DoW Autism Clinical Trial Award

Updated Oct 20, 2026

Grant from the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA, open to any type of applicant. Closes Oct 22, 2026, 2 days left.

Opportunity number	HT942526ARPCTA
Agency	Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA
Funding type	Grant
Field	Science, technology and other research and development
Expected number of awards	1
Total program funding	$3.2 million
Cost sharing or matching	Not required
Assistance listing	12.420
Posted	May 21, 2026
Closes	Oct 22, 2026 (2 days left)
Add the deadline to	Google Calendar

Who can apply

Unrestricted: any type of applicant

Description

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Autism Research Program (ARP) Clinical Trial Award supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of autism. Clinical trials may be designed to evaluate promising new products, pharmacologic agents (drugs or biologics), devices, clinical guidance and/or emerging approaches and technologies.

Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials (e.g., pilot, first-in-human, phase 0) to demonstrate the feasibility or inform the design of more advanced trials through large-scale trials to determine efficacy in relevant patient populations.Distinctive Features: Applications are strongly encouraged to address one of the FY26 ARP Clinical Trial Award Areas of Interest.Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option for Early-Career Investigator: The FY26 Clinical Trial Award mechanism is offering a higher level of funding for applications that propose to partner an experienced PI (i.e., Initiating PI) with an Early-Career Investigator (i.e., Partnering PI) wishing to pursue a career in autism clinical trial research.FY26 Clinical Trial Award submissions are required to include community collaborations to optimize research impact.

Research teams are therefore required to establish and utilize effective and equitable collaborations and partnerships with community members to maximize the translational and impact potential of the proposed research. Applications to the FY26 ARP Clinical Trial Award are expected to name at least one community partner (e.g., Autistic individual or caregiver, representatives of community-based organizations) who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project.

Interactions with other team members should be well integrated and ongoing, not limited to attending seminars and semi-annual meetings (see Attachment 12, Community Collaboration Plan).

Full announcement and how to apply on Grants.gov

Science, technology and other research and development grants right now

There are 99 open federal grants in science, technology and other research and development that small businesses may apply for; 46 close within 30 days. The median award ceiling is $1.2 million. The agencies offering the most are Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA, U.S. National Science Foundation and National Institute of Justice. Grants in this field stay open a median of 154 days; this one is open for 154 days.

Who has won this program before

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation For The Advancement Of Military Medicine, Inc. $800.5 million · from Sep 30, 2018
Kenya Medical Research Institute $77.6 million · from Aug 22, 2013
Makerere University Walter Reed Program Limited $55.9 million · from Sep 30, 2021
Virginia Commonwealth University $24.8 million · from Sep 30, 2019
University Of Miami $13.7 million · from May 1, 2020

The largest grants and cooperative agreements under assistance listing 12.420 with payments since Oct 1, 2025, from USAspending.gov. Amounts are each award's total.