The FY25 CDMRP Outlook
With a current budget of $650M for FY25, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) of the Department of Defense is an important component to military and American public health funding by funding innovative, competitive research to promote impactful advancements in treating a number of prevalent medical conditions.
While we are seeing more cuts to biotechnology and medical research funding through agencies such as National Institutes for Health, National Science Foundation, and others, McAllister & Quinn can assist in securing those highly sought-after funds in the increasingly competitive federal funding landscape. While the current full-year Continuing Resolution has allowed for the continuation of many existing CDMRP programs, the existing funds set aside through Congressional appropriations will require more strategy when proposing potentially groundbreaking technologies that will lead to improved patient outcomes through high-risk, high-reward projects.
The CDMRP Submission Process
Since early April, the Department of Defense has released notices of CDMRP FY25 program opportunities, with more final solicitations expected soon. Submissions have a preliminary pre-application step, defined in their respective programs as optional or required. The pre-applications are reviewed for program fit, and invitations or encouragements to submit a full proposal are then distributed.
Similar to previous years, we are seeing a trend of pre-applications due in June or July with full proposals due in the fall. Each topic area includes multiple grant programs with specific guidelines regarding funding amount, eligibility, and technology readiness level (TRL)/preliminary data requirements. With limited preparation time and multiple requirements, structuring a concept and forming a team early is vital.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility depends on the individual CDMRP announcement and subsequent funding line. Solicitations specify the minimum qualifications or parameters that are needed in order to apply. However, unlike conventional sources of federal funding for medical and biotechnology research, CDMRP opportunities are generally open to research institutions, for-profit businesses, and universities alike. McAllister & Quinn recommends reviewing each Grants.gov opportunity package to determine eligibility of lead organization, team, community collaborations required, and topic fit for the program.
The Future of CDMRP
The CDMRP’s history is deeply entwined with many advances in health topics for both the service member and American public. The program has managed over $19.7 billion in congressionally appropriated funds for peer-reviewed research projects that support healthcare innovation in a variety of topics. From FY1992 to FY2023, approximately 21,479 awards have been made to support healthcare solutions via grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.
With the released pre-announcements, we see that programs are being consolidated, and their budgets cut. With that being said, we will continue to see funding of the CDMRP mission of supporting service members, their families, and the American public on research topics that align with military readiness and modernization. Ultimately, the program’s long-term success relies on its continued bipartisan support in the halls of Congress.
CDMRP Opportunities for FY25
The following funding opportunities are listed by topic with their appropriation amount. Currently, four programs are now open solicitations, released late April. The rest will be forthcoming as determined by CDMRP and will be announced on their website, as well as on grants.gov. Additional information is available in the link for each open opportunity.
If you would like more information, CDMRP is hosting a webinar on the FY25 opportunities 12:00-13:00 ET May 7th. Link to the webinar available here. The McAllister & Quinn team is also available to discuss program fit and strategize proposal development.
$15 million appropriation. Preapplication due June 12. Full application due August 29. This topic area is split into 3 distinct grant programs:
$40 million appropriation. Preapplication due June 6. Full application due August 27. This topic area is split into 4 grant programs:
$130 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Breast Cancer Prevention (primary prevention)
- Determinant identification of breast cancer initiation, risk, or susceptibility
- Differentiation of the lethality of specific breast cancers
- Overcome the challenges of overdiagnosis and overtreatment
- Discovery of what fuels the proliferation of breast cancer and methods of ending the growth
- Identification of the cause of metastasis in some breast cancers vs the absence in others
- Determination of the reasoning/instances for the dormancy and re-emergence of breast cancer cells, as well as the discovery of lethal recurrence prevention
Creation of less toxic and highly effective treatment options that aid survival
- Mitigation of the mortality rate of metastatic breast cancer
This topic area is split into 4 grant programs:
- Clinical Research Extension Award (Preapplication due June 13. Full application due June 27)
- Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 (Preapplication due June 13. Full application due June 27)
- Breakthrough Award Level 3 (Preapplication due June 13. Full application due September 10)
- Era of Hope Scholar Award (Preapplication due June 13. Full application due June 27)
$12.5 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Preclinical Translational Research (Broadening preclinical evidence to support Investigational New Drug application-enabling studies
- Clinical Research
- Clinical Studies for care and quality of life improvement
- Prospective post-approval studies for the evaluation of combination/sequential therapies and assessment of long-term safety and efficacy
- Evaluation of tools and metrics used in clinical trials
- Investigation of the progression of under-researched systems to support readiness in clinical trials
$40 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Identification and analysis of risk factors and biomarkers associated with melanoma
- Development of detection, diagnosis, and monitoring tools for melanoma
- Definition of the mechanisms of initiation, response, and/or resistance of melanoma to adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant therapy, progression, recurrence, reactivation from tumor dormancy, and/or metastasis
- Development of innovative preclinical models for trustworthy representation of disease evolution from melanomagenesis to progression observed in humans
- Fulfillment of unresolved needs spanning the entire spectrum of cancer research for rare melanomas
- Examination of the psychological impacts of the diagnosis of melanoma, patterns of symptoms, treatment side effects, and additional outcomes impacting melanoma survivors/families/caregivers
- Investigation and action into the physical impacts of symptom trajectories
$10 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Prevention, triaging, and/or treatment of cold injury
- Research and innovation in best practices for acute burn care
- Prevention, assessment, and/or treatment methods for burn injury-related complications to be used in austere environments
- Early interventions for the reduction of long-term pain, neuropathy, and temperature dysregulation
Preapplication due June 23. Full application due September 8. This topic area is split into 3 grant programs:
$15 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Research into the basic biology and etiology of the initiation, progression, metastasis, reoccurrence, and genetics of ovarian cancer, as well as other critical events
- Creation of innovative treatment approaches
- Exploration of novel strategies for preventing ovarian cancer
- Identification and creation of new approaches for early screening, prevention, accurate diagnosis, and prognosis
- Identification and implementation of improvement methods for survivorship and quality of life
- Improvement of personalized treatment methods
Preapplication due June 12. Full application due September 11. This topic area is split into 3 grant programs, including:
- Pilot Award
- Clinical Trial Academy – Early-Career Investigator Award
- Investigator-Initiated Research Award
$130 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Examination of environmental or exposure risk factors for cancer
- Cancer research gaps that may impact mission readiness
- This is a large list that covers a vast array of 22 topics spanning many specialties
$150 million appropriation.
- This is a large list that covers a vast array of 56 topics spanning many specialties
$75 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Improvement in life quality to enhance outcomes and overall wellbeing for people impacted by prostate cancer
- Development of innovative treatment methods or improvements upon existing treatments to improve outcomes for patients with terminal diagnoses
- Expansion of optimal care access for all prostate cancer patients
- Definition of and solution to the biological factors leading to the progression to lethal prostate cancer
$17.5 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Identification of key molecular pathways, cellular context, and microenvironmental factors defining disease
- Development and validation of rare tumor models to facilitate clinical trial preparedness
- Identification of innovative therapeutic methods
This topic area is split into 3 grant programs:
- Resource and Community Development (Preapplication due July 1. Full application due October 6)
- Idea Development Award (Preapplication due July 1. Full application due October 6)
- Concept Award (Preapplication due July 22. Full application due August 26)
$15.0 million appropriation. Focus Areas include:
- Treatment of illnesses caused by exposure to neurotoxins
- Treatment of Gulf War Illness (GWI)
- Treatment of injuries and/or illnesses from airborne hazards and burn pits
- Other military service-related injuries or illnesses caused by toxic exposure
Ready to Secure CDMRP FY25 Funding?
At McAllister & Quinn, we specialize in helping research institutions secure competitive federal grants — including successful submissions to CDMRP, DoD, NIH, ARPA-H, and other top sources of biotechnology and medical research funding. Based in Washington, DC, we’ve helped clients win over $16 billion in grant funding.
Please contact us to learn more about how we can help your institution.
This information was prepared jointly by the Healthcare and Advanced Technology practices at McAllister & Quinn. To learn more, please contact us.