CDMRP: FY26 Reconstructive Transplant Research Program (RTRP)
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Executive Summary:
The FY26 Reconstructive Transplant Research Program (RTRP) Concept Award supports highly innovative, high-risk research that could open new directions in reconstructive transplantation. The program is designed to fund new concepts and untested theories rather than incremental advances to existing work. Projects must address at least one FY26 RTRP Focus Area and be relevant to improving outcomes for catastrophically injured Service Members, Veterans, their families, caregivers, clinicians, and the American public. Clinical trials are not allowed.
This is a relatively small, early-stage funding opportunity intended to help researchers generate foundational insights that could lead to future development and larger follow-on efforts. The Defense Health Agency expects to fund approximately three awards. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET, September 16, 2026. Organizations interested in applying should begin preparing immediately because a required Letter of Intent must be submitted first by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), September 2, 2026.
How much funding would I receive?
Applicants may request up to $200,000 in total costs for the entire project period. The maximum period of performance is 18 months.
The FY26 RTRP expects to allocate approximately $0.6 million to fund approximately three Concept Award applications.
Cost sharing is not required.
What could I use the funding for?
Funding is intended to support highly innovative research addressing important problems in reconstructive transplantation and vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA). The award specifically supports exploration of new concepts and untested theories rather than continuation of established research programs.
Projects must address at least one of the following FY26 RTRP Focus Areas:
Improve or optimize VCA immunosuppression.
Identify and/or validate prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers, methods, or tools for monitoring VCA graft rejection and immunosuppression.
Advance VCA preservation strategies.
Develop tools for measuring VCA outcomes, including performance-based, patient-reported, and neurocognitive outcomes.
Allowable costs may include:
Research activities supporting the proposed project.
Travel supporting multi-institutional collaborations.
Travel for one investigator to present project findings at one scientific or technical meeting per year.
Required travel for the Principal Investigator to present results at one Department of War-sponsored meeting during the award period.
Are there any additional benefits I would receive?
In addition to funding, awardees gain the opportunity to conduct research within a Department of Defense-funded program focused on advancing reconstructive transplantation and improving outcomes for catastrophically injured Service Members and Veterans.
Award recipients may also be invited to present project progress at annual RTRP In-Progress Review meetings.
What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?
Key dates include:
Letter of Intent deadline: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), September 2, 2026
Full application deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET, September 16, 2026
End of application verification period: 5:00 p.m. ET, September 21, 2026
Peer review: November 2026
Programmatic review: January 2027
Awards supported with FY26 funds will be made no later than September 30, 2027.
Where does this funding come from?
This funding opportunity is offered through the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA) and managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) as part of the Reconstructive Transplant Research Program (RTRP).
Congress initiated the RTRP in 2012 to support research that refines reconstructive transplantation approaches and expands access to reconstructive transplants and immunotherapy. The FY26 appropriation for the RTRP is $12 million.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicant organizations include:
Extramural and intramural U.S. Department of War organizations.
Foreign organizations.
Domestic organizations.
For-profit organizations.
Nonprofit organizations.
Public entities.
Private entities.
Eligible Principal Investigators include:
Investigators at or above the level of postdoctoral fellow.
Investigators affiliated with an eligible organization.
Investigators regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or citizenship status.
Investigators from academic or non-academic organizations.
An investigator may serve as PI on no more than two FY26 RTRP Concept Award applications.
Who is not eligible to apply?
The solicitation states that:
Individuals cannot receive awards directly because awards are made to organizations.
Investigators below the level of postdoctoral fellow are not eligible to serve as PI.
Investigators serving as PI on more than two FY26 RTRP Concept Award applications are not eligible beyond the first two submissions received.
Applications may also be administratively withdrawn if:
A clinical trial is proposed.
Human subjects or specimen studies do not qualify for exempt or expedited review.
The PI does not meet eligibility requirements.
Required pre-application materials are not submitted.
What companies and projects are likely to win?
The program is seeking projects that are:
Highly innovative.
High-risk with the potential to reveal new avenues of investigation.
Focused on at least one FY26 RTRP Focus Area.
Relevant to military health and catastrophic injury recovery.
Supported by a strong scientific rationale despite the absence of preliminary data.
Designed with rigorous and reproducible research methods.
Applications leveraging findings from solid organ transplantation for testing in VCA may be competitive when the rationale and potential benefits are clearly justified.
The review criteria place the greatest emphasis on:
Innovation
Relevance
Research Strategy and Feasibility
Personnel
Transition Plan
Research Sharing Plan
Budget
Environment
Application Presentation
How competitive will this solicitation be?
This appears to be a highly competitive opportunity.
The program expects to fund approximately three awards from a total funding pool of approximately $0.6 million.
The solicitation also notes that since FY15, the RTRP Concept Award mechanism has received 196 applications, with 26 recommended for funding.
Are there any restrictions I should know about?
Key restrictions include:
Clinical trials are not allowed.
Preliminary data cannot be included.
Research involving human subjects or specimens must qualify for exempt status or expedited review.
Projects involving painful research using domestic cats or dogs are not supported except for studies relating to military or service animals.
Classified research data or research likely to generate classified outcomes may result in withdrawal.
Duplicate submissions of the same research project within the RTRP during the same fiscal year are prohibited.
How long will it take me to prepare an application?
The application process includes both:
A required Letter of Intent submission.
A full application package.
The solicitation does not specify how long preparation will take. However, applicants must prepare multiple application components, including a Project Narrative, Statement of Work, Innovation Statement, Post-Award Transition Plan, budget materials, supporting documentation, and other required forms.
How can BW&CO help?
BW&CO can help your team:
Evaluate whether your concept aligns with one or more FY26 RTRP Focus Areas.
Position your project around the program’s primary review criteria, particularly innovation and military relevance.
Develop a compliant Letter of Intent and full application package.
Build a compelling research strategy and transition plan.
Prepare budgets, supporting documentation, and submission materials.
Manage the application process through submission and compliance review.