Researchers pursuing innovative new approaches to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases may qualify for the FY2026 Tick-Borne Disease Research Program Idea Development Award.

The programme supports conceptually innovative research capable of producing significant discoveries, improving patient care or reducing the health burden of tick-borne disease.

Standard Idea Development Awards can provide up to $800,000.

A special Career Development Option provides up to $550,000 for eligible early-career investigators working with experienced mentors.

Projects can run for up to three years.

The July preproposal deadline has already passed, meaning the October 22 full-application deadline is restricted to invited researchers.

What Does the Programme Fund?

The award focuses on research addressing areas such as:

• Pathogenesis;
• Treatment;
• Diagnosis.

Particular interest is placed on Lyme disease and other tick-borne conditions relevant within the United States.

The programme encourages proposals that challenge conventional thinking rather than merely taking the next obvious step from existing studies.

What Does “Conceptually Innovative” Mean?

A strong project might:

• Introduce a new disease mechanism;
• Develop a novel diagnostic concept;
• Challenge an established treatment approach;
• Explore a previously overlooked biological pathway;
• Apply technology to tick-borne disease in a new way.

Incremental improvements to established research are generally less competitive.

Career Development Option

The programme includes an Idea Development Award Career Development Option.

This supports eligible early-career investigators working under mentorship from experienced tick-borne disease researchers.

The mentor should demonstrate a meaningful track record in the field.

This pathway provides:

Up to $550,000

over:

3 years

The standard Idea Development Award provides a larger $800,000 ceiling.

Are Clinical Trials Allowed?

No.

Clinical trials cannot be supported through this mechanism.

Clinical research that does not meet the definition of a trial may be allowed.

Researchers planning therapeutic clinical trials should consider other funding mechanisms.

Is Preliminary Data Required?

Applications must include either:

• Preliminary data; or
• A strong scientific rationale demonstrating a credible route to interpretable results.

The award welcomes creativity but still requires scientific rigor.

Funding

Standard Idea Development Award:

Up to $800,000 total costs

Career Development Option:

Up to $550,000 total costs

Maximum duration:

3 years

CDMRP expects approximately $3.5 million to support about three standard awards and two Career Development awards.

Who Can Apply?

The programme has broad organisational eligibility.

Qualifying applicants can include domestic and international:

• Universities;
• Nonprofits;
• Small businesses;
• Other for-profit organisations;
• Research institutions;
• Government organisations.

Individual investigator requirements differ between the standard award and Career Development Option.

Current Status

Preproposal deadline: July 22, 2026, closed.

Invitations issued: September 3, 2026.

Full application deadline: October 22, 2026 at 11:59pm ET.

Current submission status: Invitation only.

Apply Here: Tick-Borne Disease Idea Development Award on Grants.gov
The opportunity number is HT942526TBDRPIDA.

Applicants who missed the July preproposal should monitor the Tick-Borne Disease Research Program for the next funding cycle rather than treating the October deadline as a new open call.