Inheritable Disorders Grants

Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation

Request for Applications--Niemann-Pick Type C (NP-C) disease

Niemann-Pick Type C (NP-C) disease is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder which causes progressive deterioration of the nervous system. It usually affects children by interfering with their ability to metabolize cholesterol. Adult onset may also occur. Large amounts of cholesterol accumulate within the liver, spleen, and brain. This metabolic disorder leads to a series of neurological problems that are ultimately fatal...until a treatment is found!

POTENTIAL APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: If you have never received funding from the APMRF, please submit electronically a Letter of Intent as outlined below. This procedure will allow our Scientific Advisory Board to read a brief summary of your proposed research without you having to submit the full grant application.

Please have this letter addressed to the APMRF Scientific Advisory Board to the Foundation office by February 13, 2009. Send the Letter of Intent as an ATTACHMENT to Glen Shepherd, Executive Director: gshepherd@parseghian.org

Our SAB will review all Letters of Intent. You will be notified by April 1 whether or not the SAB would like for you to submit the full grant application for consideration of funding. The full grant applications are due no later than April 30, 2009.
The Letter of Intent should not exceed 2 pages of text (12 font single spaced) and must include the following information in this order:

1. Your name, position, title, institution, address, phone and E-mail address
2. Title of proposed research study
3. The objective of the study and hypothesis to be tested
4. The relevance to Niemann-Pick Type C disease (an extensive literature review is not required)
5. Preliminary data (this is encouraged but not essential)
6. A statement of the methods to be used and a brief description of how the results will be evaluated
7. Estimated amount of award you are requesting and whether for a one- or two-year period
8. Current financial support: List each current grant or contract you have that would overlap with the conduct of this research and how this overlap will be accommodated if APMRF funding is awarded. If there are no such grants, state “NONE”

If you have questions or comments on the Letter of Intent, please contact Glen Shepherd at (520) 577-5106 or gshepherd@parseghian.org

Cystinosis Research Foundation
Call for Funding Proposals and Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

The ultimate goal of the Cystinosis Research Foundation is a cure for this disease. Global calls for grant applications will be made two times per year, on March 15 and September 15. The deadline for the grant applications will be May 1 and November 1 respectively. Research awards and fellowship awards will be given for up to three years. Currently, the Cystinosis Research Foundation has more than $1,200,000 dollars in research and fellowship grants available. The number of awards and their value will depend on the number of outstanding proposals and the funds available at the time.

Research Proposals

The Cystinosis Research Foundation will be announcing its autumn Call for Research Proposals on September 15, 2008. The Cystinosis Research Foundation is prepared to fund proposals to improve the immediate care of children and young adults with cystinosis and to develop new understanding and treatment of cystinosis to help these children in the future.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Cystinosis Research Foundation has launched a postdoctoral research fellowship program to attract qualified, promising investigators to establish careers in cystinosis research. The fellow’s stipend should be the usual amount for such a trainee at that institution. With adequate justification, up to $10,000 per year can be requested to support that individual’s research. However, the total award cannot exceed $75,000 per year. Awards will generally be for a period of 2-3 years.

First priority will be given to “named” postdoctoral trainees. However, investigators who are already studying cystinosis can apply for a fellowship position with the expectation of attracting a suitable postdoctoral fellow within a year. Predoctoral students, who are already studying cystinosis, will be considered if funding is available.

REVIEW PROCESS

Proposals are evaluated by the Cystinosis Research Foundation Scientific Review Board (SRB) comprised of leading experts on cystinosis who determine the scientific validity and merit of the proposed research based on the NIH scale of standards. The SRB then advises the Cystinosis Research Foundation on the scientific merit of each proposal. The Foundation will balance the eventual funding to support clinical and bench research, and fellowships. Applicants will be notified in writing regarding the final status of their application.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES AND FELLOWSHIP GUIDELINES

We encourage concise proposals. The research proposals and fellowship applications should describe the rationale and importance of the project and should include the specific aims and research design and methodology. Include sufficient detail in a concise manner to facilitate evaluation of the proposed work.

Research Grant Proposals: Maximum length is nine one-sided pages, single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font with 1 inch margins (2.54 cm) on all sides including figures, diagrams and drawings. Cover sheet, documentation, budget and budget justification and curriculum vitae (CV’s) are not included in the 9-page limit. Longer applications will not be evaluated.

Fellowship Grant Applications: Maximum length is six one-sided pages, single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font with 1 inch margins (2.54 cm) on all sides including figures, diagrams and drawings. Cover sheet, documentation, budget and budget justification and curriculum vitae (CV’s) are not included in the 6-page limit. Longer applications will not be evaluated.

Cover Sheet Information: Names and Affiliations of Principal and Co-Principal Investigators or and Research Fellow – It is mandatory that you complete and attach the Cystinosis Research Foundation cover sheet as part of your application. Please download and attach the applicable cover sheet – either the Research Grant Proposal Cover Sheet or Fellowship Grant Proposal Cover Sheet.

Please format Grant and Fellowship Applications as follows:

1. Abstract/Summary of project – Explain the relevance to cystinosis. What problem does the project or fellowship address? Why is the work important to children and young adults with cystinosis? How will the project be accomplished?

2. Specific Aims – List the study or fellowship objectives and describe the specific goals of the research, including any hypotheses to be tested.

3. Preliminary Studies/Progress reports.

4. Research Design and Methods – Describe the research design and methodology that will be used to accomplish the study or fellowship aims.

Additional Information NOT part of the maximum length requirement for the Research Grant and Fellowship Grant Applications:

1. Detailed Budget – The Cystinosis Research Foundation will generally provide up to 10% of indirect costs. Requests for higher amounts must be carefully justified. Funding requests must be submitted in U.S. dollars.

2. Budget Justification – Please explain items that might be confusing or unusual to the review committee.

3. Key Personnel - Please include a current CV and indicate the percent effort that each person is expected to devote to the project.

4. Statement detailing all other available resources including other grant support available – Indicate the amount and granting organization for any other sources (current or pending) of funding for the study.

5. IRB (human subject) approval and consent forms or plan to obtain such approval, if applicable. Animal subject approval if applicable. If the proposal involves human gene therapy, NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) review or equivalent. Funds for awards will not be released until all necessary approvals for human and/or animal studies are received.

6. A statement as to why Cystinosis Research Foundation funding is essential for the execution of this project.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FELLOWSHIP APPLICANTS

In addition to the above, fellowship applications must provide a complete CV of the proposed candidate and a statement outlining his/her career goals. Please discuss why this fellowship is important to the applicant. It should be clear who the fellow’s mentor(s) will be. The mentor must provide a complete CV as well as a statement of the plan for training the fellow.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Applicants must submit the original of the completed application, eight printed copies of each proposal and an electronic copy (PDF format if possible) to:

Cystinosis Research Foundation
Nancy Stack, President
18802 Bardeen Avenue
Irvine, California 92612-1521
(949) 223-7610
Email: heystack4@aol.com

Medical Research Grants and Postdoctoral Fellowships Offered for Studies Aimed at Treatment of Fragile X

INTRODUCTION

The FRAXA Research Foundation offers a grants and fellowships program designed to encourage research aimed at finding a specific treatment for fragile X syndrome.

Fellowships of up to $40,000 per year will be offered to support postdoctoral fellows who want to pursue research in fragile X (salary plus fringe benefits and/or travel to meetings).
FRAXA also invites investigator-initiated research applications for innovative pilot studies aimed at developing and characterizing new therapeutic approaches for the treatment and ultimate cure of fragile X syndrome. There is no funding limit to this category of grant, but typical funding levels are $30K - 60K.
FRAXA is particularly interested in preclinical studies of potential pharmaceutical and genetic treatments and studies aimed at understanding the function of the FMR1 gene. New applications are accepted each year on February 1. If February 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be the following Monday.

Fellowships and grants are generally awarded for a period of one year. Based on reasonable progress during that year, awards may be renewable for a second year. Renewal applications are due on February 1, at least three months before the second year of funding is needed. If February 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be the following Monday.

PURPOSE OF GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS

The purpose of this grant program is to promote research aimed at finding a specific treatment for fragile X syndrome. FRAXA's goal is to bring practical treatment into current medical practice as quickly as possible; therefore, preference will be given to research projects that have a clear practical application and the results of which will be shared with other qualified researchers in a timely fashion.

ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS

Institutions receiving grants must be recognized as nonprofit. In the US, this means that institutions are exempt from federal income taxes. Preference is given to institutions within the United States.

Individuals nominated by applicant institutions for the postdoctoral fellowship should have training and experience at least equal to the Ph.D. or M.D. Level. Preference is given to United States citizens.

ACCEPTABLE COSTS

Acceptible costs covered by FRAXA postdoctoral fellowships and investigator-initiated awards are limited to:

Postdoctoral salary
Fringe benefits
A budget for consumable supplies
FRAXA reserves the right to cover any item if explicitly authorized by FRAXA's Board of Directors. However, FRAXA is unable to pay for indirect costs under any circumstances.

Fellowships and grants are awarded for the period of one year and may be renewed for a second year, based on satisfactory progress. A financial report and progress report are required at the end of each year.

AMENDMENT OF POLICIES

The FRAXA Research Foundation reserves the right to modify its policies governing grants at any time. The grantee agrees to abide by any changes or to terminate the grant at the time when such changes become effective. Failure to abide by the policies governing grants shall be considered sufficient grounds for cancellation of a grant or refusal to consider any pending application by the grantee.

PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION

No person shall be excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of any program or activity receiving financial assistance from FRAXA because of race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.

HUMAN AND ANIMAL SUBJECTS

Human subjects studied in the course of research conducted under a grant are under no circumstances a responsibility of FRAXA. Human subjects in a program supported by FRAXA shall be volunteers in any survey, study or procedure. Research involving human subjects must have Institutional Review Board approval.

If animals are used in the proposed study, written certification must be provided to FRAXA indicating that proper treatment, care, and humane conditions have been provided. Research involving animal subjects must have Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval.

OBLIGATIONS OF THE GRANTEE

In accepting a grant, the applying institution undertakes that at its conclusion it will

Submit promptly to FRAXA a complete final report on the work pursued.
On awards of more than one year duration, a yearly report will be expected.
Supply an accounting of funds received from FRAXA and expenditures made in such detail and in such manner as may meet Internal Revenue Service procedures.
Recognize the support of FRAXA in any published article resulting from the work pursued with a credit line reading "Supported in part by a grant from the FRAXA Research Foundation"
Recognize the support of FRAXA in any presentation of the at professional meetings and conferences.

PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS

FRAXA's purpose in providing grants is to speed up progress towards treatment for fragile X. Therefore, in accepting an award, the Principal Investigator undertakes to publish the results of the work pursued in the primary literature, in a timely fashion. Once published, the reagents, methods, materials, and products of the work must be made available to other qualified researchers. FRAXA reserves the right to share in any proceeds from an invention or discovery developed under this grant, including licensing fees and patent rights.

PUBLICITY ON WORK UNDER GRANT

The grantee institution and Principal Investigator will cooperate fully with FRAXA in announcement through the news media of grants awarded and in materials prepared to publicize work under the grant. FRAXA will publish periodic descriptions and updates on funded projects in its quarterly members' newsletter.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a brief letter of inquiry describing the proposed project before writing a full application. No specific application format is required, but an NIH R01 proposal is acceptable.

Please provide the following information with your application:

Description of the proposed project (6-12 pages recommended)
Curriculum Vitae for the Principal Investigator
Curriculum Vitae for the Postdoctoral Fellow to be supported under the grant
Names of 3 references who are willing to be contacted to provide recommendations for candidate postdoctoral fellow (not necessary for principal investigators)
Financial accounting of how the funds will be spent, with dollar distribution into major component items
A full accounting of any other current and submitted sources of support for this project and other lab research
Requested start date of the project. The earliest possible start date is 3 months after receipt of the application; applicants will be notified of awards in 2 months.
Send one complete copy of the application by email to fraxa@comcast.net, as an attached file in Acrobat PDF format. Alternately, this electronic copy may be sent to the address below on a CD. Also please send one copy of the application to:

Michael Tranfaglia, MD
Medical Director
FRAXA Research Foundation
45 Pleasant St. Second Floor
Newburyport, MA 01950

Applications must be postmarked by the deadline date.

RENEWALS

FRAXA grants are awarded for a single year and are generally renewable, based on good progress being made the first year. We require a renewal application be submitted by FRAXA's regular deadline (February 1). The renewal application should consist of a detailed progress report for the first year and work plan for the second year, as well as a financial report of how first year funds were spent.

For further information contact Michael Tranfaglia at FRAXA
Phone (978) 462-1866
Fax: (978) 463-9985

FUNDING FOR RESEARCH AVAILABLE

Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS) is a multi-system autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, and varying degrees of marrow dysfunction with cytopenias. Many associated clinical problems have also been described, including skeletal anomalies, metaphyseal dysostosis, rib abnormalities, cleft palate, dental abnormalities and others. Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Foundation (SDSF) is a nonprofit support organization actively helping the victims of this disease. SDSF is accepting grant requests for research relevant to this disease. Any high quality, innovative research proposal deemed relevant to SDS will be considered. The following are areas of particular interest:

Identify gene mutations of SBDS gene
Collect centralized data on bone marrow abnormalities
Evaluate predictors of bone marrow abnormalities to determine their correlation with the disease
Determine the causes of bone marrow failure and leukemia
Further delineate the pathogenesis of pancreatic disease
Determine if differences in disease complications occur dependent on persistent vs. cylic neutropenia
Investigations related to adult patient presentation, management, and care including transition from
pediatric-centered to adult care

Eligibility: Persons applying for these grants must be in a faculty position with authority to hold an independent research grant (not a training position).

Letter of Intent: The potential applicant should write a one page letter of intent to the SDSF, indicating the applicant’s position and affiliation, describing their planned project, and explaining its relevance to Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome. These letters are reviewed by SDSF’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) grant review process.

Purpose: This letter will be used to identify applicants who will be asked to provide a full application.

Dates: The letter is due no later than January 31st. There will be a response to all those who have written a Letter of Intent by February 28th. All Grant Applications must be submitted by April 12. The final grant decision will be announced by July 31st with a November 1 start date.

Terms of Support: Support may be provided for up to two (2) years in an amount not to exceed $30,000 per year. The second year funding will not be released until a Progress Report has been reviewed and approved by the MSAB. The date for the Progress Report is October 1. Applicants may submit only one grant at a time, and may hold only one grant at a time.

If you would like us to send you a grant application, have any questions regarding the grant process or have an interest in the disease, please contact SDSF at the address indicated on our home page, call toll free 1-877-737-4685, by fax at 1-970-255-8293 or via email at 4sskids@shwachman-diamond.org

Research grants

The focus of the Hereditary Disease Foundation is on Huntington's disease. Support will be for research projects that will contribute to identifying and understanding the basic defect in Huntington's disease. Areas of interest include trinucleotide expansions, animal models, gene therapy, neurobiology and development of the basal ganglia, cell survival and death, and intercellular signaling in striatal neurons.

Anyone accepting funding from the Hereditary Disease Foundation must agree to abide by the following policy: Propagatable materials (including monoclonal antibodies and recombinant DNAs) should be freely available to other investigators following publication. The Foundation's position is that there be no restrictions or proprietary rights in materials produced with our support.

Deadlines for applications are February 15, June 15 and October 15. Applications will be reviewed in May, September and January. To obtain an application, please submit a letter of intent no more than one page long. It may be submitted at any time to following address,

Hereditary Disease Foundation
Attn: Carl D. Johnson, PhD
3960 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10032
USA

The maximum award for research grants is $50,000. Grants are usually for one year with a possibility of renewal. Grants are considered seed money. If the project shows promise, it is hoped that other institutions will fund it thereafter. The Foundation does not generally include the salary of the principle investigator. Indirect costs are not allowed, but fringe benefits are considered part of personnel costs and are allowed.

Grant applications should be submitted by email and five hard copies. Supplemental material and reprints should be submitted with a file type of PDF(.pdf).

Applicants are notified of funding decisions by letter only.

To apply:

· Submit a letter of intent: There is no deadline – submit anytime, electronically using the form on the Foundation’s website:
http://www.hdfoundation.org/funding/intent.php.

The letter of intent should include:

o Contact information

o A summary of your proposed research project – 500 words or less

· Letter of Intent Review: Letters of intent are reviewed by a triage group. Turn-around is usually less than two weeks and the primary consideration is relevance to finding treatments and cures for Huntington’s disease. If a proposal is accepted, an application form for a full proposal is sent to the applicant by email. Applicants are encouraged to interact by email or phone with Carl Johnson, Ph.D., the Executive Director for Science, while preparing their application

Applications require:

· Administrative contact: Name, title, email address, phone & fax numbers and mailing address of the institutional representative who will manage the project. The application must be approved and signed by the institution.

· Project summary: Not to exceed 200 words.

· Budget (for Grants only): Grant funding is limited to $50,000. Except in unusual circumstances, salary support is not provided for the Principal Investigator. The Foundation does not provide funds for indirect costs or overhead. Postdoctoral Fellowship salaries are determined by the Foundation, based on number of years after receipt of a doctoral degree. Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards include $8,000 for supplies.

· Other current and pending support: Please provide a complete list (NIH format) indicating aims of each project and potential overlap with the current proposal.

· Biographical sketch: Attach a two-page biographical sketch (NIH format) for the Principal Investigator and other professional personnel. Include training, experience, recent publications and patent filings. Any supplemental materials, manuscripts or papers should be submitted electronically in PDF format.

· Protection of Human Subjects: Any study using human subjects must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the applicant institution. Please attach the completed “Protection of Human Subjects Assurance/Certification/Declaration” form.

· Protection of Animal Subjects: The transportation, care, and use of animals must be in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et. seq.) and other applicable Federal laws, guidelines, and policies.

· Study Proposal: Not to exceed 10 pages, including references. There is no need for an extensive, NIH style, introduction, but be sure to include a description of critical details of the proposed plan as well as documentation of research experience. Particular attention should be paid to the aims and anticipated outcomes of the study and on how they will help discover or develop treatments for Huntington’s disease.

Application Review:

Applications are reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hereditary Disease Foundation. The SAB meets three times each year: in January, May and October. Applications received at least six weeks prior to the meeting are considered. Applicants will receive written notification of the funding decision shortly after the review meeting.

Award Payment:

If the application is approved for funding, payment will be made in two equal installments. Awardees must arrange, via email or in writing, activation of the Award. The first payment is sent immediately; the second will be made six months later, upon receipt of a progress report via email. A final report including a financial statement is also required.

Please submit completed applications both by email and five hard copies to:

Hereditary Disease Foundation
Attn: Carl D. Johnson, Ph.D.
Executive Director for Science
3960 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10032

John J. Wasmuth Postdoctoral Fellowships

The John J. Wasmuth postdoctoral fellowships are named in honor of the late John Jacob Wasmuth who was an essential member of the Huntington's Disease Collaborative Research Group and a long-term and valued member of our Scientific Advisory Board. John was a superb mentor. It is our hope that those granted fellowships bearing his name will seek the same level of creativity, imagination, rigor and esprit de corps that characterized John.

The Hereditary Disease Foundation offers support for research projects that will contribute to identifying and understanding the basic defect of Huntington's disease. Areas of interest include trinucleotide expansions, animal models, gene therapy, neurobiology and development of the basal ganglia, cell survival and death, and intercellular signaling in striatal neurons.

Anyone accepting funding from the Hereditary Disease Foundation must agree to abide by the following policy: Propagatable materials (including monoclonal antibodies and recombinant DNAs) should be freely available to other investigators following publication. The Foundation's position is that there be no restrictions or proprietary rights in materials produced with our support.

Deadlines for applications are February 15, June 15 and October 15. Applications will be reviewed in May, September and January. All John Wasmuth Fellowships are automatically considered in January of every year for the Milton Wexler Fellowship award.

To obtain an application, please submit a letter of intent no more than one page long. It may be submitted at any time to the following address,

Hereditary Disease Foundation
Attn: Carl D. Johnson, PhD
3960 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10032
USA

John J. Wasmuth Postdoctoral Fellowship awards are based on the following scale which includes all university fringe benefits plus $8,000 for supplies:

0 years since Ph.D. = Stipend of $40,500

1 year since Ph.D. = Stipend of $43,000

2 years since Ph.D. = Stipend of $46,000

3 years since Ph.D. = Stipend of $48,200

4 years since Ph.D. = Stipend of $50,200

5 years since Ph.D. = Stipend of $52,400

6 years since Ph.D. = Stipend of $54,500

7 years since Ph.D. = Stipend of $56,000
Indirect costs are not allowed, but fringe benefits are considered part of personnel costs and are permitted.

Funded fellowships will be renewed for a second year, subject to satisfactory progress reports.

The completed application packet will consist of the application, the curriculum vitae of the applicant and the applicant’s research sponsor, a letter of support from the sponsor, and two letters of recommendation from two others familiar with the applicant, one of whom is normally the applicant’s PhD. sponsor.

Note: Completed applications should be submitted by email and five (5) hardcopies. Supplemental material and reprints should be submitted with a file type of PDF (.pdf).

Applicants are notified of funding decisions by letter only.

A list of previous Postdoctoral Fellows is available on request.

Hereditary Disease Foundation
3960 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10032
Voice: (212) 928-2121
Fax: (212) 928-2172

http://www.hdfoundation.org

Please feel free to contact the Hereditary Disease Foundation by phone at
1 (212) 928-2121 with questions or comments regarding the application process

Institute for Neuroacanthocytosis Research Grants

We encourage applications for research grants for investigations into the genetics, diagnostics and epidemiology of the NA syndromes as well as the pathophysiology and the related red blood cell abnormalities.
Neuroacanthocytosis syndromes are a group of rare diseases, characterised by misshaped erythrocytes and progressive neurodegeneration, causing movement disorders and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

The rarity and wide geographical spread of the NA diseases have contributed to a number of different researchers principally in Europe and Japan pursuing specific studies of the elements of the NA phenotypes including descriptive history of the development of the disease, the abnormalities of the erthrocytes and the function of the VPS 13A protein that is absent in chorea-acanthocytosis.

Since acanthocytosis is part of the NA syndromes clinical manifestations, the study of acanthocytes may offer the possibility to progress in the disease’ knowledge, to identify new cell signalling pathways towards either membrane proteins or transport systems.

Our Objectives for Research

To pursue the fundamental physiological questions raised by NA including the:

role of the proteins affected by the mutated genes in each disease as well as their molecular and cellular function

cause and significance of the spiky red blood cell membranes that are a defining characteristic of the diseases

pathway that leads to neuronal apoptosis in each of the diseases

To promote wide collaboration in the clinical study of the diseases. Because no country has more than an estimated 100 cases of NA and most countries in the world have fewer than 10 cases, it is vital that case histories of patients from around the world be available to those studying the clinical aspects of the diseases.

To develop the tools and the skill of neurologists to diagnose and, in the future, to treat the diseases.

To collaborate effectively with research into other similar conditions especially Huntington’s disease.

To encourage new, promising projects with seed money and assist in approaching larger grantors.

Our Values

Our funding seeks to:

Promote basic, curiosity-driven, investigator–led research that relates to the phenotypes of the NA diseases.

Bring together the wide research community around the world including haematology, cell biology, neuroscience and neuropsychiatry.

Encourage the wide dissemination of and free access to the research we support. We will seek to support unrestricted access and the public benefit wherever possible by requiring electronic copies of any research papers that have been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and are supported by the Advocacy to be deposited into PubMed Central (PMC) to be made freely available as soon as possible and in any event within six months of the journal publisher’s official date of final publication.

Do every thing possible to have strong communication with researchers receiving grants to assure that funds are used for the intended purpose.

Promote good communications between those working on NA research and others concerned with other diseases of the basal ganglia.

 

Request for Research Proposals

The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation and the Children’s Brittle Bone Foundation invite applications for OI Foundation Research Grants. Funding is available for fellowships for young investigators working to develop expertise in OI research or seed grants for either basic or clinical studies with relevance to OI.

Funding will include:
Michael Geisman Research Fellowships: Applicants must be in academic institutions and the work must be done under the supervision of a mentor with training and experience in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) or a related field. Fellowships may be funded at up to $50,000 per year ($35,000 toward the investigator's salary and up to $15,000 per year for supplies). Funding may be available for second-year support.

Seed Grants for Basic Studies with relevance to OI may be funded at up to $60,000 for one year. Seed grants do not support indirect costs or principal investigator salaries.

Clinical Seed Grants may be funded at up to $120,000 for two years. Grants do not support indirect costs or principal investigator salaries.

Please submit the original and 10 copies of your application to the following address NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1, 2008.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation
Attn: Research Grants
804 West Diamond Ave., Suite 210
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

To obtain an application contact the OI Foundation.

Research Funding 
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation

The SMA Foundation has pledged over $40M to the support of basic, translational and clinical research that will accelerate progress towards a treatment for SMA in the near term.

Investigators should hold a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, DO, or equivalent) and must demonstrate scientific leadership through their publication record or direction of a research program. Eligible investigators interested in applying for funding from the SMA Foundation should be able to confirm the following:

Key findings will be available in 18-24 months
Intent and freedom to share data and/or research tools with the SMA community within a reasonable time frame
Milestones can be established for project and project funding
Ability to make scheduled reports and participate in professional and scientific meetings
Research funding applications are screened by Letters of Intent. Investigators with proposals consistent with SMA Foundation objectives will be asked to submit a full application for review by a scientific advisory committee and peer reviewers when necessary. The SMA Foundation accepts research funding letters and applications on a rolling basis. Project funding decisions are determined quarterly though exceptional projects will receive "fast track" responses. All prospective and currently funded investigators should be familiar with the SMA Foundation Research Program Guidelines.

A Letter of Intent must include the following: a cover letter and a completed application, which includes the Principal Investigator’s background and contact information and a brief description of the proposed project with the relevance SMA and the hypothesis or hypotheses indicated.

Please note that all Letters of Intent and Inquiries should be directed to Meg Winberg at mwinberg@smafoundation.org

Oxalosis & Hyperoxaluria Foundation

The Research Grant program assists investigators, new or established, who have research projects for which they need support. While the OHF primarily seeks to fund grants which will increase the understanding of Primary Hyperoxaluria and oxalosis and improve the clinical management and treatment of the genetic diseases, applications focused on hyperoxaluria and oxalosis associated with other conditions and diseases will also be considered.

Support: Applications for up to two years of support will be considered. These funds may be used in the following categories: Personnel, Supplies, Other Costs, Travel, and Equipment. Indirect costs up to 10% of the direct costs (excluding equipment) may be requested.

MAXIMUM FUNDING: $160,000.00 for up to two years. Indirect costs must be included in the maximum funding amount.
Deadline for Submission: October 15, 2008
Notification of Award: February 1, 2009
Funding Begins: Within 9 months of award

All completed applications must be submitted electronically to grantapp@ohf.org in Microsoft Word Format. Applications must be typed, single spaced, 11 pt Times-Roman font with at least one-inch margins. Appendices must be in Adobe Acrobat format (version 5.0 or higher).

Mail the original, signed application with all attachments to Kim Hollander at OHF by midnight on October 15, 2008. Late applications post-marked after October 15, 2008, will not be accepted. The receipt deadline will not be waived.

Application email: grantapp@ohf.org

Application address: Kim Hollander
Executive Director
OHF
201 East 19th Street, Suite 12E
New York, New York 10003

A short paragraph should be included in the General Objectives and Rational section describing the relevance of the proposed research to the goals of the OHF which are to find a cure for oxalosis, Primary Hyperoxaluria, and related stone diseases and to improve the care and treatment of those it affects.