DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Vision Research Program (VRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award (IIRA) supports basic through early translational research that will yield highly impactful discoveries or major advancements in the research and/or patient care of eye injury and/or visual dysfunction related to military exposure. The IIRA may be used to support preclinical studies and/or clinical research. Research must align with at least one of the FY26 VRP Focus Areas. The IIRA cannot be used to support clinical trials. Distinctive Features: The IIRA offers two Funding Levels to support research at different stages and the exploration/development of ideas of different maturity levels. Funding Level 2 includes a Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option (PPIO) for two PIs, an Initiating PI and a Partnering PI. Scored peer review criteria include Research Idea/Rationale, Research Strategy and Feasibility, Impact, and Personnel. Programmatic review criteria include adherence to the intent of the IIRA, contribution to the VRP portfolio, relative impact, and relevance to military health. The VRP may share FY26 IIRA applications and reviews with the National Eye Institute (NEI) for independent funding consideration. https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2026/vrppreann