DoW Toxic Exposures Clinical Trial Award | HT942526TERPCTA

FY26 Toxic Exposures Research Program (TERP) Clinical Trial Award (CTA) - FAQs

What is the FY26 TERP Clinical Trial Award (CTA)?

The FY26 Toxic Exposures Research Program (TERP) Clinical Trial Award (CTA) is a U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency funding opportunity intended to move clinical trials forward for health problems linked to military-related toxic exposures.

What is the main purpose of this award?

The primary purpose is practical, patient-centered impact. The program aims to support clinical trial studies that could meaningfully improve prevention strategies, treatments, or symptom management for diseases and conditions that arise from, or are worsened by, toxic exposure events and environments encountered during military service.

What kinds of research does this opportunity support?

This opportunity supports the conduct and analysis of clinical trials. It is designed to fund trials across a wide range of maturity levels, from early proof-of-concept efforts to larger, later-stage trials intended to determine efficacy and real-world effectiveness.

Does the award support early-stage clinical trials?

Yes. The award can support smaller proof-of-concept efforts such as pilot studies, first-in-human trials, or phase 0 trials that focus on feasibility, safety signals, and generating data needed to justify or properly design larger trials.

Does the award support larger or later-stage clinical trials?

Yes. The award can support larger-scale clinical trials, including pragmatic clinical trials, aimed at determining efficacy and real-world effectiveness in relevant patient populations.

What does "pragmatic clinical trial" mean in the context of this announcement?

Based on the description provided, pragmatic clinical trials under this mechanism are trials intended to assess real-world effectiveness in relevant patient populations, helping generate evidence that can guide clinical practice.

Is this opportunity meant to fund exploratory laboratory studies?

No. The mechanism is described as being intended to bridge promising ideas and interventions into evidence that can guide clinical practice, rather than supporting only exploratory lab findings.

What health issues are in scope for the FY26 TERP CTA?

Health problems linked to military-related toxic exposures are in scope, including diseases and conditions that arise from, or are worsened by, toxic exposure events and environments encountered during military service.

Who is offering and administering this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Defense Health Agency. It is administered by the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA).

What type of funding opportunity is this?

It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology/research and development category.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 12.420.

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is HT942526TERPCTA.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, which suggests a broad range of organizations may apply, subject to the full announcement requirements.

Is there a collaboration or teaming option?

Yes. A key feature is collaboration through a Partnering Principal Investigator Option (PPIO).

What is the Partnering Principal Investigator Option (PPIO)?

The PPIO allows applicants to propose a structure with an initiating Principal Investigator and a Partnering Principal Investigator. If selected, each PI would receive a separate award while working as a coordinated team.

If two PIs apply under the PPIO, do they share one award or receive separate awards?

Under the PPIO structure described, each Principal Investigator would receive a separate award while operating as a coordinated team on the selected project.

What kind of partnerships does the program encourage?

The program signals that it values interdisciplinary partnerships, including clinician-researcher pairings where clinical access and operational know-how are combined with research design and analytic expertise to speed translation into clinical application.

How should applicants justify the value of a PPIO collaboration?

The collaboration is expected to add genuine value. The partnership should enable a project that would be notably stronger or more achievable than two separate, independent efforts.

What is the expected number of awards?

The posting indicates an expectation of one award.

What is the award ceiling?

An award ceiling is not specified in the provided information.

When is the application closing date?

The original closing date listed is November 19, 2026.

Where can the pre-announcement be found?

The public pre-announcement is available through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) site at: https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2026/terppreann.

What does the program ultimately want to achieve with funded studies?

The program emphasizes patient-centered outcomes and translation to practice, supporting clinical trial evidence that can meaningfully improve prevention, treatment, or symptom management related to military-associated toxic exposures.