Opportunity Information: Apply for W81XWH 21 DMRDP BRISCC
The DoD Defense Medical Research and Development Program (DMRDP) Battlefield Resuscitation for Immediate Stabilization of Combat Casualties (BRISCC) Award is a funding opportunity run through the Department of Defense (U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, USAMRAA; CFDA 12.420) that targets new solutions for trauma care in future multi-domain operations where evacuation may be delayed for long periods or not possible at all. The core goal is to push forward early development of high-impact medical materiel products (devices, diagnostics, supplies, or related hardware) and knowledge products (new ways of doing trauma care, modifications to existing practices, and decision support approaches) that help stabilize wounded Service members immediately after injury and sustain them during prolonged field care in austere environments. Projects are expected to be directly relevant to Service members and to produce outcomes that also benefit Veterans, military beneficiaries, and, more broadly, civilian trauma care.
A defining feature of the BRISCC award is its emphasis on practicality in combat conditions, not just scientific novelty. Proposed solutions should be designed for the point of greatest need, meaning right after injury and throughout extended in-theater care when resources, personnel, and time are limited. Applicants are encouraged to design for a wide range of provider skill levels (from highly trained medics to less specialized personnel) and for harsh, variable environments. The announcement highlights military-relevant product characteristics that reviewers want to see considered, such as low weight and low volume for portability, low power requirements and longer shelf life to reduce logistical burden, modularity and interoperability so new tools can plug into existing military platforms and workflows, ruggedization to survive temperature swings, vibration, altitude, and rough handling, and low-complexity operation supported by decision aids or closed-loop/semi-closed-loop automation so the system remains usable with minimal training. Affordability is also treated as a real requirement: the DoD is looking for solutions that make sense to buy, maintain, and sustain at scale compared with what is currently available.
Funding is provided through assistance agreements, meaning awards will be structured as either grants or cooperative agreements rather than procurement contracts. The difference matters because it determines how involved the DoD will be during the project. If the government does not anticipate substantial involvement, the award is typically a grant; if the DoD expects active collaboration, participation, or intervention during the work, it will use a cooperative agreement and specify the nature of that involvement. The final choice of mechanism and start date is determined during negotiations.
The BRISCC program is organized into three funding levels so applicants can match scope and maturity to an appropriate budget category, with the government reserving the option to fund at a lower level than requested. Funding Level 1 supports innovative, high-risk/high-reward concepts that are still early or based on an untested theory; preliminary data are not required, which makes this track appropriate for new ideas that could be transformative but are not yet extensively validated. Funding Level 2 supports preclinical and clinical research backed by substantial preliminary or published data, but clinical trials are not permitted. Funding Level 3 supports more advanced preclinical and clinical research that is similarly supported by substantial data and needs a larger budget due to the maturity and resource demands of the work; clinical trials are also not allowed in this level. The stated budget limits for total costs across the entire period of performance are up to $800,000 for Level 1, up to $1.25 million for Level 2, and up to $2.0 million for Level 3 (with additional details and restrictions referenced in the announcement’s funding restrictions section).
On program scale and timing, the DoD projected funding across multiple fiscal years to support a portfolio of awards, with an estimate of funding roughly in the range of $4.7 million (FY21), $5.5 million (FY22), and $6.5 million (FY23) to make approximately 8 to 21 awards under this announcement, depending on appropriations, application volume, and review outcomes. Awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2022. The announcement also notes typical federal budget realities: availability of funds depends on congressional appropriations and may be subject to realignment, and obligated funds have expiration dates tied to the fiscal year of the appropriation.
From a research rules standpoint, the program may support basic, applied, preclinical, and certain clinical research, including studies involving human subjects, human anatomical substances, or human cadavers, but it explicitly does not allow clinical trials. The announcement uses the standard federal definition of a clinical trial as a study in which human subjects are prospectively assigned to an intervention (including placebo or control) to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes. For any work involving human subjects or related materials, investigators must plan for layered oversight: local IRB or ethics review plus an additional Department of Defense administrative review and approval by the USAMRDC Office of Research Protections, Human Research Protection Office (HRPO), prior to starting the research. Local IRB approval is not required at the time of application submission, but applicants are warned to plan for HRPO timelines, commonly 2 to 3 months. If multiple institutions are involved, the proposal must address single-IRB planning, identify the lead institution responsible for master protocol and consent documents, and establish a clear regulatory point of contact.
The opportunity also calls out several operational expectations that affect how proposals should be written and managed. If a project needs access to active duty military populations, DoD or VA resources, or databases, the application must describe that access up front and provide a plan for maintaining it throughout the project. For studies enrolling human subjects, applicants must include quarterly enrollment targets across sites in the statement of work, and awardees should expect recruitment milestones to be negotiated with USAMRAA and used as a basis for continued support. For animal studies, proposals must meet rigorous design expectations and reporting standards (randomization, blinding, sample size estimation, data handling) and align with recognized guidance such as ARRIVE; animal work requires both local IACUC oversight and additional DoD review by ACURO, with a typical planning window of 3 to 4 months and no requirement for IACUC approval at submission.
In practical terms, this BRISCC award is best understood as DoD’s push to create the next generation of field-ready trauma stabilization tools and protocols for scenarios where casualty evacuation is delayed, resources are limited, and conditions are unpredictable. Competitive applications are those that connect a clearly defined battlefield care gap to a realistic, rugged, low-burden solution, show a credible pathway through preclinical or non-trial clinical validation (depending on maturity), and demonstrate that the technology or practice change can be used by real-world military providers under real operational constraints.Apply for W81XWH 21 DMRDP BRISCC
- The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DoD Defense Medical, Battlefield Resuscitation for Immediate Stabilization of Combat Casualties Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.420.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 21, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 07, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 21 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.
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BRISCC Award FAQs (DoD DMRDP)
What is the BRISCC Award?
The Battlefield Resuscitation for Immediate Stabilization of Combat Casualties (BRISCC) Award is a funding opportunity under the DoD Defense Medical Research and Development Program (DMRDP), managed through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA; CFDA 12.420). It supports projects aimed at improving trauma care for future multi-domain operations, especially when evacuation is delayed for long periods or may not be possible.
What problem is BRISCC trying to solve?
BRISCC focuses on stabilizing wounded Service members immediately after injury and sustaining them during prolonged field care in austere environments. The emphasis is on solutions that work under real operational constraints, including limited resources, limited personnel, unpredictable conditions, and long delays to evacuation.
What kinds of outcomes is the program looking for?
The program is intended to advance early development of high-impact products and approaches that are directly relevant to Service members. Outcomes are also expected to benefit Veterans, military beneficiaries, and potentially civilian trauma care.
What types of projects or deliverables are supported?
BRISCC supports both:
- Medical materiel products such as devices, diagnostics, supplies, or related hardware.
- Knowledge products such as new ways of doing trauma care, modifications to existing practices, and decision support approaches.
Is novelty the main evaluation focus?
No. A defining feature of BRISCC is the emphasis on practicality in combat conditions, not just scientific novelty. Proposed solutions should be designed for the point of greatest need: right after injury and throughout extended in-theater care when time, personnel, and resources are limited.
What operational and product characteristics does the DoD want applicants to consider?
The announcement highlights military-relevant characteristics reviewers want to see addressed, including:
- Low weight and low volume for portability
- Low power requirements and longer shelf life to reduce logistical burden
- Modularity and interoperability with existing military platforms and workflows
- Ruggedization for temperature swings, vibration, altitude, and rough handling
- Low-complexity operation that can be used with minimal training
- Decision aids and/or closed-loop or semi-closed-loop automation to support usability
- Affordability as a practical requirement for buying, maintaining, and sustaining at scale
Who is the end user for BRISCC solutions?
The end users are military providers operating in austere environments, and applicants are encouraged to design for a wide range of skill levels, from highly trained medics to less specialized personnel.
What funding mechanism is used for BRISCC awards?
Funding is provided through assistance agreements, meaning awards will be structured as either grants or cooperative agreements, not procurement contracts.
What is the difference between a grant and a cooperative agreement in this program?
The difference is tied to expected government involvement during performance:
- Grant: used when substantial government involvement is not anticipated.
- Cooperative agreement: used when the DoD expects active collaboration, participation, or intervention, and the nature of that involvement will be specified.
The final choice of mechanism (and the start date) is determined during negotiations.
What are the three BRISCC funding levels?
The program is organized into three funding levels so applicants can match scope and maturity to an appropriate budget category:
- Funding Level 1: innovative, high-risk/high-reward concepts based on early or untested theory; preliminary data are not required.
- Funding Level 2: preclinical and clinical research supported by substantial preliminary or published data; clinical trials are not permitted.
- Funding Level 3: more advanced preclinical and clinical research supported by substantial data; larger budgets are allowed due to maturity and resource needs; clinical trials are not permitted.
What are the maximum budget limits by funding level?
The stated limits for total costs across the entire period of performance are:
- Up to $800,000 for Funding Level 1
- Up to $1.25 million for Funding Level 2
- Up to $2.0 million for Funding Level 3
The announcement references additional details and restrictions in its funding restrictions section.
Can the DoD fund an application at a lower level than requested?
Yes. The government reserves the option to fund proposals at a lower funding level than the level requested by the applicant.
How many awards did the DoD expect to make under this announcement?
The DoD estimated it would make approximately 8 to 21 awards, depending on appropriations, application volume, and review outcomes.
How much total funding was projected for the program across fiscal years?
The projected funding across multiple fiscal years was approximately:
- About $4.7 million (FY21)
- About $5.5 million (FY22)
- About $6.5 million (FY23)
When were awards expected to be made?
Awards were expected to be made no later than September 30, 2022.
Is funding guaranteed?
No. The announcement notes that availability of funds depends on congressional appropriations and may be subject to realignment. Obligated funds also have expiration dates tied to the fiscal year of the appropriation.
What types of research can BRISCC support?
The program may support basic, applied, preclinical, and certain clinical research. It can include studies involving human subjects, human anatomical substances, or human cadavers, subject to applicable oversight and approvals.
Are clinical trials allowed under BRISCC?
No. Clinical trials are explicitly not allowed under this announcement, including at Funding Levels 2 and 3.
How does the announcement define a clinical trial?
The announcement uses the standard federal definition: a study in which human subjects are prospectively assigned to an intervention (including placebo or control) to evaluate the effects on health-related outcomes.
What approvals are required for research involving human subjects or related materials?
Projects involving human subjects, human anatomical substances, or human cadavers must plan for layered oversight, including:
- Local IRB or ethics review
- Additional DoD administrative review and approval by the USAMRDC Office of Research Protections, Human Research Protection Office (HRPO)
Is local IRB approval required at the time of application submission?
No. Local IRB approval is not required at submission, but applicants are warned to plan for HRPO timelines before starting research.
How long does HRPO review typically take?
The announcement notes HRPO timelines commonly take about 2 to 3 months, so proposals should account for this in project planning.
What should applicants do if multiple institutions are involved in human subjects research?
The proposal must address single-IRB planning, identify the lead institution responsible for the master protocol and consent documents, and establish a clear regulatory point of contact.
What are the expectations for applications that need access to military or VA populations, resources, or databases?
If a project needs access to active duty military populations, DoD or VA resources, or databases, the application must describe that access up front and provide a plan for maintaining it throughout the project.
What enrollment planning is required for studies enrolling human subjects?
Applicants must include quarterly enrollment targets across sites in the statement of work. Awardees should expect recruitment milestones to be negotiated with USAMRAA and used as a basis for continued support.
What are the expectations for animal studies?
Animal studies must meet rigorous design and reporting expectations, including randomization, blinding, sample size estimation, and data handling, and align with recognized guidance such as ARRIVE.
What oversight is required for animal research?
Animal work requires:
- Local IACUC oversight
- Additional DoD review by ACURO
Is IACUC approval required at the time of application submission?
No. IACUC approval is not required at submission, but applicants should plan for the additional ACURO review timeline.
How long should applicants plan for ACURO review?
The announcement suggests a typical planning window of about 3 to 4 months.
What makes an application competitive for BRISCC?
Competitive applications are those that clearly connect a defined battlefield care gap to a realistic, rugged, low-burden solution; present a credible pathway through preclinical or non-trial clinical validation (based on maturity); and demonstrate usability by real-world military providers under operational constraints.
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