DoD Trauma Resiliency Immersive Adaptive Gaming Environment (TRIAGE) Award | W81XWH 18 S MSI1

TRIAGE Award (FY 2018 DoD) - Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the DoD TRIAGE Award?

The Trauma Resiliency Immersive Adaptive Gaming Environment (TRIAGE) Award was a Fiscal Year 2018 Department of Defense research funding opportunity focused on improving how military medical personnel are trained to perform under pressure. It sought proposals to develop and evaluate innovative, virtual, immersive, gaming-based training protocols built from interoperable components.

2) What problem or capability gap was TRIAGE trying to address?

The program targeted the need for better pre-deployment resiliency training that helps providers maintain high performance in high-stress, chaotic, time-sensitive conditions. It emphasized performance under pressure (fatigue, uncertainty, cognitive load, stress reactions, rapidly changing conditions), not simply rehearsing clinical procedures in calm, idealized environments.

3) What kinds of solutions was the DoD looking for?

The solicitation sought proof-of-concept models for virtual, immersive, game-enabled training protocols made up of interoperable components. In practical terms, the DoD was looking for concepts that could plug into or work alongside broader medical simulation ecosystems rather than standalone, one-off demonstrations.

4) What does "interoperable components" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the summary provided, "interoperable components" refers to building the training protocol from parts that can integrate with or operate within broader medical simulation ecosystems. The intent was to avoid isolated demos and instead support solutions that could align with existing or future simulation platforms and training enterprise needs.

5) Was the focus more on basic research or on building something usable?

TRIAGE emphasized building and testing actionable training protocols and proof-of-concept models with plausible transition into the military training enterprise. While it was a research funding opportunity, it was not framed as basic research alone.

6) Who was the primary target audience for the training solutions?

The primary audience was the military medical training community, with the goal of strengthening medical care provider readiness and resiliency by measurably increasing performance, adaptability, and agility under stress.

7) Did the opportunity expect applicability beyond the military?

Yes. The solicitation noted that solutions should have applicability to civilian groups as well, reflecting shared needs in civilian trauma care, emergency medicine, disaster response, and other high-consequence settings requiring high-reliability performance under pressure.

8) What operational settings were emphasized (Roles of Care 1 through 3)?

A central focus was Roles of Care 1 through 3, representing the continuum from point of injury and forward care through progressively more capable treatment facilities. Training concepts were expected to be relevant across that continuum, not limited to a single niche scenario.

9) Why were stress-inducing contexts emphasized?

The training concepts were meant to prepare providers for real-world conditions where stress, chaos, time pressure, and uncertainty can degrade performance. The stated gap was resilience and readiness under pressure, rather than practicing clinical steps in controlled settings.

10) What outcomes did TRIAGE aim to improve?

The end goal was to strengthen readiness and resiliency by measurably increasing medical provider performance, adaptability, and agility in high-stress, chaotic, time-sensitive situations.

11) How was this opportunity positioned within DoD programs and portfolios?

TRIAGE was positioned within the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Warfighter Preparation, Resilience, Enhancement and Protection (WarPREP) program and aligned to the JPC 1/MSIS Medical Simulation (Med Sim) portfolio. This framing indicates interest in both technical innovation and operationally meaningful readiness outcomes.

12) Which government office issued the opportunity?

It was issued by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, through the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA).

13) What type of funding opportunity was it categorized as?

It was listed as a discretionary funding opportunity under the Science and Technology and Research and Development category.

14) What was the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The summary data associated the opportunity with CFDA number 12.420.

15) What funding instruments were allowed?

The solicitation allowed for multiple potential funding instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, and procurement contracts.

16) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning the competition was open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any additional limits that may have been described in the full announcement.

17) How many awards were expected?

The posting indicated an expectation of two awards.

18) When was the announcement created and when did it close?

The announcement was created on May 21, 2018. The original closing date listed was September 17, 2018.

19) Was an award ceiling specified in the summary information?

No. The award ceiling was not specified in the summary data provided.

20) What makes TRIAGE different from a typical medical simulation or training demo?

TRIAGE emphasized immersive, game-based training that is both interoperable and designed for stress exposure and resilience outcomes. The intent was to develop proof-of-concept models that could integrate into broader simulation ecosystems and realistically transition into the military training enterprise, rather than producing a standalone one-off demonstration.