Massachusetts General Hospital | MassGeneral Hospital for Children

Grants

Lupus Research Institute: 2013 Distinguished Innovator Awards
Grants of up to $250,000 per year, for a term of up to four years, will be awarded for hypothesis- or discovery-driven proposals in human and/or animal model-based lupus research. The research proposal must aim to uncover the fundamental causes of lupus and present a compelling vision of how the discovery would lay the groundwork for a potential cure, prevention, or highly effective therapy. Emphasis will be on the rationale for the hypothesis rather than the amount of preliminary data. Continuation of long-term research projects will not be considered.
The Institute encourages applications from investigators in diverse disciplines, including but not limited to immunology; genetics; and molecular, cell and systems biology. Scientists who have not previously worked in lupus are encouraged to apply, as are researchers working outside the U.S.
Please contact aahern1@partners.org if you plan to apply
Application deadline: May 16, 2013. │more information

Lupus Research Institute: 2013 Novel Research Grants
Grants of up to $100,000 per year for up to three years will support projects that evidence high promise for advancing the understanding of lupus. Research applications will be judged principally on the novelty of the hypothesis, scientific quality, strength of approach, relevance to lupus, and likelihood of success. Creativity will be valued. Rationale for the hypothesis to be tested, rather than preliminary data, will be emphasized. Continuations of long-term research projects are not appropriate for this submission.
Both established and new investigators may apply. Projects on aspects of the disease that have been less extensively studied and applications from investigators in diverse disciplines, including those who may not have previously worked in lupus, are encouraged. Investigations should be relevant to basic, translational, or clinical research on lupus. While the Institute encourages projects based on novel explorations of human lupus biology—innovative studies that use human material to address the physiological, cellular, molecular and/or genetic basis of human lupus—projects solely based on cellular, molecular, and/or animal models are also encouraged.
Please contact aahern1@partners.org if you plan to apply 
Application deadline: May 30, 2013. │more information

Harrington Scholar Innovator Award
The Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals Case Medical Center was established in 2012 as a new pathway for drug discovery and development, originating in the work of physician-scientists in the United States.  The Harrington Discovery Institute provides not only financial support for highly innovative research but also project advisory services and related resources to improve efficiency and increase clinical and commercial impact. The program helps bridge the gap between basic discovery and commercialization. Up to ten (10) Harrington Scholar-Innovator grants are awarded each year through a competitive selection process. Grant winners are selected by internationally renowned physician-scientists who serve on the Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Harrington Scholar-Innovator Grants include:
•Up to $200,000 in financial support over two years
•Advisory services and expert commercialization support through the Innovation Support Center, including:

• Consulting services from highly experienced, drug development personnel
• Business and commercialization advice
• Clinical development oversight
• Regulatory assistance
• Help identifying and securing additional financial support

Application deadline: Letter of intent due May 15, 2013 │more information

Request for Letters of Intent: Institutional Nomination Grant – American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is launching a bold new initiative, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, to inspire a new generation of diabetes researchers. Pathway will support creative scientists early in their diabetes research careers, or investigators who are established in other disciplines but would like to expand their focus to diabetes research. Through awards of $1.625 million over the course of five to seven years, the program will allow researchers to have the freedom, autonomy, time and focus needed to explore new ideas.
Pathway will consider applications directed toward topics relevant to the prevention, treatment and cure of all
Diabetes types (type 1, type 2 and gestational), diabetes‐related disease states (obesity, pre‐diabetes, and other insulin resistant states) and diabetes complications. The program intends to attract individuals with a broad range of expertise in various science and technology disciplines, including medicine, biology, chemistry, computing and engineering, to the field of diabetes research.
Pathway award competitions will be held on an annual basis, with grant submissions accepted only through institutional nominations. The Association intends to support 3‐5 grants from the 2013 competition.
MGH may nominate a maximum of one investigator between the Career Initiator and the Accelerator awards. The nomination can be in either Pathway award type: the Diabetes Research Career Initiator or the Diabetes Research Accelerator.
•Diabetes Research Career Initiator for individuals transitioning from mentored training to independence
•Diabetes Research Accelerator for early-career diabetes researchers or established investigators changing their focus to diabetes research
To assess preliminary interest in this award, we ask that all MGH Investigators interested in applying for this award submit a Letter of Intent (see detailed instructions below) to Harry W. Orf, PhD, Sr. Vice President for Research, and ECOR, by May 16, 2013, to be considered to receive an institutional nomination.
Process
Submit a one- to two-page Letter of Intent (LOI) to Dr. Orf (horf@partners.org), Sr. Vice President for Research, with a copy to ECOR@partners.org.
The letter of intent should include:
1. Name of applicant, with appropriate contact information
2. Title of the potential application
3. Rationale for why PI is uniquely suited for this particular award
4. Description of PI’s training and accomplishments to date
In the event that there is more than one MGH investigator interested in applying for this award a multi-step review and selection process will be initiated. Participation by the applicant’s chief will be required after the initial LOI has been accepted and considered to move on to the secondary review process.
Application deadline: MGH Letter of Intent: May 16, 2013 │more information

FY13 Department of Defense Research Programs
The Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) Defense Appropriations Act provides research funding for the peer reviewed programs managed by the Department of Defense (DOD) office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).
The following programs have recently released funding opportunities:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Program (ALSRP)
-Therapeutic Development Award
-Therapeutic Idea Award
Bone Marrow Failure Research Program (BMFRP)
-Idea Development Award
Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP)
-Clinical Trial Award
-Exploration: Hypothesis Development Award
-Investigator-Initiated Research Award
-New Investigator Award
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program (TSCRP)
-Exploration: Hypothesis Development Award
-Idea Development Award
-Pilot Clinical Trial Award
Descriptions of each of the funding opportunities, eligibility, key mechanism elements, and funding can be found in the respective Program Announcement.  FY13 announcements can be found in the CDMRP home page features at http://cdmrp.army.mil.

 

2013 Geoffrey Beene Global NeuroDiscovery Challenge
Search for Gender Based Difference In Alzheimer's Disease - $100,000 in Prizes
The Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative (GBFAI) has launched its 2013 Geoffrey Beene Global NeuroDiscoveryChallenge, seeking to identify male/female differences in the pathogenesis and presentation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the pre-symptomatic, early symptomatic and late dementia stages because answers may come from looking across the spectrum of the disease. BWH researchers are invited to participate in the Challenge by submitting proposals to BGFAI.
The objective of this Challenge is to generate novel hypotheses addressing the causes and consequences of such differences. All novel hypotheses related to the topic are encouraged. This is a Theoretical Challenge that requires only a written proposal to be submitted. The Challenge award will be contingent upon theoretical evaluation of the proposal by the Seeker. To receive an award, the Solvers will not have to transfer their exclusive intellectual property (IP) rights to the Seeker. Instead, they will grant to the Seeker non-exclusive license to practice their solutions.
Proposals will be accepted now through August 31, 2013, at 5:00 PM Eastern. A distinguished panel of judges will review submissions for scientific merit and innovation. Up to five finalists will receive awards of $10,000 or more. From those, one winning solution will be chosen to receive $50,000, announced in late fall 2013.
Please contact the Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative at gbfaichallenge@gmail.com with any questions.
Application deadline: August 31, 2013. │more information

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Center for Global Health at MGH
The new Center for Global Health website provides:

• Details on more than 60 MGH programs in over 42 countries to help physicians, clinicians, and staff connect more easily around the globe;
• TravelSafe Program to enhance travel safety and security for all MGH travelers.  This new service provides added protections while traveling abroad as well as instant safety and security alerts before and during trips;
• A wealth of global health resources for those working abroad.

As natural and man-made disasters remain a threat to communities around the world, the Thomas S. Durant Fellowship in Refugee Medicine continues to offer opportunities to our clinical staff to care for vulnerable populations.
The new MGH Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health Technology Initiative received a generous gift of $3 million to launch its inter-departmental activities. This gift supports a new $100,000 Translational Grant program to accelerate innovative health technologies to improve the lives of mothers, children and newborns in resource-constrained settings.

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Partners HealthCare and Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) have recently reached an agreement to collaborate in the development of novel therapeutic entities.  Through the CTI, investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital will have the opportunity to propose research programs to identify clinical probes directed at targets/pathways of interest that may culminate in clinical trials that demonstrate Proof-of-Mechanism.  The program provides funding for 1-2 postdoctoral fellows per selected project to carry out the development of biologics at Pfizer facilities.
These projects will be either novel concepts captured at the earliest stage, and/or projects building on the existing understanding on the new target biology, along with translational medicine expertise that resides with the Principal Investigator (PI) and at MGH. The CTI will capitalize on the expertise of the PI and the associated assets, including background information, assays, in vivo model systems and potential tools for optimization development.  In addition, the project and investigators will benefit from the drug discovery capabilities and proprietary technologies available at Pfizer.  This bi-directional collaboration from project conception to Proof-of-Mechanism (POM) in the clinic will allow Pfizer to drive innovation in the drug discovery field, will provide investigators an additional mechanism for funding and will allow investigators an opportunity to see a basic concept translated to the clinic. For more information and details about the program, please visit:  https://ctipartners.ideareach.com/  (To create an account, click the “New Users” link below the sign-in)

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Scoliosis Research Society: New Investigator Research Grant
Up to $25,000
application

http://www.srs.org/
Deadlines: April 1 and October 1│more information

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NIH: Collaborative Program with industry and researchers to spur therapeutic development
NICHD Neonatal Research Network Established in 1986 to conduct multicenter clinical trials and observational studies in neonatal medicine.
More information

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DOD Restorative Transplantation Research (RTR) Award Program Announcement

Detailed descriptions of the funding opportunity, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements can be found in the RTR Program Announcement.  The Program Announcement is available electronically for downloading from the Grants.gov website (http://www.grants.gov) or the CDMRP eReceipt System (https://cdmrp.org).

Other funding opportunities, both recently and previously released, are available on the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).
A listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.
Subsequent notifications will be sent when additional funding opportunities are released.

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Breast Cancer Research Program newly released Program Announcement: Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
All current and previous funding opportunities are available on the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).
Subsequent notifications will be sent when additional funding opportunities are released. A listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

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Philanthropic Foundation Gift Opportunities
If you know of any projects that could be a fit for one of these opportunities, please contact Allyson Ahern in the Development Office at 617-643-5771 or aahern1@partners.org.

Abbott Fund’s Access to Health Care awards grants in the $20,000 - $100,000 range. Preference will be given to programs that: seek to apply scientific expertise to improve health care in the developing world or that involve rare diseases; contain a significant training component; focus on minimizing health disparities. They encourage program proposals that are able to demonstrate measurable results or health outcomes; create potential for program replication by other funders; and utilize innovative and sustainable approaches. Requests are accepted from January to October every year. www.abbottfund.org

Arthritis National Research Foundation will award $20,000 to $75,000 one-year grants for clinical and basic studies. Clinical studies should have a translational component that helps reveal the underlying mechanisms or response to therapy. The Foundation seeks to fund at least one grant each year focusing on juvenile arthritis. Preference is given to senior post-doctoral investigators transitioning to independent investigator status and new assistant professors. Applicant may not have (or ever had) an NIH R01 grant or equivalent. Next deadline has not been announced yet, but please let Allyson know if interested in applying (aahern1@partners.org).

Autism Speaks Trailblazer Award was designed to respond quickly to fund highly novel, “out of the box” transformative research that opens new avenues to understanding the causes, diagnosis, subtyping, prevention, treatments, and cure of autism spectrum disorders. The awards target small, investigator-initiated high-risk/high-impact projects that are potentially transformative, paradigm shifting, and/or will overcome significant roadblocks in autism research. Projects should be considered so risky as to not likely be supported through other Autism Speaks grants programs, including pilot studies. Generally projects should not have preliminary data. Awards are limited to a period of 12 months and an amount up to $100,000 total, inclusive of 10% indirect costs. Letters of Intent are accepted on a rolling basis.

Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s Individual Research Grants support investigator-initiated research on a variety of fronts, including axon growth and guidance, remyelination, cellular replacement, rehabilitation and neuroprotection. Established scientists, young investigators (completed postdoc within last five years) and postdoctoral fellows may serve as principal investigator. Two-year awards are available for senior scientists and young investigators with a maximum funding level of $75,000 per year. Postdoctoral fellowships are available with a maximum funding level of $60,000 per year.

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, which seeks to fund early career cancer researchers who have the energy, drive, and creativity to become leading innovators in their fields, is accepting applications for Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or their equivalent: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, or DVM. The Foundation encourages all theoretical and experimental research relevant to the study of cancer and the search for cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies, and prevention. Candidates must apply for the fellowship under the guidance of a qualified scientist sponsor. Fellowships are granted for a three-year term ($50,000 per year for Level I funding; $60,000 per year for Level II funding – physician-scientists who have completed their residencies, clinical training, and are board eligible will receive Level II funding). Fellows also receive an annual $2,000 expense allowance for educational and scientific expenses. Postdoctoral training in the same institution where the applicant received his/her degree is discouraged, particularly if it is in the same department. Proposals to continue training in the laboratory where the applicant received his/her PhD will not be considered. Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible. http://www.damonrunyon.org/for_scientists/more/fellowship_award_overview

Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation accepts research applications related to finding the cause, prevention, treatment, and cure of diabetes and its complications. The maximum support is $50,000 per year for up to two years. The Foundation will only review research proposals that fall under current areas of primary interest and focus: islet cell transplantation, macrovascular disease and neuropathy. The Foundation also awards a limited number of program grants, the amount of which is based on available funds. The program must be educational or community-health oriented, targeting people with diabetes or health professionals working in the field of diabetes.
Annual application deadlines: June 30 and December 30. 

Immune Tolerance Network accepts applications for novel clinical trials from all interested scientists from academia, industry and government in the areas of islet transplantation, kidney and liver transplantation, autoimmune diseases and allergy & asthma. In addition, the ITN accepts applications for the development of novel tolerance assay or mechanistic studies for the purposes of establishing new surrogate markers of immune tolerance and investigating the mechanisms of clinical tolerance. There is a two-stage application process, beginning with a five-page Concept Proposal containing a basic outline and justification of the proposed research. Applicants whose proposals are of interest to the ITN will be asked to submit a more complete Full Application. There is no deadline for submission of Concept Proposals. The number of projects funded and the total available funding varies from year to year.│ more information

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Octapharma, a plasma products manufacturer, is accepting applications for the Octapharma 25^th Anniversary Grants Program. The program supports research that helps promote excellence in patient care and provides valuable information to the medical and patient community that may translate to better management of disease and improvement in patient safety and population health. The grant program will support selected clinical and pre-clinical research projects focusing on human protein therapies in one or more of the following therapeutic areas: immunotherapy, coagulation disorders, and intensive care and emergency medicine. No set deadlines; the Grants Committee meets to review applications in April and October.│ more information  

The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation funds basic, translational and clinical research that will accelerate progress towards a treatment for SMA in the near term. Investigators should hold a doctoral degree and must demonstrate scientific leadership through their publication record or direction of a research program. Eligible investigators 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 timeframe; Milestones can be established for project and project funding; and Ability to make scheduled reports and participate in professional and scientific meetings. Letters of Intent (LOI) are accepted on a rolling basis. An LOI must include a cover letter and a completed application, which includes the PI’s background and contact information and a brief description of the proposed project with the relevance to SMA and the hypothesis or hypotheses indicated.│ more information

Thrasher Research Fund provides grants for clinical/translational pediatric research with emphasis on projects with potential findings that would be clinically applicable in a relatively short period of time for the prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment of pediatric medical problems. Research projects with the potential to impact a large number of children as well as those that address severe problems affecting relatively few children will be considered. The majority of awards range from $150,000 to $300,000. Projects are supported for up to three years. No deadlines for concept papers. Investigators are encouraged to discuss the suitability of specific ideas with a Research Manager prior to submitting a concept paper.
Partners Research Management Intranet website: │more information

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National Cooperative Drug Discovery/Development Groups (NCDDG) for the Treatment of Mental Disorders, Drug or Alcohol Addiction (U19) (NIH)
Deadline: Opening: January 22, 2013; Letter of Intent (not required): 30 days before the application due date; Application: June 24, 2013, October 24, 2013, February 24, 2014, June 22, 2014, October 22, 2014, February 22, 2015, June 22, 2015, and October 22, 2015
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations │more information

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POSTED RECENTLY TO THE GRANTS PROJECT WEBSITE:
Private

LEGO Children’s Fund
Deadline: Proposal: Ongoing
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations
Key words: Childhood Development
Note: To ensure that a request is considered for a particular trustee meeting, please see the General Grant Submission Schedule

KaBOOM! – Let’s Play Playground Joint Use Grants
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations. Please see the organization’s website for details about eligibility.
Key words: Playspaces
Application deadline: Rolling

Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations
Key words: Youth Literacy
Application deadline: May 23, 2013

Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence, Basic Research Program (U19) (NIH)
Deadline: Letter of Intent (not required): May 13, 2013; Application: June 13, 2013
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations
Also see: Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence, Clinical Research Program (UM1)

Delivering Therapeutics to Residual Active HIV Reservoirs (R01) (NIH)
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations
Application deadline: Opening: June 24, 2013; Letter of Intent (not required): June 24, 2013; Application: July 24, 2013

Innovation for HIV Vaccine Discovery (R01) (NIH)
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations
Application deadline: Opening: June 24, 2013; Letter of Intent (not required): June 24, 2013; Application: July 24, 2013

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NIH Update for Week Ending May 10th 2013
For the latest National Institutes of Health notices, requests for applications, and program announcements, follow this link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/WeeklyIndex.cfm/5-10-13/