On March 15, 2025, the president signed into law the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, which includes $650 million for medical research programs managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
With FY25 appropriations, researchers may apply for funding available for research addressing diseases, conditions, and injuries that impact force readiness for Service Members and their Families, Veterans, and the American public:
• Alzheimer's Research Program - $15.0 million
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Program - $40.0 million
• Breast Cancer Research Program - $130.0 million
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program - $12.5 million
• Melanoma Research Program - $40.0 million
• Military Burn Research Program - $10.0 million
• Ovarian Cancer Research Program - $15.0 million
• Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (18 topics) - $130.0 million
• Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (42 topics) - $150.0 million
• Prostate Cancer Research Program - $75.0 million
• Rare Cancers Research Program - $17.5 million
• Toxic Exposures Research Program - $15.0 million
Congress directed four previously funded cancer-related programs in FY24 as topic areas under the FY25 Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program: kidney cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer, as well as glioblastoma, now eligible under the brain cancer topic area.
Congress directed 10 previously funded programs as topic areas under the FY25 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program: autism, multiple sclerosis, neurofibromatosis, orthotics and prosthetics outcomes, Parkinson’s, reconstructive transplantation, tick-borne disease, traumatic brain injury and psychological health, tuberous sclerosis complex, and vision.
CDMRP Supports Force and Family Readiness
Some previously funded researchers focused on improving care for warfighters injured in combat. For example, the Military Burn Research Program funded researchers to explore TXA, or tranexamic acid, a treatment previously approved by the FDA for heavy menstrual bleeding and hemorrhage, as a therapeutic treatment to reduce burn wound progression. Other MBRP-funded researchers are investigating high doses of intravenous vitamin C to improve burn outcomes, are developing a portable system to assess burn wound depth and are testing a novel mesh skin grafting product made from fish skin. Advancements like these could support Service Members exposed to radiation, or thermal, blast, electrical, chemical, or frostbite burns.
The Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program funded research, led by Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Ph.D., and Teri Belecky-Adams, Ph.D., and their team at the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, to test treatments for three types of hydrocephalus – genetic, post-hemorrhage, and post-traumatic hydrocephalus – and this funding solely led to the formation of the first Hydrocephalus Research Center. People are typically most familiar with hydrocephalus, buildup of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain, in children, but this disease may also affect adults following traumatic brain injury or stroke.
“As a senior researcher in the field of hydrocephalus, I would like to acknowledge how much the CDMRP program has done to move research in our field in the direction of a much-needed pharmaceutical treatment for this life-long debilitating disease,” Blazer-Yost said. “I am sure the final outcomes [of the funded hydrocephalus research] will benefit the military, their Families, and the civilian population.”
Other CDMRP programs aim to support family readiness, a critical component of a focused, lethal military force. These programs address diseases and conditions frequently encountered by military health system beneficiaries, like ALS, Alzheimer’s and various cancers like ovarian, breast, and melanoma. For example, preclinical CDMRP-funded work led to orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2021 for SPG302, an orally available potential treatment for ALS. In 2025, the FDA authorized an expanded access program for SPG302 following completion of a phase 1/2 clinical trial funded by other sources. The expanded access program allows patients to receive SPG302 treatment while the drug undergoes further clinical testing.
Caring for the Nation’s Warfighters
The CDMRP funds research to better understand health conditions and injuries experienced by warfighters and improve treatments and their quality of life during and after their time in service. Programs are addressing toxic exposures, burn injuries, neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and various cancers that affect Service Members and Veterans at higher risk or with higher incidence rates than the general population.
Recently, CDMRP-funded research informed DOD and Department of Veterans Affairs updates to clinical practice guidelines for rehabilitation following lower limb amputation, including non-opioid management of phantom limb pain and use of alternative socket designs for prostheses for above-the-knee limb loss.
A Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program-funded study published results and patented a novel antibody targeting CD38, a molecule found in high numbers on the surface of several types of cancer cells, as potential immunotherapy for multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells found in the bone marrow, disproportionately affects military personnel and Veterans compared to the general population.
Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Congress established the CDMRP in response to a grassroots effort in 1992 led by the breast cancer advocacy community. That effort resulted in a congressional appropriation of funds for breast cancer research and initiated a unique partnership among the public, Congress, and the military.
Since then, Congress annually added appropriations to the DOD budget for congressionally identified medical research programs. The CDMRP administers and manages these funds and projects; the organization managed more than $20.322 billion in funds since inception through FY25. Congress identifies the research area(s) for each program and specifies funding as part of the annual DOD appropriations bill.
The CDMRP uses a rigorous two-tier application review process to ensure that all funded research is of the highest scientific merit and meets programmatic goals. This process involves dynamic interaction between scientists, clinicians, patients, survivors, consumers from advocacy communities, members of the military, and other specialists, as needed. The first tier of evaluation is a scientific peer review of applications measured against established criteria to determine scientific merit. The second tier is a programmatic review where applications with high scientific or technical merit are evaluated for potential impact, adherence to the intent of the award mechanism, and relevance to program goals.
Funding Opportunity Announcements
Funding opportunity announcements are being released. Funding opportunities include detailed descriptions of funding mechanisms, evaluation criteria, submission requirements, and deadlines.
As they become available, each funding opportunity may be downloaded from:
• CDMRP https://cdmrp.health.mil
• Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov
• eBRAP https://eBRAP.org
For email notification when programs release funding opportunity announcements, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage.
For more information about the CDMRP, our research programs and research highlights, please visit the website at https://cdmrp.health.mil.
Please also follow CDMRP on LinkedIn for updates on release of funding opportunities: https://www.linkedin.com/company/congressionally-directed-medical-research-programs
Point of Contact:
CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-7783
dha.detrick.cdmrp.mbx.public-affairs@health.mil
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2025 11:06 |
| Story ID: | 499624 |
| Location: | FORT DETRICK, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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