Motor Disorders Grants

Tourette Syndrome Call for Research Proposals

Program Interest
Any research study that has the potential to contribute to the understanding of Tourette Syndrome, including genetics, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, clinical studies and animal model development.

Eligibility
Candidates must have a M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent. Previous experience in the field of movement disorders is desirable, but not essential. Applicants may reside outside the United States.

Funding Levels
Post-Doctoral Fellowships: up to $40,000 for 1 year
Research Grant Awards: up to $75,000 for 1 year.

Typically TSA Awards are for one year only. In special cases, second year funding will be considered. Applications for second year funding must be related clearly in terms of the goals stated in the original grant application. Evidence of progress with the first year award must be presented.

Applicants seeking a second year of funding must submit a Letter of Intent.

Letter of Intent Due Date: October 1, 2009

Content:

1) Cover page.
2) Brief (3-4 pages) outline of proposed study including the scientific basis and relevance of the project. An estimate of the level of funding is required. A detailed budget is not required.

Submission Instructions: submit as an email attachment to: tsaresearch@ix.netcom.com

Letters of Intent are reviewed by a TSA Scientific Advisory Board screening committee. Applicants will be notified
electronically as to whether or not to proceed with a full grant proposal.

Full Grant Proposal Due Date: November 23, 2009

If you are invited to apply for a research grant, detailed instructions will be provided.

Awards Announced  March 2010

TSA Research Program
42-40 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
tel.718-224-2999 x222, fax 718-279-9596
e-mail grantadministrator@tsa-usa.org

The 2009 Kyle Bryant Translational Research Award sponsored by Ride Ataxia, the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance and the National Ataxia Foundation

The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) and the National Ataxia Foundation (NAF)
invite proposals, under a competitive Request for Applications (RFA) process, to award a grant
focusing on pre-clinical and clinical investigations that will advance treatments for Friedreich’s
Ataxia. We anticipate funding three one-year awards under this program. The total award is
limited to $120,000 (direct costs only) for each.

Program Objectives/Criteria
Proposals should be for pre-clinical/translational or clinical research focused on Friedreich’s
ataxia with aims targeting one or more of the following:
o Identification of biomarkers for FA that will elucidate disease variability, severity,
and prognosis; facilitate drug screening, and/or optimize selection of patients and
clinical endpoints for clinical trials. Could center on various approaches such as:
Genetic-based studies
Protein-based studies
Imaging studies
Metabolomics
o Development of animal or cellular models that permit further evaluation of
candidate therapeutics
o Development of tools and technologies that can be directly used for therapy
development. Examples include novel gene therapy vectors, genetically-modified
cells, drug delivery devices, etc... These tools or technologies should overcome
existing obstacles to treatment and be capable of being directly applied to, or
adapted for, delivery of potential therapeutics.
o Pre-clinical development and testing of potential targets, biologics, and devices in
cells and animals
o Clinical studies of patient outcome measures, potential interventions, or devices

Guidelines: All applications must be received by July 31st, 2009. A letter of intent should be
submitted with your title and a few sentences describing the focus of your proposal by July 15th,
2009. Applicants must complete the Kyle Bryant Translational Research Award application form.
Applications will be accepted from for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, public or
private institutions, and foreign institutions. Budget must be for direct costs only and must not
exceed $120,000.

Selection Criteria: All applications will be peer-reviewed and scored based on significance of
proposal, approach/methods of the research plan, innovation, investigator/experience,
environment/resources and budget. The proposal with the best score will be awarded. Scientific
advisors from both FARA and NAF will oversee the review, decision and notification process.

Timeline:
RFP release date: June 1, 2009
Letter of intent: July 15, 2009
Application/Proposal due date: July 31, 2009
Award announcement: October 1, 2009
Grant start date: October 15, 2009

Budget: It is required that the funds awarded under this program be used for direct research
support. The proposed budget must not exceed $120,000.

Allowable costs under this award:
• Laboratory supplies, reagents, purchase and care of laboratory animals
• Small pieces of laboratory equipment
• Salary for the principal investigator, scientific (including postdoctoral fellows) and
technical staff (including laboratory technicians)
Costs not allowed under this award include:
• Support for travel to scientific and professional meetings usually attended by the
investigators
• Computer hardware or software
• No indirect costs

Contact:
Jennifer Farmer
Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance
Grants & Program Manager
610-246-9017

Susan Hagen
National Ataxia Foundation
Patient Services Director
susan@ataxia.org
(763) 553-0020

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Mentor-Based Postdoctoral Grants Program  in Rehabilitation Research

The National MS Society welcomes applications for support of mentors and institutions that provide training of postdoctoral fellows in MS research related to rehabilitation. This program provides support for a mentor-institution combination which is responsible for the recruitment, selection, and training of postdoctoral fellows to pursue a career in rehabilitation research applied to MS and similar disorders. The mentor should be an established and active researcher in MS or a related field. The mentor and fellow may come from a variety of different fields including medicine, physical, occupational, or speech therapy, psychology, rehabilitation engineering, nursing, or other fields. The research training may focus on fundamental as well as applied studies but must be relevant to both rehabilitation of individuals with MS and to the Society’s mission to bring us closer to a world free of MS.

Before submitting a proposal for fellowship support, the investigator must consult the Research and Clinical Programs Department by email or telephone to determine whether the training plan is appropriate and relevant to the mission of the Society.

Deadline: August 5, 2009

For more information, please contact:

Nicholas LaRocca, PhD
Vice President, Health Care Delivery and Policy Research
(212) 476-0414
nicholas.larocca@nmss.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Daniel Haughton Senior Faculty Award

Ending MS will require a cadre of well-trained scientists engaged in MS-related research. Named for a member of the Board of Directors of the National MS Society who displayed a special interest in MS research, the Daniel Haughton Senior Faculty award addresses this need by providing support to established investigators for specialized training in a field which they are not currently expert, to enhance their capacity to conduct research related to MS. Awards of this type, which are available annually, can be used for sabbatical support for qualified individuals.

Before submitting a proposal for fellowship support, the investigator must consult the Research & Clinical Programs Department by phone or email to determine whether the research plan is appropriate and relevant to the mission of the Society.

Deadline: August 14, 2009

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Stark, PhD
Director of Research Training Programs
(212) 476-0462
jennifer.stark@nmss.org

Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar Awards

Harry Weaver, Ph.D., known worldwide for his contribution to neurosciences and multiple sclerosis research, was the Society's Director of Research from 1966-1977. Throughout his tenure with the Society and throughout his career, Dr. Weaver continued to encourage young investigators to enter and pursue MS research, and to broaden our understanding of basic and clinical aspects of MS. In recognition of Dr. Weaver's contribution to the neurosciences and MS research, and to his dedication to young researchers, the Society named this prestigious Award in his honor.

A limited number of awards are offered to highly qualified candidates who have concluded their research training and begun academic careers as independent investigators in an area related to multiple sclerosis. The awards are designed to provide salary and grant support for a five year period, thus permitting the awardee to establish competence in his/her chosen research area. Application must be made jointly by a candidate and the institution in which an appointment is held. Before submitting a proposal for research support, the investigator must consult the Research & Clinical Programs Department by phone or email to determine whether the research plan is appropriate and relevant to the mission of the Society.

Deadline: August 14,2009

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Stark, PhD
Director of Research Training Programs
(212) 476-0462
jennifer.stark@nmss.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society American Academy of Neurology Clinician Scientist Development Awards

Physician scientists (scientists with MDs, versus PhDs) are vital to research involving persons with MS. The National MS Society and American Academy of Neurology Foundation have joined to support training for young clinicians committed to careers in academic medicine with an emphasis on MS clinical research. The NMSS-AAN MS Clinician-Scientist Development Award supports 3 years of research training in an environment where talented young clinicians address problems in MS with the most current scientific tools.

Before submitting a proposal for fellowship support, the investigator must consult the NMSS Research & Clinical Programs Department or the AAN Foundation by phone or email to determine whether the research plan is appropriate and relevant to the mission of the Society and the AAN Foundation.

Deadline: August 14, 2009

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Stark, PhD
Director of Research Training Programs
(212) 476-0462
jennifer.stark@nmss.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowships

With the increasing number of new therapies being developed for use in MS, there is a need for physicians trained in conducting clinical trials. To this end, the National MS Society established the Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship Program in honor of its founder. Clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of therapies for multiple sclerosis are highly complex and require special expertise and knowledge to monitor this highly variable disease. This program provides the individual with an MD or equivalent medical degree with up to 3 years of formal training, under the tutelage of an established investigator, in key elements associated with conducting clinical trials in MS.

Before submitting a proposal for fellowship support, the investigator must consult the Research & Clinical Programs Department by phone or email to determine whether the training plan is appropriate and relevant to the mission of the Society.

Deadline: August 14, 2009

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Stark, PhD
Director of Research Training Programs
(212) 476-0462
jennifer.stark@nmss.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Postdoctoral Fellowships

The National MS Society seeks to attract and train promising young investigators and doctors into the field of MS by supporting the training of postdoctoral fellows in studies related to MS. The Society supports fundamental as well as applied studies, non-clinical or clinical in nature, including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation.

The Society offers postdoctoral fellowship grants to unusually promising recipients of M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degrees when it appears that the program of training to be supported by the grant will enhance the likelihood that the trainee will perform meaningful and independent research relevant to MS in the future, and obtain a suitable position which will enable them to do so.

Before submitting a proposal for fellowship support, the investigator must consult the Research & Clinical Programs Department by phone or email to determine whether the research plan is appropriate and relevant to the mission of the Society.

Deadline: August 14,2009

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Stark, PhD
Director of Research Training Programs
(212) 476-0462
jennifer.stark@nmss.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Research Grants

The National MS Society welcomes applications for studies related to multiple sclerosis that may serve in any way to advance our mission of preventing, treating and curing MS and improving quality of life. The Society supports fundamental as well as applied studies, non-clinical or clinical in nature, including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation.

Before submitting a proposal for research support, investigators must must consult the Research & Clinical Programs Department by phone or email to determine whether the research plan is appropriate and relevant to our goals.

Deadline: August 5, 2009

For more information, please contact:

Patricia O’Looney, PhD
Vice President of Biomedical Research
National MS Society
733 Third Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10017-3288
(212) 476-0413
patricia.olooney@nmss.org

Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America and the American Academy of Neurology Foundation Clinician-Scientist Development Award

The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America and the American Academy of Neurology Foundation are pleased to announce a three-year Clinician-Scientist Development Award to support a clinician scientists research related to myasthenia gravis.

AAN Foundation/MGFA Clinician-Scientist Development Award
The award aims to recognize the importance of good clinical research and encourage young investigators in clinical studies. The three-year award will consist of an annual salary of $75,000, plus a $5,000 per year in educational expenses institutional award. Applications for this award are due October 1, 2009.

For More Information
Terry Heinz
Grants Administrator
theinz@aan.com
(651) 695-2746