CDMRP: Military Burn Research Program (MBRP)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The FY26 Military Burn Research Program (MBRP) will fund innovative, high-impact research focused on military-relevant burn trauma care in austere, combat environments. This is an early pre-announcement, giving teams time to prepare ahead of formal release on Grants.gov.

Application deadlines are not yet specified — they will be provided when the official funding opportunity announcements are released. Founders and researchers should begin planning now, as all mechanisms require a preproposal and are invitation-only for full applications.

How much funding would I receive?

Funding varies by award mechanism:

• Discovery Award

  • Up to $200,000 total costs

  • Up to 2 years

• Patient-Centered Research Award (PCRA)

  • Single PI: Up to $1.6 million total costs

  • Mentorship Option: Up to $1.8 million total costs

  • Up to 4 years

• Technology/Therapeutic Development Award (TTDA)

  • Single PI: Up to $1.6 million total costs

  • Mentorship Option: Up to $1.8 million total costs

  • Up to 3 years

Total costs include direct and indirect costs.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding must support research aligned to combat-relevant burn care, including:

• Cold injury triage, treatment, and prevention

• Acute burn care in combat settings

• Prevention, assessment, or treatment of burn-related complications:

  • Fluid resuscitation issues

  • Endotheliopathy

  • Sepsis

  • Inhalation injuries

  • Fungal infections

  • Hypermetabolism

• Early interventions to reduce long-term complications (e.g., chronic pain, neuropathy, pruritus)

By mechanism:

• Discovery Award: Early-stage, exploratory, non-clinical research (no clinical trials)

• PCRA: Clinical research and clinical trials only

• TTDA: Product-focused development (devices, drugs, or clinical practice tools), no clinical trials

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Optional Mentorship Option (PCRA and TTDA) to support collaboration between senior and junior researchers

• Access to CDMRP-managed funding infrastructure

• Opportunity to build solutions for military and battlefield healthcare applications

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• This is a pre-announcement only

• Application deadlines are not yet specified

• Once released:

  • Pre-applications must be submitted via eBRAP

  • Full applications are invitation-only following preproposal review

• Timing for award decisions and funding is not specified

Where does this funding come from?

• FY26 Defense Appropriations Act

• Managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP)

• Under the Defense Health Agency Research and Development – Medical Research and Development Command (DHA R&D-MRDC)

Who is eligible to apply?

• Discovery Award: Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

• PCRA & TTDA: Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

No additional eligibility restrictions are specified.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Competitive applications will:

• Directly address combat-relevant burn care challenges

• Focus on austere, resource-limited, battlefield environments

• Show:

  • Strong scientific rationale

  • Clear study design and analysis plan

  • Alignment with one or more listed focus areas

By mechanism:

• Discovery: Novel, early-stage ideas with potential future impact

• PCRA: Clinically actionable research with preliminary data

• TTDA: Clear path to a tangible product, supported by proof of concept

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Preproposal required; full application is invitation-only for all mechanisms

• Mechanism-specific restrictions:

  • Discovery: No clinical trials

  • PCRA: No preclinical or animal research

  • TTDA: No clinical research or clinical trials

• Preliminary data:

  • Required for PCRA and TTDA

  • Optional for Discovery

• All applications must follow final FOA requirements once released

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

• Not explicitly specified

• However, applicants should plan for:

  • Preproposal development

  • Invitation-based full application

• Given the structure, preparation will likely require multiple stages, but exact timelines are not specified

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support you across both stages:

• Identify the best-fit mechanism (Discovery vs. PCRA vs. TTDA)

• Shape your concept to align with combat burn priorities

• Develop a competitive preproposal strategy

• Build a full application (if invited), including:

  • Technical narrative

  • Commercialization or translation framing (for TTDA)

  • Clinical positioning (for PCRA)

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($13,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.