career investigators and researchers who are new to the PTE field. Instead of primarily funding a single lab's standalone science project, this award supports the leadership team that will run a multi-institutional, interactive virtual center where new PTE investigators (the "Faculty") receive intensive guidance, networking access, and opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. The bigger aim is to expand both the quality and the quantity of PTE research by helping promising investigators become productive, independent PTE researchers within a shared training-and-research ecosystem.

This announcement specifically solicits applications for two leadership roles: a Virtual P-TERC Director and a Deputy Director. Together, these two principal investigators are responsible for shaping the center's vision, coordinating its activities, and ensuring that the Virtual P-TERC functions as a cohesive, cross-disciplinary community rather than a loose collection of separate projects. The leadership team must be composed of established PTE researchers with a strong track record of mentoring and developing independent investigators. The Director and Deputy Director can be based at different institutions and come from different parts of the PTE research spectrum, which reinforces the program's emphasis on convergent science, meaning researchers from different disciplines working together on shared problems to move the field forward.

A major expectation of the Leadership Award is active, hands-on career development and progress monitoring for the Virtual P-TERC Faculty, in coordination with each Faculty member's primary mentor (called a Career Guide). The leadership is expected to set clear assessment criteria to evaluate both scientific progress and career progression, provide constructive critique to strengthen research and professional development, and help ensure that Faculty can sustain themselves as independent PTE investigators over time. Just as importantly, the leadership must intentionally promote "cross-pollination" between disciplines, creating a collaborative environment where ideas, methods, and perspectives move between teams and spark new lines of research.

Beyond mentoring and evaluation, the leadership team is required to build the structures that make the center function like a true research community. This includes facilitating ongoing communication among all Faculty and Career Guides through periodic interactive meetings, and creating avenues to raise the visibility of Faculty within the broader PTE research world and among communities affected by PTE. Examples named in the opportunity include connecting Faculty to peer review opportunities, editorial boards, meet-and-greets, and scientific events such as conferences, workshops, and webinars. The center is also expected to support professional development that goes beyond technical science, such as leadership and management skills needed to fund, build, and run a productive laboratory.

Another core component is that the leadership must conduct collaborative pilot project(s) that include Virtual P-TERC Faculty. These pilot efforts are intended to strengthen collaboration within the center and contribute to improved understanding of PTE, while aligning with the ERP mission. In other words, the leadership is not only coordinating mentorship and community-building; it is also expected to help drive collaborative research activity that can knit the center together and accelerate progress.

The program places strong emphasis on engagement with people who have lived experience with PTE, including military relevance. The leadership must establish a Lived Experience Consultant Panel to ensure the center is informed by the needs and priorities of affected communities. This panel may include people living with PTE, family members, care partners, and representatives from advocacy or community-based organizations, with a recommendation that at least one consultant be a Service Member or Veteran. In addition, the leadership must form an External Advisory Board that includes field experts, Career Guides, and at least one lived experience representative, and it is recommended that at least one member understand the unique needs of military Service Members and Veterans with PTE. These requirements are meant to keep the center grounded in real-world impact and aligned with military health priorities.

The award structure is designed for two PIs with distinct administrative roles but shared leadership responsibility. The Director serves as the Initiating PI and typically handles most submission-related administrative duties, while the Deputy Director is the Partnering PI. However, the announcement is explicit that the Deputy Director role is not meant to be purely administrative support; both leaders must have meaningful interaction with Faculty and make substantial contributions to the center's operation and success. If funded, each PI receives an individual award through their organization, reflecting the multi-institutional design.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, awards under this opportunity are issued as assistance agreements, meaning they may be either grants or cooperative agreements depending on the anticipated level of DoD involvement during performance. If substantial federal involvement is expected (such as active collaboration or participation), a cooperative agreement is used; if not, a grant is used. The anticipated direct costs for the full period of performance (a 4-year effort) are capped at $1,250,000 for the Leadership Award. Program-level planning indicated approximately $2.0 million available to fund about one Leadership Award application, with funding dependent on federal availability and application merit through scientific and programmatic review. The opportunity was administered by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, USAMRAA under CFDA 12.420, with an open eligibility posture (unrestricted by entity type, subject to any additional text-based constraints). The original closing date listed was June 23, 2022, and awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2023, using FY22 funds that would remain available for use until September 30, 2028.

• 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 Epilepsy,Virtual Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Research Center Leadership 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 Mar 18, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 23, 2022. (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.

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