History of AFIRM

In 2005, Dr. Anthony Atala presented some of the latest advances in the field of regenerative medicine at the Advanced Technology Applications in Combat Casualty Care Conference. This talk alerted the Combat Casualty Care research community to the near-term potential for regenerative medicine products that could make a substantial difference in the care of our wounded warriors. The following year, the Army’s Director of the Combat Casualty Care Research Program, COL Bob Vandre, developed the idea of a regenerative medicine institute similar to the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives but aimed at near-term, translational research.

COL Vandre received U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) approval in 2006 to pursue funding for the project. He subsequently briefed the DoD Technology Area Review and Analysis panel, which reviews medical research and development for the DoD. The concept received high approval from the panel. In 2007, USAMRMC, the Office of Naval Research, the U.S. Air Force Office of the Surgeon General, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) agreed to co-fund the new institute. Taking their funds and adding in $10 million from the 2007 War Supplemental bill provided $8.5M per year in funding for the AFIRM, which was deemed sufficient to proceed.

A Program Announcement was released in August 2007, and seven proposals were received in October 2007. In December 2007, two finalists were selected for oral presentations. Both received scores of “excellent” and one was selected for funding. White House staffers heard about the AFIRM and invited representatives from USAMRMC to come and discuss the new institute. After two meetings and upon hearing that there was funding for only one AFIRM finalist, the DoD was tasked to provide funding for the second AFIRM finalist. Within 1 week, an additional $8.5M per year was transferred to USAMRMC’s budget lines. Both AFIRM finalists signed USAMRMC cooperative agreements in March 2008.