CDMRP: Arthritis Research Program (ATRP)
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Executive Summary:
The Arthritis Research Program (ATRP) has released its anticipated funding opportunities for Fiscal Year 2026, funded through the Department of Defense’s FY26 Defense Appropriations Act and managed by the CDMRP. This pre-announcement is meant to help investigators prepare competitive proposals ahead of the official Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). Deadlines for pre-applications and full applications will be included in the upcoming FOAs on Grants.gov once released.
How much funding would I receive?
While the total program budget for ATRP isn’t specified in the pre-announcement itself, the FY26 DoD appropriations provide funding for the ATRP as part of a broader portfolio that includes a ~$10 M allocation for arthritis research.
Per award (anticipated levels):
Clinical Research Award
Research Level 1: Up to $1.3 M total costs over up to 4 years.
Research Level 2: Up to $3.25 M total costs over up to 4 years.
Translational Research Award
Up to $800,000 total costs over up to 3 years.
All awards count direct + indirect costs.
What could I use the funding for?
Funding is structured to support clinically relevant arthritis research:
Prevention & Early Diagnosis
Identify factors predicting disease onset/progression
Develop technologies or solutions for arthritis prevention.
Treatment & Burden Mitigation
Topic 1: Evaluate interventions or strategies that alleviate pain/symptoms, improve function, address psychosocial factors, comorbidities, or pathologic disease burden.
Topic 2: Develop new solutions targeting similar multifactorial elements of arthritis.
Translated into potential research areas:
Pilot studies or full clinical trials (clinical research)
Translational projects moving discoveries toward clinical application (without supporting clinical trials)
Are there any additional benefits I would receive?
Being part of a CDMRP program provides two-tier review with both scientific and programmatic relevance evaluation (via eBRAP/Grants.gov processes).
Opportunities to influence care and policy with clinically actionable outputs.
Access to broader CDMRP support resources and network.
What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?
This is a pre-announcement only. Formal FOAs with pre-application and full application deadlines will be posted to Grants.gov and eBRAP later.
Funding timeline (award start to end) aligns with award type (up to 3–4 years).
Where does this funding come from?
Funding comes from the FY26 Defense Appropriations Act, via the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), managed through the Defense Health Agency Research and Development Command (DHA R&D-MRDC).
Who is eligible to apply?
Independent investigators at all academic levels or equivalents can apply for all award types.
Clinical awards expect research aligned with program focus areas.
Translational awards require preliminary data and aim to move findings toward clinical relevance.
What companies and projects are likely to win?
Likely competitive applicants will:
Address prevention, early diagnosis, treatment efficacy, or multifactorial burden mitigation of arthritis.
Show strong preliminary data, especially for translational and clinical research.
Demonstrate clinical relevance and potential to improve patient outcomes.
Include multidisciplinary teams with community collaborators (patients/care partners) for applicability.
Are there any restrictions I should know about?
Pre-announcement is not a funding obligation or contract — final requirements and eligibility criteria will be defined in FOAs.
Clinical trials require appropriate planning and justification.
Applications for clinical research must include relevant preliminary/published data.
How long will it take me to prepare an application?
Preparation timelines vary by mechanism:
Clinical Research Awards may take months to draft due to data, design, and collaborator requirements.
Translational Awards also require solid preliminary evidence.
Plan ahead for eBRAP pre-applications and revision cycles before full submission. (Recommended: map to FOA deadlines once published.)
How can BW&CO help?
BW&CO could support you by:
Interpret the FOA once published and align your research to program priorities.
Develop competitive research and budget narratives.
Coordinate pre-application eBRAP submission and compliance checks.
How much would BW&CO Charge?
We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($13,000 + 5%) available.