Neuropathology Grants

2009 McKnight Scholar Awards

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience supports innovative research designed to bring science closer to the day when diseases of the brain can be accurately diagnosed, prevented, and treated. To this end, The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience invites applications for the 2009 McKnight Scholar Awards.

These awards were established to encourage emerging neuroscientists to focus on disorders of learning and memory. Applicants for the McKnight Scholar Awards must demonstrate interest in solving important problems in relevant areas of neuroscience, including the translation of basic research to clinical neuroscience. Awards are given to exceptional young scientists who hold the M.D. and/or Ph.D. degree and who are in the early stages of establishing an independent laboratory and research career. Traditionally, successful candidates have held faculty positions for at least one year. For the names of previous recipients and their projects, click here.

Up to six McKnight Scholars each will receive three years of support, beginning July 1, 2009.

Eligibility. Applicants must have the following:

* M.D. and/or Ph.D. degree; formal postdoctoral training completed at the time of application.
* A record of meritorious research in areas pertinent to the interests of the Endowment Fund.
* Not more than four years of experience in an independent/tenure-track faculty position (exceptions may be made to account for parental leave).
* Evidence of a commitment to a career in neuroscience.
* U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status.
* U.S.-based sponsoring institution, to which awards will be paid.

Applicants may not:

* Be employees of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute or scientists within the intramural program of the National Institutes of Health.
* Apply in more than two rounds of competition.
* Apply for continued postdoctoral support.
* Hold tenured positions or their equivalent.
* Hold another type of McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience award that would overlap with the Scholar Award.

Amount and Purpose of Support. Each McKnight Scholar will receive $75,000 annually in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Funds may be used in any way that will facilitate development of the Scholar’s research program, but not for indirect costs.

Selection Process. A review committee will evaluate applications and invite a select few to interview with the committee. Applicants selected will be notified by March 20, 2009. The interviews are scheduled for Friday, April 17, 2009, in San Francisco. The committee then will recommend candidates to the Board of Directors of the Endowment Fund for final decision. Awards will be announced on or before May 15, 2009.

Printed application forms and guidelines. Please call, email, or write the office of The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience.

Completed applications must arrive no later than January 2, 2009.

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience
710 South Second Street, Suite 400
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
info@mcknight.org
www.mcknight.org/neuroscience

Student Fellowship--Myasthenia Gravis or Related Neuromuscular Conditions

These fellowships are awarded annually to current medical students
or graduate students interested in the scientific basis of myasthenia
gravis or related neuromuscular conditions, serving both to further
scientific inquiries into the nature of these disorders and to
encourage more research. The stipend is up to $5,000.

Annual deadline for applications is March 15.

Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America
1821 University Ave. W., Suite S256
St. Paul, MN 55104

Telephone: (651)917-6256 or (800)541-5454

Fax: (651)917-1835

The 2009 AFAR Research Grants

The Program
The major goal of this program is to assist in the development of the careers of junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in the field of aging research. AFAR supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging. Projects investigating age-related diseases are also supported, especially if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these outcomes. Projects concerning mechanisms underlying common geriatric functional disorders are also encouraged, as long as these include connections to fundamental problems in the biology of aging. Projects that deal strictly with clinical problems such as the diagnosis and treatment of disease, health outcomes, or the social context of aging are not eligible.

Examples of promising areas of research include:
Aging and immune function
Genetic Control of longevity
Neurobiology and neuropathology of aging*
Invertebrate or vertebrate animal models
Cardiovascular aging
Aging and cellular stress resistance
Metabolic and endocrine changes
Age-related changes in cell proliferation
Caloric restriction and aging
DNA repair and control of gene expression
Biology of the menopause
Aging and apoptosis
Biodemographic analysis of aging
Comparative gerontology
Evolutionary biological aspects of the biology of aging
*Applicants proposing a project in Alzheimer's Disease research, should apply for the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer's Disease. (This program is currently under review for renewal in 2009.)

It is anticipated that approximately 15 grants of up to $75,000 each will be awarded in 2009. Applicants may propose to use the award over the course of one or two years as justified by the proposed research. Funds may not be requested for overhead or indirect costs. Funding will begin July 1, 2009.

Recipients of this award are expected to attend the AFAR Grantee Conference. The purpose of the meeting is to promote scientific and personal exchanges among recent AFAR grantees and experts in aging research.

Eligibility

The applicant must be an independent investigator with assigned independent space and must be within the first four years of a junior faculty appointment (instructor, assistant professor or equivalent) by July 1, 2009.

The AFAR Research Grant Program does not provide support for:
Postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of a senior investigator
Investigators who have already received major extramural funding for research on aging (such as an R01 grant)
Senior faculty, i.e. at the rank of Associate Professor level or higher
Former AFAR Research Grant recipients
NIH Intramural program employees
Applicants for the 2009 Glenn/AFAR Breakthrough in Gerontology (BIG) award
Application Guidelines

Four criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:

Qualifications of the applicant;
Quality of the proposed research;
Excellence of the research environment;
Likelihood that the project will advance the applicant's career in aging research.
If you are using animals in your research, please review Principles of Animal Use for Gerontological Research.

Application Procedures

All candidates must submit applications endorsed by their institution (only not-for-profit settings in the United States.) The deadline for receipt of all applications and supporting materials is December 16, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Please refer to the AFAR instruction sheet and application for complete application procedures. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Applications are reviewed in two stages: The initial screening takes place in mid-April, after which candidates are advised of the status of their applications via email. A final decision about grant awards is made in early June. The award start date is July 1, 2009.

AFAR can provide critiques only for those applications that are reviewed, at the second stage, by their Review Committee.

Reporting Requirements

Investigators will be required to submit a brief narrative report on the progress of their research five months after the start date of the award. Final narrative and financial reports are required within three months following the end date of the award. 

American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) | 55 West 39th Street, 16th Floor | New York, NY 10018
Phone: (212) 703-9977 | Toll-free: (888) 582-2327 | Fax: (212) 997-0330
E-mail: grants@afar.org or info@afar.org

Prize4Life announced its 2-year $1 million ALS/MND Biomarker Challenge on November 6, 2006.

The Prize4Life Biomarker Prize is divided into two tracks - theoretical findings and real outcomes.

The first track was a call for scientists and researchers from all backgrounds to submit theoretical papers on how they would develop a biomarker for ALS. In May 2007, Prize4Life awarded $15,000 for each of the five best ideas submitted . This track is now closed for submissions.

The second track, currently running, involves identifying an actual ALS biomarker. Anyone can submit a solution to the second track at any time, regardless of whether they participated in the first track.

A prize of up to $1,000,000 will be awarded in track two for the first validated ALS biomarker submitted that meets the desired requirements. Those submitting a solution must provide statistically significant results as proof of the validity of the solution. This challenge will end in November 2008 if a winning solution is not received so send in your solution now!!

A biomarker is a distinctive biological or biologically derived indicator that can mark the presence and/or progression of a disease. A biomarker can take the form of a chemical marker, a mechanical device that measures relevant physiological changes, or combination of the two. Currently, there are no known biomarkers for ALS for either diagnosing or measuring the progression of the disease.

Interested scientists and researchers should REGISTER with Prize4Life.

INNOCENTIVE 4470259
ALS Biomarker
POSTED: NOV 06, 2006
DEADLINE: NOV 06, 2008
$1,000,000 USD

Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick's, Alzheimer's, and Related Diseases
Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology and the AAN Foundation and funded through the philanthropy of the Potamkin Foundation.

This award recognizes major contributions to the understanding of the causes, prevention, treatment, and cure for Pick's, Alzheimer's, and related diseases.

Presentation
Recipient is expected to present a 20-minute lecture during an aging and dementia scientific session at the 61st AAN Annual Meeting.

Recipient will receive:

Medallion and $100,000 prize
Complimentary registration for 61st Annual Meeting
Recognition at 2009 Awards Luncheon at 61st Annual Meeting
Eligibility
Must be in any of the following biological disciplines: neurology, neuropathology, biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular genetics, chemistry, pharmacology, immunology, physiology, or cell biology

Application Procedure

Applicants should submit one complete set of the following materials:

Completed application form
Current curriculum vitae
Letter citing scientific accomplishments in detail
Two recommendation letters
Up to six selected reprints

Deadline

The deadline to apply for 2009 AAN Scientific Awards is November 3, 2008. Applications will be available in August 2008.

For more information, please contact Erin Jackson at ejackson@aan.com or (651) 695-2704.

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.