Grants>Disease-Specific Research

Call for Applications: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Bridge & Springboard Grants

Bridge Grant

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation introduces a new funding opportunity for researchers whose projects are in jeopardy due to the decreased funding available from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ALSF’s Bridge Grants are intended to keep scientist’s projects on track while they reapply for NIH funding to ensure novel childhood cancer research projects are not compromised. ALSF’s Bridge Grant awards will provide $100,000 for 12 months to be used for supplies, personnel or the Principal Investigator’s salary.

Eligibility Requirements:

Project must have been previously funded by an NIH R01, R03, R21 or P01 Award. (R01 Supplements are not eligible for Bridge Grants.)

Researchers must have applied to the NIH for an R01 or P01 renewal for an ongoing project or to continue the project via new R01 or P01 within the last 6 months.

The application must have been scored ≤25th percentile, but outside of the agency’s fundable range.

Applicants must be reapplying for an R01 or P01 Award from the NIH within the next two NIH Grant cycles.

Projects must be aligned with ALSF’s mission, thus focused on better diagnosing or curing childhood cancers.

Funds may be used for supplies, personnel or PI’s salary and may not exceed $100,000. ALSF does not pay indirect costs. 
  
Application Process:

To expedite the application progress, ALSF’s Scientific Advisory Board will review the previously reviewed NIH application along with any changes that have been made in response to feedback from NIH reviews.

A cover letter, summary statement, response to NIH critique and budget will be required by all applicants.

All applications must be submitted via ALSF’s online application.
    
Springboard Grant

ALSF’s offers the Springboard Grant in response to cut-backs in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding of new R01 and P01 applications. The Springboard Grant is designed to jump-start new projects with high impact potential for childhood cancer research while other funding is sought. Awards will provide $100,000 for 12 months to be used for supplies, personnel or the Principal Investigator’s salary.

Eligibility Requirements:

Researchers must have applied to the NIH for an R01 or P01 award within the last 6 months. (R01 Supplements are not eligible for Springboard Grants)

Applications must have scored ≤20%, but outside of the agency’s fundable range.

Applicants must be reapplying for an R01 or P01 award from the NIH within the next two NIH Grant cycles.

Projects must be aligned with ALSF’s mission thus focused on better diagnosing or curing childhood cancers.

Funds may be used for supplies, personnel or PI’s salary and may not exceed $100,000. ALSF does not pay indirect costs. 

Application Process:

To expedite the application progress, ALSF’s Scientific Advisory Board will review the previously reviewed NIH application along with any changes that have been made in response to feedback from NIH reviews.

A cover letter, summary statement, response to NIH critique and budget will be required by all applicants.
All applications must be submitted via ALSF’s online application.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer  333 E. Lancaster Ave., #414 Wynnewood, PA 19096

Ph: 610.649.3034

Fax: 610.649.3038

Request for Proposals: Parkin Biology and Therapeutic Development Studies

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) seeks to fund pre-clinical studies that investigate the biological function and therapeutic potential of Parkin protein. The ultimate goal is to identify therapeutic agents that alter the course of Parkinson’s disease.

There will be two separate ‘Tracks’ that may be pursued for support around Parkin as follows:

TRACK A – Biology

TRACK B – Therapeutic Development

Applicants may submit proposals to both Track A and Track B but it will need to do so by submitting separate applications that provide independent experimental designs for each. Applicants will be asked to justify the approach and to provide details of their study design.

Biological Studies

How will the proposed studies impact our understanding of Parkin:

As an enzyme

In cell biology

Therapeutic Development Studies

Current drug development stage with clear justification

Provide  research operation plan, including feasibility, timelines, and all assays to be performed

Provide a clear description of the properties of the lead compound(s)/biologic

Please ensure that you utilize the correct template upon submission.

DEADLINES

Informational Conference Call*: June 6, 2013, 12:00 p.m. EST

Pre-proposals Due: June 19, 2013, 6:00 p.m. EST

Full Application Invites Sent to Applicants: July 3, 2013

Full Applications Due (by invite only): August 14, 2013

Anticipated Award Announcement: October, 2013

Anticipated Funding: November, 2013

*MJFF will hold a 45-minute conference call at the time listed above to clarify and explain the goals of this funding initiative and answer applicant questions.  To participate in the call and receive call-in details, please RSVP via email to conferencecalls@michaeljfox.org, reporting “Parkin 2013” in the subject of the email.

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nearly five million people worldwide, with significant prevalence growth expected due to an aging population.  Current therapies are effective in addressing only the mild-to-moderate motor symptoms of the disease and have significant long-term side effects.  There are few specific drugs available that target the numerous non-motor aspects of the disease or the underlying degenerative process.

Though most cases of PD are considered idiopathic, investigators are increasingly identifying genes linked to this disease.  However, these monogenic variants account for only a small proportion of all PD cases.  Research on genetically implicated targets and associated pathways has the potential to yield critical insight and the development of therapeutics that may impact sporadic PD patients as well.

Parkin (PARK2) was identified as a gene linked to autosomal recessive juvenile forms of PD.  Since its original discovery, many mutations and deletions have been identified (1).  Parkin gene encodes a multidomain protein that contains E3 ubiquitin ligase activity that plays a role in the regulation of numerous cellular activities including proteasomal degradation of substrates but also ubiquitin-mediated signaling (1).  Parkin has also been suggested to function as a transcription factor, regulating p53 expression (2) independent of its ligase activity.

Thus there is the distinct possibility that promoting Parkin activation may have implications in ameliorating cellular signaling pathways as well as regulation of degradation pathways.  Given recent advances in understanding Parkin structure, investigators now have at hand a tangible means of optimizing small-molecule development through structure-based drug design. 

PURPOSE

The goal of the Parkin Biology & Therapeutic Development Program is to support:

1. Studies that provide critical insight into the biological mechanisms of Parkin function

2. Discovery and development of therapeutic agents that have the potential to modulate Parkin function in a manner that will alter the course of Parkinson’s disease progression.

Although most traditional therapeutics targeting modulation of enzymatic activity involve small-molecule development, MJFF is also open to alternative strategies, including gene therapy and biological (non-pharmaceutical) approaches that can have significant impact on Parkin activity. Moreover, as drug targets may be shared among multiple diseases and/or drugs may hit multiple disease targets, MJFF is also interested in drug repositioning of molecules for Parkin that have been approved or shown to be clinically safe for other indications.

Proposals may seek support of key steps along the entire therapeutic pipeline, including:

High-throughput screening

Primary assay development and validation

IC50 generation/validation in second primary assay and chemistry support for hit ranking and clustering

Hit-to Lead and Lead Optimization

Chemistry support

In vitro and in vivo PK, PK/PD relationships, toxicity studies

Applicants are asked to develop a clear plan, including major ‘go/no go’ decision milestones, for moving a therapeutic strategy toward ultimate clinical utility in people with PD.  Investigators new to PD research are encouraged to collaborate with experienced PD scientists and/or companies to ensure the greatest chance for success.

REFERENCES

1.Cell Mol Life Sci (2012) 69:3053-3067

2.Neurodegenerative Dis 2012 10:49-51

FUNDS AVAILABLE

MJFF will commit up to $2 million to the Parkin Biology & Therapeutic Development Program with the intention to support multiple awards. The requested support should be commensurate with the stage of development and work proposed.

Investigators applying to Track A (Biology) may request up to $125,000 in support (inclusive of indirect costs) for up to one year.

For those applying to Track B (Therapeutic Development) there is no set budget limit for proposals and applicants may request up to two years of funding for preclinical development.

No more than 25% (Academic institutions) or 10% (for-profit institutions) of direct costs may go to indirect costs. Please see the program instructions, Administrative Guidelines and our FAQ on MJFF indirect cost policy for details. MJFF reserves the right to reduce the duration and budget based on its review and final funding decision.

Eligibility Requirements

Applications may be submitted by:

U.S. and non-U.S. biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies or other for-profit entities, either publicly or privately held,

U.S. and non-U.S. entities, public and private non-profit entities, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the federal government.

As therapeutic programs may require many kinds of expertise, MJFF encourages industry and academic collaborations when appropriate. Given the significant coordination and leadership necessary for this program, post-doctoral fellows are NOT eligible to apply as PIs.

Request for Proposals: International Innovation Grant

The International Innovation Grant provides research funding in support of novel and innovative projects that can have a significant impact on cancer control in low- and middle-income countries.

The International Innovation Grant is a one-year research grant of up to $20,000 that is awarded and paid directly to a nonprofit organization or governmental agency in a low-income or middle-income country. The grant may be used by the organization only for the approved, budgeted costs of the research project. Each grant will have a Principal Investigator who is an ASCO member, is affiliated with the Grantee Organization, and is a resident of the low-income or middle-income country.

International Innovation Grants are hypothesis-driven research grants that fund a specific research project that may result in the discovery of new knowledge about how to advance cancer control in a low- or middle-income setting.  It is anticipated that novel approaches and clinical designs proposed for this grant may differ from what would be considered standard practice within high-income settings.  Grantee Organizations and Principal Investigators will be expected to share and disseminate the knowledge gained during their research project.

The online system will open for Letter of Intent submission on July 1, 2013. All Letters of Intent must be submitted by August 1, 2013.

Questions? Read our Frequently Asked Questions document:

http://www.conquercancerfoundation.org/sites/conquercancerfoundation.org/files/international_innovation_grant_faq_5-1-2013.pdf

If that doesn’t answer your question, email grants@conquercancerfoundation.org.

2014 International Innovation Grant Timeline:

May 1, 2013 RFP is Released for 2014 International Innovation Grant

July 1, 2013 Online Application System Opens for Submitting Letters of Intent

August 1, 2013 Letters of Intent Due

October 3, 2013 Invited Full Applications Due

December 2013 Grant Recipients Announced

January 1 - December 30, 2014 Grant Project Period

2013 Request for Proposals for Grants Related to Pediatric Mast Cell Disorders (Pediatric Mastocytosis and Pediatric Mast Cell Activation Syndrome)

The Mastocytosis Society, Inc. (TMS) and Mastokids (MKO) are pleased to announce that we are accepting proposals for research grants for new or ongoing projects related to Pediatric Mastocytosis or Pediatric Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

An amount of $60,000 is available for this grant.

Submission deadline: Proposals must be received by June 1, 2013

American Acne and Rosacea Society Clinical Research Grants

Deadline for submission is December 31, 2013

The American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS) offers research grants to advance clinical science, while nurturing younger investigators in the field of acne and rosacea. Research projects that are clinical/translational in nature will receive preferential consideration. Up to four (4) clinical research grants will be awarded in 2014 and each grant will not exceed $10,000.

All funds are to be spent within 18 months of receipt of the award. The AARS does not fund projects that are part of the NIH intramural research program or awards to private foundations without an academic affiliation to dermatology.

Eligible Candidates: Dermatology residents and dermatology fellows, and recent graduates (within 5 years) of US dermatology residency are eligible to apply for these research awards. The sponsor (project mentor) of the applicant must be a member of the AARS but may not apply for or be named payee of the grant award.

Proposal: Provide a short discussion of the aims and relevance of the project including sufficient detail for evaluation by the AARS Research Committee. Previously published material may be submitted in support of the application.

Curricula Vitae: Attach a brief biographical sketch of the applicant that should include a recent, relevant bibliography.

Human Subjects: Applications related to research on human subjects must be accompanied by institutional review board approval or submitted prior to the initiation of successful awards.

Animal Studies: Applications that involve research on animals must demonstrate their relevance to clinical dermatology. In addition, they are to be accompanied by a written approval of an appropriate institutional committee or submitted prior to the initiation of successful awards.

Requirements: Within 30 days of completing the approved project, the grantee is required to submit a written report summarizing their research experience and findings. The grantee must also present the work at the AARS annual meeting to be held within two years of funding. If an approved project cannot be completed as originally proposed or in the time limits mandated, the grantee must immediately contact the AARS.

Deadline: The completed application and supporting materials must be received by December 31, 2013. Grant award recipients will be announced at the 2014 AARS Annual Symposium and approved projects will be funded in July 2014.

Request for Proposals: Funding Opportunities for Kennedy’s Disease Research

The Kennedy’s Disease Association (KDA) is planning to fund one or more research grants this fall to further the understanding of the pathological mechanisms of Kennedy’s Disease.

The KDA projects that funding for each grant will be up to $25,000.

Applications from junior investigators and from senior post-doctoral fellows are encouraged.

Your proposals must be received by Friday, June 21, 2013.

Requests for Applications: Biomarkers of Pancreatic Beta Cell Stress and Health

JDRF, the world’s leading non-profit organization with the mission to cure type 1 diabetes (T1D), invites applications from research investigators having interest and expertise to support the discovery and advancement of biomarkers of pancreatic beta cell stress and health correlating with early beta-cell loss.

The purpose of this call for Letters of Intent is to invite proposals to support and advance the discovery, development, and/or validation of biomarkers of pancreatic beta cell stress and dysfunction. Studies based on use or validation with human beta cells/islets and clinical samples or tissues will be of special interest.

MECHANISM

Applications in response to this announcement can be submitted under one of the following funding mechanisms:
Pilot & Feasibility Grants (P&Fs): up to $110,000 (including 10% indirect costs) for one year only.

Strategic Research Agreements (SRAs): Up to $250,000 USD per year including 10% indirect costs
for up to 3 years may be requested. The level of funding will vary depending on the scope and overall objectives of the proposal. Under the terms of the grant award, written quarterly (~2-3 pages) reports will be required from the funded investigator as a basis for continued support.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants should submit a letter of intent on -line via the proposalCENTRAL website (https://proposalcentral.altum.com/default.asp).

The LOI template provided on the proposalCENTRAL Web site must be used to complete the application. Applicants will be notified approximately eight weeks after the LOI deadline date if they have been approved to submit a full application.

Letter of Intent Deadline: June 17, 2013.

International Essential Tremor Foundation Grant Program

The IETF grant program provides funds to members of the scientific community who submit proposals that address the nosology, etiology, pathogenesis, treatment or other topics relevant to essential tremor (ET).

The aim of program is to stimulate inquiry into this poorly understood clinical disorder and to provide support to projects that are innovative and give promise of receiving more substantial support from NIH, K Award, R01 and/or other sources if sufficient preliminary information can be obtained from projects supported by the IETF. Preference will be given to individuals who do not currently have any R01 support from NIH.

The IETF would very much like to encourage anyone interested to submit a proposal.

Proposals can be submitted between November 1 and February 28 each year. Questions regarding research funding or grant submission should be directed to Catherine Rice, Executive Director, at 913.341.3880 or email at crice@essentialtremor.org

James Ewing Foundation of the Society of Surgical Oncology and Susan G. Komen for the Cure 2013 Fall Clinical Investigator Award in Breast Cancer Research

Application deadline: Monday, July 8, 2013

Purpose: To promote patient-oriented research conducted by surgical oncologists in clinical and translational science.

Eligibility

Applicants must be surgical oncologists within 10 years of completion of training

Be full SSO members for at least 6 months prior to application submission to be eligible for the award

Applicants must commit to at least 25% effort for this award

Terms of the Award

The award will be funded for two years at $100,000 ($50,000 per year) beginning October 1, 2013.  The Award concludes September 30, 2015.

The award is given to the sponsoring institution and may be used for partial support of applicant’s salary, research fellows or staff support, tuition, travel(no more than $2,000 per year) and/or supplies. No additional funds are available for paying indirect costs.

A brief year-one progress report with a financial update will be required by September 30, 2014. The JEF reserves the right to withhold the second year of support in the event of unsatisfactory progress.

A final report (not to exceed 4 pages) will be required before September 30, 2015. This should include a summary of the project, abstracts and publications acknowledged as supported by this award, and a financial report. Any unexpended funds from the scholarship are to be reimbursed back to JEF.

A brief (up to 10 minutes) presentation of results will be required at the March 2-5, 2016, SSO Annual Cancer Symposium in Boston, MA. 

The James Ewing Foundation of the Society of Surgical Oncology requests a proposal in which the applicant plays a central role in the conduct of a specific clinical research project. This might include for example a leadership role in a clinical trial, in a prospective cancer outcomes study, or a translational research project related to a prospective clinical trial. The clinical research focus must be hypothesis-driven and must have a direct patient-oriented focus.

Clinical trials may be investigator-initiated, industry-driven or organized by a cooperative group. While the applicant need not be the principal investigator of the trial, nor the lead institutional investigator, the extent to which the applicant is involved in study design and conduct must be clearly articulated. Ideal applicants will be early to mid-career investigators with a track record of peer-reviewed research funding who are seeking additional extramural support to further clinical cancer research. Of note, this award is not intended to serve as a career development award for new investigators seeking to initiate their research careers. The track record of the applicant, scientific merit of the application, novelty and clinical impact of the anticipated results, and resources available to ensure completion of the study will comprise the review criteria.

Questions?

Contact the James Ewing Foundation of the Society of Surgical Oncology, Email:  jef@surgonc.org, or phone 847-427-1400, ext. 111, M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (CT).Address:9525 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 870 Rosemont, Illinois  60018.  Web: www.surgonc.org

Request for Application: Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation’s CLARIONS Research Awards Program

The signature funding initiative of the Research Awards Program (RAP), is the CLARIONS Grant Program, which stands for Curing Cutaneous Lymphoma by Advancing Research, Innovation and Offering New Solutions.  This research grant program supports investigators interested in conducting innovative cutaneous lymphoma research.   These grants will help uncover causes and improve the treatment and quality of life for patients. Discovering new avenues for better therapies and, one day, a cure for cutaneous lymphoma are key goals of this program.

Research Funding Priorities

Eligibility and Requirements

Investigators at all levels, from clinical and post-doctoral fellows to established investigators, are eligible to receive
awards. Medical students and graduate students are not eligible. Non-U.S. investigators are eligible and the research funded by the RAP can be conducted at non-U.S. institutions. Investigators must be members of an established and recognized academic institution. All research projects involving human subjects must receive IRB approval.

Award Amounts

Each year the CLF will provide two $25,000 awards, renewable for 1 year contingent upon approval by the CLF
Board of Directors based upon the CLF Scientific Review Board’s review and recommendation.

A small indirect cost amount between $1,000-$2,000 is allowable.

The CLF’s RAP seeks to fund innovative research in all areas of cutaneous lymphomas with particular interest in:

-- Etiology and risk factors of cutaneous lymphomas.

-- Measures of disease impact on individuals and populations affected by cutaneous lymphomas.

-- Translating discoveries into diagnostic and therapeutic advances in cutaneous lymphomas.

-- Optimizing therapies for cutaneous lymphomas.

-- Improving quality of life for individuals with cutaneous lymphomas

2013 Calendar of Award Events

January 31 -  Public announcement of Request for Application (RFA)

July 31 -  Application deadline

August - October - Scientific Review Board review

November - Recipients notified of award

December - Grant awards announced at ASH meeting

January, 2014 - Disbursement of Award and beginning of new award cycle

Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation
PO Box 374
Birmingham, MI 48012-0374

Telephone: 248-644-9014

Fax: 248-644-9014