The MBRP Clinical Translational Research Award (CTRA) is intended to support clinical research projects that are likely to have a major impact on therapy by applying promising and well-founded laboratory, preclinical, or clinical research findings to the care of the burn-injured patient.
Burns have comprised some 5%-20% of the casualties sustained in post-World War II conflicts. 1 Potential future conflicts may cause a rise in the number of burn injuries sustained by Service members and the general public should those conflicts occur in rural areas, austere combat zones, and in mass casualty events, whereby medical resources are limited and/or access to medical care is delayed for hours, days, or weeks. In order to prepare the military and the Nation for such potential future conflicts, the FY19/20 MBRP is soliciting research to provide burn care solutions closer to the point of injury for the pre-hospital setting and for a prolonged field care scenario.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defines prolonged field care (PFC) as field trauma care extended beyond doctrinal timelines until the patient can be transported from the point of injury to an appropriate level of care. PFC has been identified as a high priority capability gap across the Army and other Services. Additional information regarding PFC can be found in the following articles, Prolonged Field Care: Beyond the ‘Golden Hour’2 and Prolonged Field Care the New Normal says Army, MRMC Brass.
Although encouraged, applications submitted to the FY19/20 MBRP CTRA are not required to address PFC. However, the proposed research must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public.
Deadlines:
• Pre-Application Deadline: April 17, 2019
• Invitation to Submit an Application: May 2019
• Application Submission Deadline: July 10, 2019
The overarching goal for the FY19/20 MBRP is to support the development or refinement of interventions or technologies that will enable non-medical or medical first responders to provide appropriate burn care closer to the point of injury to enhance the potential for better long-term outcomes. The MBRP anticipates that outcomes of successful applications will lead to the nearterm delivery of interventions, products, or care guidelines that will assist fellow Service members, first responders, and/or civilians in the pre-hospital care of the severe burn casualty.
To meet the intent of the award mechanism, an application must address at least one of the following FY19/20 MBRP Focus Areas. Selection of the appropriate primary Focus Area is the responsibility of the applicant.
1 – Conversion: Novel therapeutic interventions to prevent burn wound conversion, including but not limited to, pre-hospital dressings, fluid resuscitation therapies, and vitamin delivery products. Investigation of interventions that have been established for other indications is also welcome. Addition of comparative analysis studies of different formulations of the proposed intervention is encouraged, if appropriate and feasible.
2 – Debridement: Development and/or validation of non-surgical burn wound debridement strategies for the pre-hospital environment or prolonged field care scenario.
3 – Coverage: Development of temporary coverage products for large second- and third-degree burn wounds that will prevent infection, promote healing, and prevent further morbidity or mortality. Comparative analysis of the proposed product with commercially available products is welcome
Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent) may be named as a PI in the application.
The anticipated total costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY19/20 MBRP CTRA will not exceed $1.55M. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information.
