DoW Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health, Health Services Research Award | HT942526TBIPHRPHSRA

FY26 TBIPHRP Health Services Research Award (HSRA) - FAQs

1) What is the FY26 TBIPHRP Health Services Research Award (HSRA)?

The FY26 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program (TBIPHRP) Health Services Research Award (HSRA) is a Department of Defense-oriented grant opportunity that supports applied, real-world research aimed at improving how care and related policies are delivered for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health concerns. The focus is on generating evidence that can be used in routine care and decision-making, not just published findings.

2) What is the main goal of this award?

The central goal is to close the gap between (1) what research shows, (2) what clinicians and health systems actually do in practice, and (3) what policies allow or prevent interventions from being adopted at scale. Projects are expected to produce practical evidence on when and how to deploy interventions, clinical practices/guidelines, diagnostic approaches, or policy changes so they reach the right populations at the right time.

3) What types of research does HSRA support?

This award targets health services research, meaning studies focused on how healthcare is organized, delivered, implemented, and evaluated in real settings. The intent is to improve care delivery and outcomes using evidence that is meaningful to healthcare systems, clinicians, and policymakers.

4) What approaches are highlighted as priority-aligned in the solicitation?

The opportunity highlights several approaches aligned with its priorities, including:

• Comparative effectiveness research: directly comparing interventions or care strategies to determine what works best, for whom, and under what conditions.
• Implementation-focused studies: examining how to roll out and sustain interventions, diagnostics, or guidelines within systems of care.
• Validation of data science-derived insights: testing whether predictive models, risk stratification methods, or analytics-driven recommendations hold up when applied to real clinical data and workflows.

5) Does the HSRA require clinical research or clinical trials?

Yes. A key requirement is that applications must include clinical research or clinical trials.

6) Are both prospective and retrospective clinical research allowed?

Yes. The solicitation allows both prospective and retrospective clinical research. This means a project may enroll participants going forward, or it may use existing human-subject data sources such as medical records, registries, and other human data/records.

7) Can studies use existing records like medical records or registries?

Yes. Retrospective projects can use existing human-subject data sources, including medical records, registries, and other human data/records, as described in the opportunity summary.

8) Is work involving human anatomical substances allowed?

Yes. The summary states that work involving human anatomical substances is permitted.

9) Is basic research allowed under this award?

No. The award explicitly prohibits basic research. The mechanism is positioned as practical, patient- and system-facing research with clear relevance to healthcare delivery and outcomes.

10) Are preclinical studies allowed?

No. Preclinical studies are prohibited under this award.

11) Is animal research allowed?

No. Any animal research is prohibited.

12) What is the award trying to fund instead of basic science?

Rather than discovering new biology, the HSRA aims to improve care delivery and outcomes by generating actionable evidence on how interventions, practices/guidelines, diagnostics, and policy changes can be deployed and adopted in real-world systems.

13) Are preliminary data required?

Yes. The announcement states that preliminary data are required.

14) What does it mean that preliminary data are required?

Based on the summary, this typically signals that applicants should demonstrate feasibility and readiness, such as early findings or pilot results, proof that data sources are accessible and analyzable, evidence recruitment and procedures will work, or initial implementation experience in the target setting. The intent is to fund projects likely to produce actionable evidence within the award period rather than purely exploratory concepts.

15) Is Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) required?

Yes, for projects that will prospectively enroll human subjects. The program requires the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches for those studies.

16) When does the CBPR requirement apply?

The CBPR requirement applies specifically to projects that will prospectively enroll human subjects (meaning participants are enrolled going forward).

17) What is the purpose of requiring CBPR for prospective enrollment studies?

The requirement is intended to ensure meaningful involvement of the community or affected populations and stakeholders in the design and conduct of the research, not just as participants but as partners. The summary emphasizes improving acceptability, equity, recruitment strategies, and dissemination so that results fit real-world needs and constraints.

18) Who might be considered relevant community or stakeholders for CBPR in this program?

The summary provides examples such as service members, veterans, caregivers, clinicians, and community organizations who can help shape research questions, tailor interventions, refine recruitment strategies, and support dissemination.

19) What is the Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option?

The opportunity includes an Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option that allows the application to name two Principal Investigators (PIs), with one being an Early-Career Investigator.

20) How does the two-PI Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option work if funded?

If the project is recommended for funding, each PI receives a separate award. The structure is meant to encourage mentorship and leadership development while still supporting a rigorous, high-impact project led collaboratively.

21) What is the advantage of the Early-Career Investigator Partnering Option?

As described, it can be attractive for teams that want to pair an established investigator with an emerging leader, supporting mentorship and leadership development while maintaining a strong, collaborative research plan.

22) Who is offering this grant opportunity?

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity offered through the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA).

23) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The summary lists CFDA 12.420.

24) What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is HT942526TBIPHRPHSRA.

25) What is the closing date?

The original closing date shown in the summary is October 15, 2026.

26) How many awards are expected to be made?

The listing notes an expectation of two awards, suggesting a highly competitive process.

27) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted. The summary notes that this generally means a wide range of applicant organizations may apply, subject to the full funding announcement details.

28) Is there an award ceiling amount mentioned in the summary?

No. The public summary provided does not state an award ceiling amount.

29) Where can applicants find information about budget limits and the period of performance?

The summary indicates that applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget limits, the period of performance, cost constraints, and any required budget justifications.

30) What kinds of outcomes or impact is the HSRA looking for?

The program emphasizes impact that can translate into routine care and decision-making. Projects are expected to generate practical evidence that improves delivery of care and informs policies related to TBI and psychological health, especially in real-world settings and contexts relevant to military and defense health.