FY26 Reconstructive Transplant Research Program: Investigator-Initiated Research Award
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Quick Answer
The FY26 Reconstructive Transplant Research Program (RTRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award is a Department of War grant, managed by CDMRP, that funds research into vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA), the field covering hand, face, and other tissue transplants. The program has $8,000,000 available across an expected 8 awards, with a maximum of $1.0M in total costs per award over up to 3 years. There is no cost sharing requirement. A pre-application through eBRAP is required before the full application. The estimated application due date is November 4, 2026.
What This Opportunity Is
This funding opportunity comes from the Reconstructive Transplant Research Program, a program within the Department of War's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), operating under the Defense Health Agency's research and development structure. The FY26 Defense Appropriations Act provided funding specifically to advance the science and clinical practice of vascularized composite allotransplantation, or VCA.
VCA covers transplants involving multiple tissue types together, such as skin, muscle, bone, nerve, and blood vessels, most commonly seen in hand and face transplantation for patients recovering from severe trauma. This is an area with direct relevance to wounded Service Members, though the program also serves the broader civilian patient population.
The Investigator-Initiated Research Award is designed for independent investigators at all career levels. Unlike some CDMRP mechanisms, this award does not support clinical trials, but it does support preclinical research, translational research, and clinical research involving human subjects or human anatomical substances, so long as the work stays within the scope of a defined research study rather than a trial testing an intervention's efficacy.
What the Program Is Looking For
Applications must address at least one of the following FY26 RTRP focus areas.
Improving or optimizing VCA immunosuppression, including:
Defining the unique targets and mechanisms of VCA immunogenicity and its regulation
Developing novel tolerogenic agents or approaches for VCA immunosuppression
Developing less toxic or personalized regimens for maintenance immunosuppression
Identifying or validating reliable prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers, methods, or tools for monitoring VCA graft rejection and immunosuppression
Identifying or validating reliable biomarkers for predicting and monitoring acute and chronic VCA rejection in the clinic, using human clinical samples
Developing assays, devices, or technology for clinical graft monitoring that utilize biomarkers, with proposed devices expected to account for human use factors unique to VCA recipients
Identifying or validating reliable approaches to measuring and monitoring in vivo or clinical immunosuppression levels
Advancing VCA preservation strategies, including:
Developing promising static preservation strategies, active perfusion modalities, or other technologies for translation to the clinic
Developing mitigation strategies for preservation mediated injury, including immune activation or ischemia reperfusion injury
Developing tools for measuring VCA outcomes, including performance based, patient reported, and neurocognitive measures
In practical terms, this opportunity is a strong fit for companies and research teams working in transplant immunology, organ and tissue preservation technology, perfusion systems, biomarker development, diagnostic assays, and clinical monitoring devices for transplant patients.
Eligibility and Requirements
Eligibility is open to independent investigators at all career levels. There is no restriction limiting this to a specific organization type, which CDMRP designates as unrestricted eligibility.
Applications must demonstrate solid scientific rationale paired with military relevant utility. All projects must respond to the health care needs of military Service Members or Veterans recovering from traumatic injury, and may also address the needs of their family members, caregivers, or clinicians, as well as the general public. Collaboration with military researchers and clinicians is encouraged but not required.
Applicants must include preliminary or published data relevant to reconstructive transplantation that supports the rationale for the proposed research. A letter of intent is required as part of the process.
Study design should be rigorous, with a strong statistical plan and appropriate power analysis to support reproducibility and translational feasibility.
Funding Details
Total program funding is $8,000,000
Expected number of awards is 8
Maximum allowable funding per award is $1.0M in total costs
Maximum period of performance is 3 years
Cost sharing or matching is not required
Funding instrument type is a grant
Funding opportunity number is HT942526RTRPIIRA
Assistance Listing number is 12.420, Military Medical Research and Development
Timeline
Estimated posting date is August 24, 2026
Estimated application due date is November 4, 2026
Estimated award date is September 30, 2027
Estimated project start date is September 30, 2027
These are currently forecasted dates. The official funding opportunity announcement, including the finalized pre-application and full application deadlines, will be posted to Grants.gov.
How to Apply
Before submitting a full application, CDMRP requires investigators to submit a pre-application through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal, known as eBRAP, ahead of the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final funding opportunity announcement once it is posted on Grants.gov.
To find this and related CDMRP funding opportunities directly on Grants.gov, search using Assistance Listing number 12.420. Investigators can also subscribe to program specific email updates through the Email Subscriptions option on the eBRAP homepage to be notified as soon as the official announcement is released.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Reconstructive Transplant Research Program? The Reconstructive Transplant Research Program, or RTRP, is a Department of War research program managed by CDMRP that funds research to advance the science and clinical practice of vascularized composite allotransplantation, the field covering hand, face, and similar multi-tissue transplants.
What does VCA stand for? VCA stands for vascularized composite allotransplantation, which refers to transplants that involve multiple connected tissue types, such as skin, muscle, bone, nerve, and blood vessels, transplanted together as a functional unit.
How much funding is available for the FY26 RTRP Investigator-Initiated Research Award? The program has $8,000,000 in total funding available and expects to make 8 awards, with a maximum of $1.0M in total costs allowed per award.
What is the maximum period of performance? The maximum period of performance for an award is 3 years.
Is cost sharing or matching required? No, this award does not require cost sharing or matching funds.
Does this award support clinical trials? No, the Investigator-Initiated Research Award does not support clinical trials. It does support research from basic through translational phases, including preclinical studies in animal models and clinical research involving human subjects or human anatomical substances.
Who is eligible to apply? Eligibility is unrestricted and open to independent investigators at all career levels.
Is preliminary data required? Yes, applicants must include preliminary or published data relevant to reconstructive transplantation that supports the scientific rationale of the proposed research.
Is a letter of intent required? Yes, a letter of intent is required before submitting the full application.
What is eBRAP? eBRAP is the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal. CDMRP requires investigators to submit a pre-application through eBRAP before the pre-application deadline, prior to submitting a full application.
When is the application due? The estimated application due date is November 4, 2026, though this is currently a forecasted date pending the official funding opportunity announcement on Grants.gov.
What focus areas must an application address? Applications must address at least one FY26 RTRP focus area, which fall under two broad goals: improving or optimizing VCA immunosuppression, and advancing VCA preservation strategies. Specific focus areas include biomarker development, tolerogenic agents, personalized immunosuppression regimens, graft monitoring devices, perfusion and preservation technologies, and tools for measuring functional, patient reported, and neurocognitive outcomes.
Does the research need to have military relevance? Yes, all projects must be responsive to the health care needs of military Service Members or Veterans recovering from traumatic injury, and may also address their family members, caregivers, or clinicians, along with the general public. Collaboration with military researchers is encouraged but not a requirement.
What is the funding opportunity number? The funding opportunity number is HT942526RTRPIIRA.
Where can I find the official announcement? The official funding opportunity announcement will be posted on Grants.gov. Investigators can search using Assistance Listing number 12.420 to find CDMRP opportunities, and can subscribe to updates through the eBRAP homepage.
