Deployed War Fighter Protection Program Announcement | DWFP 18 S 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for DWFP 18 S 01

The Deployed War Fighter Protection (DWFP) Program Announcement is a Department of Defense grant opportunity run through the US Army Contracting Command (Aberdeen Proving Ground, Natick Contracting Division, Fort Detrick) and administered by the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB). For fiscal year 2018, the program is seeking pre-proposals for original, innovative, and practical research that leads to new or improved ways to protect deployed military personnel from diseases transmitted by biting arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks. The health threats specifically called out include malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya and other arboviruses, and Lyme disease, with an emphasis on interventions that can realistically work in operational military environments.

The program is strongly product-oriented and focused on applied outcomes rather than basic science. Priority areas include: (1) discovering new toxicants or adapting existing toxicants for use against relevant vectors, (2) developing new or improved insecticide application techniques suitable for deployment settings, and (3) creating new personal protection tools that reduce or prevent human-vector contact. In practical terms, DWFP is looking for projects that can support the development and field evaluation of vector control products for military use, improve formulations of existing insecticides, strengthen the sustainability and effectiveness of application equipment, or otherwise move a specific intervention closer to real-world use. The announcement also makes clear boundaries: it does not support advanced product development activities such as modifying an existing product for a new use, and any pesticide-related work must either involve products already registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or be aimed at obtaining EPA registration for products that are not currently registered. While the primary application must be military, the resulting products are expected to be transferable to civilian use as well.

Several research topics are explicitly excluded for FY18, which is important for fit. The program will not fund work on topical repellents, treated fabrics, surveillance tools (including arthropod traps), UAV or drone technologies, or mosquito larvicides. Applicants proposing in those areas would be considered nonresponsive, even if the general goal is force health protection.

Funding for FY18 is anticipated to total about $4.5 million across the program, with continuation in later years dependent on appropriations. Individual projects are capped at $300,000 per year (including both direct and indirect costs) and can run for up to three years, for a maximum total of $900,000 per project. The opportunity expects a relatively small number of awards (the source data lists an estimated two). Selection is based on peer-reviewed scientific merit and programmatic relevance, with decisions informed by a technical committee representing AFPMB and the military services.

Eligibility is broad and essentially unrestricted: investigators must be employed by or affiliated with an eligible institution, and eligible institutions can be for-profit or nonprofit, public or private, and may be located in any country. Universities, hospitals, laboratories, companies, and government entities at the local or state level are all examples given. Federal agencies may apply as well, but their submissions will be handled under applicable federal regulations.

The application process begins with a required pre-proposal submitted using the AFPMB pre-proposal form. Pre-proposals were due December 11, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. EST, with late submissions not accepted. The program’s stated timeline then moves from invitations for full proposals around January 8, 2018, to full proposal submission around February 20, 2018, notifications around March 30, 2018, and award funding expected in April 2018. Full proposal instructions are provided only to those invited after pre-proposal review.

For access and support, the pre-proposal form is provided online, with the AFPMB webmaster listed as the submission contact and point of help if the form cannot be accessed. Technical and program questions are directed to the DWFP Program Manager, Dr. Gabriela Zollner, and grant/contracting questions are directed to the Grants Officer, Mr. Richard Totten. Additional context is tied to Broad Agency Announcement AFPMB-BAA-18-01, referenced on the Natick/AFPMB site and on federal opportunity portals under the keyword AFPMB-BAA-18-01.

• The Department of Defense, ACC-APG-Detrick in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Deployed War Fighter Protection Program Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.355.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 31, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 11, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for DWFP 18 S 01

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