Grants>Neuroscience

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.

Learning Disabilities Foundation of America Grant Program

Applications must be for projects which conform to the mission of the Learning Disabilities Foundation of America by responding to an unmet need in the field of learning disabilities. Funds are granted for charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes or for the identification, ongoing evaluation, education of and services for children and adults with learning disabilities. Examples of project areas that fall within this philosophy:

Innovative research into the causes, the prevention and/or the alleviation of learning disabilities

Distinctive public awareness programs to advance public understanding of the needs of persons with learning disabilities

Innovative programs to advance the achievement of persons with learning disabilities, increase the support skills of their families, support academic and professional advisors, and enhance the understanding of learning disabilities by their colleagues and employers

Grant Policy

Grants may be made to the Learning Disabilities Association of America or to any other organization within the United States or any of its possessions exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code and contributions to which are tax deductible.

Grant applications are considered twice each year by the Foundation Board of Managers. Applications must be received no later than March 15 or September 15.

With the exception of certain funds restricted for the Learning Disabilities Association of America, grants will not be made for capital campaigns, routine organizational operations (e.g. newsletters, utilities, salaries, equipment considered normal for organizational operations), or for endowment funds.

Grants will not be made to individuals or for individual scholarships.

The Board of Managers of the Foundation may request an interview with the primary facilitator and/or site visit, in addition to the written grant application.

Projects of national impact and projects that may be replicated are given preference.

All conditional grants in which the conditions have not been met by the end of the Foundation’s fiscal year (March 31) shall expire as of that date unless otherwise specified in the grant. All conditional grant recipients shall be advised of this policy provision.

The following statement must be contained in all reports or manuscripts related to an LDFA grant: “Support has been received from the Learning Disabilities Foundation of America however, the opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.”

Recipients of grants are expected to adhere closely to the stipulated terms of the grant and to the program described in the application.

Full financial accounting of expenditures must be provided to the Foundation.

Funds from a Foundation grant may not be directed to other purposes and any unexpended funds must be returned to the Foundation within 60 days of completion of the project.

Progress reports must be submitted once per year by the due date for grant applications (March 15 or September 15).

Within three months of completion of the project, a detailed final written report outlining the results of the project and accounting for the funds shall be provided to the Foundation.

Grant recipients may not claim exclusive use of the results of the project.

Call for Applications: Grass Foundation - American Neurological Association Award in Neuroscience

The Grass Foundation and the American Neurological Association (ANA) are now accepting nominations for The Grass Foundation – ANA Award in Neuroscience.  This Award was established in 2007 to honor outstanding young investigators doing research in basic or clinical neuroscience.  The Grass Foundation www.grassfoundation.org was established in 1955 by Albert and Ellen Grass to advance research and education in neuroscience, with a special focus on investigators early in their careers.

Eligibility

Candidates include:

• physician-scientist neurology faculty members early in their careers (MD or MD/PhD)

• who are 5 years or less out of postgraduate or post fellowship training

• conducting research in neuroscience

Award

The awardee will receive:

• $1,000 honorarium

• inclusion in the scientific program of the ANA’s Annual Meeting as either a poster or platform presenter

• gratis Annual Meeting registration

• up to $1,500 travel reimbursement

• a commemorative plaque

Nomination Process

To submit a nomination, please send a letter of recommendation and the nominee’s CV and bibliography to ana@llmsi.com. Both self-nominations and nominations from second parties will be accepted.

All nomination materials must be submitted by February 15th of each year.

Call for Applications: Ellison Medical Foundation Neuroscience Scholar Award Program

Since 1998, The Ellison Medical Foundation has been actively engaged in supporting fundamental research on the Biology of Aging and age-related disease mechanisms. The Foundation is now pleased to announce an additional funding opportunity under the Foundation's new Neuroscience Scholar Awards Program. Like the Foundation's ongoing Biology of Aging Scholar Awards program, the Neuroscience Scholars program is intended to provide researchers with the support and resources to develop innovative research programs aimed at gaining insight into the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie normal biological function, and when dysfunctional, lead to illness.

Through a series of focused workshops, the EMF Scientific Advisory Board has sought to identify topics in fundamental Neuroscience research that hold promise for significant scientific progress and yet the research funding to support that progress is inadequate. As a result of this review, the SAB has chosen an initial focus for the Neuroscience Scholars program on the "Neuroscience of Aggressive Behavior". The goal of this program is to stimulate and nurture innovative research that seeks to gain an understanding of the neurobiological basis of aggression and related behaviors, and of the environmental and genetic factors that contribute to violence and anti-social disorders.

A first round of Neuroscience Scholar awards were made in early 2012 and the Foundation is now soliciting applications for up to five New Scholar and five Senior Scholar awards in 2013. While it is anticipated that other focused topics in Neuroscience research may be chosen for support in future years, for the 2013 application cycle, only projects that are explicitly directed toward the fundamental neurobiology of aggression and closely related behaviors will be considered for funding.

A candidate in the first three (3) years of an independent research career will be considered eligible for a New Scholar award and will be evaluated separately. All other applicants are eligible for the Senior Scholar award (independent of faculty rank or tenure status). For the 2013 competition, candidates must hold regular full time appointments (tenure or non-tenure) on the faculty of the sponsoring institution by June 15, 2013. Each New Scholar award will be made for up to $100,000 per year, total costs, for a four year period. Senior Scholar awards will be made for up to $150,000 direct costs per year, plus full indirect costs at the institution's NIH negotiated rate, for up to four years. Funding for years two, three and four is contingent upon submission of an acceptable progress report. Note that a budget is not required at the letter of intent stage, but will be requested of those candidates that are invited to submit a full proposal following the initial review.

The Letter of Intent must be completed online on our website: http://www.cybergrants.com/emf/neuro_loi

The deadline for online submission of the New or Senior Scholar Letter of Intent is June 21, 2013.

Address any questions to:

Kevin Lee, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Phone: 212-577-9255
klee@ellisonfoundation.org

Scientific Research Center on Decision Neuroscience and Aging 2014 Grants

For 2014, up to two grants for up to $20,000 will be awarded to provide researchers new to the area with resources for data collection, task development, and/or to add an older adult sample to an existing dataset. The overall goal is to provide the initial resources to support a larger grant application.

To apply for funding, submit a research plan (maximum of three pages) to funding@srndna.org describing the work that these funds would support and why the work could not be otherwise completed without these funds. An itemized one-page budget and CV/biosketch for the principal investigator is also required. Be sure to include a project title and list of team members and affiliations.

Priority will be given to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. Senior researchers new to the area will also be considered. If you have received funding through any of the of the following, you are not eligible for this award:

Neuroeconomics of Aging (R21) RFA-AG-06-011

Basic Research on Decision Making (R01) RFA-MH-12-130

Social Neuroscience and Neuroeconomics of Aging (R21) PAR-11-336

Social Neuroscience and Neuroeconomics of Aging (R01) PAR-11-337

Evaluation criteria include the use of a variety of measures, sophisticated/appropriate statistical analysis strategies, a comprehensive research team with expertise in all relevant disciplines, and a focus on life course decisions that impact old age relevant outcomes. We are especially interested in funding work on health-related decision making. Priority will be given to proposals that use the funds for data collection rather than salary support.

The primary applicant must be located at a U.S. university or research institute. Funds will be disbursed through a sub-award on our primary National Institute on Aging network grant. Please specify your university’s indirect cost rate in the budget. The $20,000 limit is for direct costs. Indirects will be paid in addition to this amount.

The application deadline for 2014 awards is April 1, 2014. Notification of funding will be sent by May 15, 2014.

Call for Nominations: Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award in Neuroscience

The Neuroscience Prize honors scientists for major discoveries that have advanced the understanding of the nervous system.

The Prize, established in 2004, is an unrestricted cash award of $500,000, a gold medal inscribed with the recipient's name, and a citation describing the achievement for which the recipient is being honored. It is awarded each year to a person or persons chosen by a distinguished advisory board of neuroscience experts from nominations that are received from around the world.

Nominations for the Neuroscience Prize are invited annually and may be submitted by individuals, organizations, and institutions that are active in or have an appreciation for contemporary neuroscience research and study.

Who may be nominated?

Individuals from anywhere in the world who have conducted highly distinguished research in the field of the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nervous system.

What the nomination must include:

Please note that all nominations materials must be submitted in English

•a completed nomination form

•a current curriculum vitae WITHOUT a full list of publications

Format

The official nomination form should be filled out and submitted online, or e-mailed to nominations@gruber.yale.edu
If necessary, the form may be printed and faxed or mailed, but electronic submissions are strongly preferred.

Deadline

Nominations for the 2014 Neuroscience Prize close on December 15, 2013.

For additional information contact

The Gruber Foundation
Phone: +1-203-432-6231
Fax: +1 203-436-3540
Email: nominations@gruber.yale.edu

Call for Nominations: Society for Neuroscience Louise Hansen Marshall Special Recognition Award

Deadline for submission is June 12, 2013.

The Louise Hanson Marshall Special Recognition Award honors an individual who has significantly promoted the professional development of women in neuroscience through teaching, organizational leadership, public advocacy, or other efforts that are not necessarily research-related.

Recipients receive complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting. The award is presented at the Celebration of Women in Neuroscience Luncheon held during the meeting.

Eligibility

Service to the profession through SfN and/or related organizations

Recognition at a national or international level as a scientist, educator, businessperson, or administrator in neuroscience

Demonstration of outstanding imagination, innovation, and initiative in the pursuit of neuroscience

Demonstrated dedication to facilitating the mentoring and entry of young women into neuroscience, or to the advancement of women in neuroscience.

Submit all materials using SfN's award nomination site. Include the following:

One nomination letter

Maximum of two optional letters of recommendation (one letter must describe the nominee's contributions to the advancement of women in neuroscience through mentoring and other efforts, such as leadership or service)

Current CV or resume 

If you have questions, email awards@sfn.org or call 202-962-4000.

Call for Submissions: Jacob P. Waletzky Award

Deadline for submission is June 19, 2013.

The Jacob P. Waletzky Award, supported by The Waletzky Family, honors a scientist who has conducted research or plans to conduct research in the area of substance abuse and the brain and nervous system.

Recipients receive a $25,000 prize and complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting. The SfN president presents the prize at a lecture at the meeting.

Eligibility

Actively engaged in research at the time the award is given

Received a PhD or MD (or equivalent) within the past 15 years (Time taken off for child-rearing does not count in these totals. Part-time work and other special circumstances are evaluated at the discretion of the committee.)

Submit all materials using SfN’s award nomination site. Include the following:

One nomination letter

Maximum of two optional letters of recommendation (one must be from the nominee’s current or previous mentor)

Current CV (include date advanced degree was awarded.)

Essay (500 words or less) describing the future goals and direction of the nominee’s planned research in the substance abuse and the brain and nervous system

If you have questions, email awards@sfn.org or call 202-962-4000.

Call for Submissions: Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

Deadline for submission is June 19, 2013.

The Swartz Prize, supported by the Swartz Foundation, honors an individual whose activities have produced a significant cumulative contribution to theoretical models or computational methods in neuroscience or who has made a particularly noteworthy in theoretical or computational neuroscience.

Recipients receive a $25,000 prize and complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting, as well as a lecture slot at the Dynamical Neuroscience Satellite Event (sponsored by NIMH). The SfN president presents the prize at a lecture at the SfN annual meeting.

Eligibility

The prize is open to all individuals who have contributed to theoretical or computational neuroscience.

Submit all materials using SfN's award nomination site. Include the following:

One nomination letter

Maximum of two optional letters of recommendation (one letter must include a summary of past, present, and future research, maximum of two pages)

Current CV

A list of publications and abstracts authored or co-authored by the nominee

If you have questions, email awards@sfn.org or call 202-962-4000

Call for Submissions: Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award

Deadline for submission is June 12, 2013.

The Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual with outstanding career achievements in neuroscience who has also significantly promoted the professional advancement of women in neuroscience.

Recipients receive a $5,000 prize and complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting. The SfN president presents the prize at a lecture at the meeting, and the recipient is honored at the Celebration of Women in Neuroscience Luncheon, held during the meeting.

Eligibility

Exhibited dedication to facilitating the mentoring and entry of young women into neuroscience or to the advancement of women in neuroscience

Sustained exceptional achievements in neuroscience as evidenced by publications, inventions, and/or awards
Service to the profession through SfN and/or related organizations

Recognition at national or international levels as a scientist, educator, businessperson, or administrator in neuroscience

Demonstration of a high degree of imagination, innovation, and initiative in the pursuit of neuroscience

Submit all materials using SfN's award nomination site. Include the following:

One nomination letter

Maximum of two optional letters of recommendation (One letter must include a summary of key research accomplishments as well as a summary of mentoring, leadership, and service)

Current CV

List of students and postdoctoral fellows who have been mentored by the nominee

If you have questions, email awards@sfn.org or call 202-962-4000.