The Defense Health Agency Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs has opened HT942526NFRPNFRASA, FY26 Neurofibromatosis Research Program Neurofibromatosis Research Academy – Scholar Award. The award supports early-career independent investigators joining the Neurofibromatosis Research Academy to conduct basic, translational, and/or clinical research addressing neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis while developing as independent leaders in the field.
Submission timing: The required pre-application Letter of Intent was due September 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Full application deadline: September 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Only applicants that timely completed the mandatory first-stage submission may proceed this cycle.
Funding: CDMRP expects approximately $3.6 million for about three awards, with a total-cost cap of $1.2 million per award and a maximum four-year period of performance. Cost sharing is not required.
Eligibility: Eligible organizations include domestic and foreign, for-profit and nonprofit, public and private entities. The Scholar must be an independent investigator within 10 years of completing the terminal degree, clinical fellowship, or equivalent by the application deadline and cannot still be in a postdoctoral research position, clinical fellowship, or equivalent at full submission. A Statement of Eligibility is required. The Scholar must have approximately 50% protected time for NF research and Academy activities and commit at least 25% effort to the award during the first two years.
Career Guide: Each Scholar must designate an established neurofibromatosis researcher at or above Associate Professor level or equivalent with NF research funding and a peer-reviewed publication record. If the primary Career Guide is at another institution, the application must identify a secondary Career Guide at the Scholar’s institution.
Research controls: Projects may include basic, translational, and/or clinical research and should address at least one FY26 NFRP Area of Emphasis. Preliminary data are encouraged but not required. Clinical trials are not allowed.
Atlas fit: Broad organization eligibility includes for-profit organizations, but the highly specific early-career Scholar, protected-time, Career Guide, NF research, and expired pre-application requirements are controlling. This is not a new submission-ready Dr. Miltie direct pursuit for the current cycle. Preferred posture: Partner-Led / Already-Preapplied Qualified NF Scholar and Career Guide. Do not initiate new applicant outreach for this cycle; route only teams that can verify timely September 8 pre-application submission.