Researchers and companies translating promising burn research into practical medical products may qualify for the FY2026 Military Burn Research Program Technology/Therapeutic Development Award.

The award focuses on moving promising preclinical findings towards tangible clinical applications for burn care in austere, resource-limited and distributed military environments.

Standard projects can receive up to $1.6 million, while the Mentorship Option can provide up to $1.8 million.

Projects may run for up to three years.

The required July 7 pre-application has already closed, meaning the October 21 full proposal deadline is restricted to applicants that successfully completed the first stage.

What Does the TTDA Fund?

This is a product-development award.

The proposed work should move towards a practical technology, therapeutic or related product.

Examples include:

• Medical devices;
• Drugs;
• Therapeutics;
• Burn-care technologies;
• Clinical practice guidance directly linked to a technology or therapy;
• Knowledge products supporting development of a tangible product.

The programme is not intended to finance open-ended discovery research.

What Stage Should the Technology Be At?

Projects should already have promising preclinical findings.

The award is designed to translate those findings towards clinical application.

A startup or research team should therefore be able to show:

• Existing technical evidence;
• Preliminary performance;
• Defined product;
• Clear development milestones;
• Military burn-care relevance.

An idea that has never been tested may fit the Discovery Award better than TTDA.

Are Clinical Trials Allowed?

No.

The TTDA does not fund clinical trials.

The work should advance product development before the stage requiring a full clinical trial.

Mentorship Option

The FY26 programme includes a Mentorship Option designed around collaboration between an experienced researcher and one or two junior researchers.

The project must still address an important burn-care research gap.

The mentorship component is intended to develop the next generation of researchers while producing meaningful technical progress.

Funding

Single PI option: up to $1.6 million.

Mentorship Option: up to $1.8 million.

Maximum duration: 3 years.

CDMRP expects approximately $5 million to support roughly three TTDA awards.

What Products Are Most Competitive?

The strongest products address constraints unique to operational burn care.

For example:

• Limited specialist availability;
• Difficult transport;
• Restricted medical supplies;
• Long evacuation times;
• Harsh environmental conditions;
• Need for simple deployment by non-burn specialists.

A technology that works only inside a highly specialised tertiary burn center may have weaker military relevance.

Current Status

Pre-application deadline: July 7, 2026, closed.

Invitation date: August 26, 2026.

Full application deadline: October 21, 2026.

Current eligibility to submit: Previously invited applicants only.

Apply Here: Military Burn Technology/Therapeutic Development Award application portal

Companies that missed the pre-application stage should prepare for the next Military Burn Research Program funding cycle rather than attempting a new FY26 full proposal.