Applicant FAQs

Can I apply for a CURE grant at any time?
No. CURE does not accept unsolicited proposals. Researchers interested in applying for a grant must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), due each September.

Who can apply for a CURE grant?
For the CURE Innovator, Multidisciplinary, and Christopher Donalty and Kyle Coggins Memorial Award for SUDEP Research, both established and early-career investigators may apply. For the CURE Challenge Award and Prevention of Epilepsy After Traumatic Brain Injury Award, only established investigators may apply. International applicants are welcome in all CURE grant programs. In exceptional cases, scientists at the postdoctoral level may be eligible for the Innovator, Multidisciplinary, and SUDEP awards.

Can I apply to CURE again if I have applied in the past? What is the process?
Yes. You must go through CURE’s standard application process. The first step is submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI), due each September.

I applied last year, but was not awarded funding. I have addressed the concerns voiced in the reviews of my original application and would like to reapply. Can I reapply, and if so, what is the process?
Yes, you can reapply. However, you must go through CURE’s standard application process. The first step is submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI), due each September.

I’ve received a grant in the past. Can I apply again?
Yes. You must go through CURE’s standard application process. The first step is submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI), due each September.

Are international applicants eligible to apply?
Yes. However, all application materials must be submitted in English.

I was/am a reviewer. Can I still apply?
If you have previously reviewed for CURE, you may submit an application. You will be ineligible to review during the cycle in which you submit.

Are multiple researchers from the same institution allowed to apply for the same grant?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of researchers from the same institution who can apply for the same grant.

Does CURE fund only academic laboratories?
CURE funds research from academic and non-academic laboratories. We fund researchers working at universities, companies, and non-profit research institutions.

What information should I include in the Letter of Intent (LOI)? Are there any length restrictions?
CURE provides an LOI online form for each grant category. Please fill in all of the information using the online form. A character count is provided for each field.

How do I submit my Letter of Intent (LOI)?
All LOIs must be submitted electronically. LOIs that are mailed or faxed will not be accepted.

How do I determine if I am an early-career or established investigator?
Generally, early career investigators are university faculty at the assistant professor level (or hold an equivalent position in a non-university research organization). Established investigators are university faculty at the associate professor level or above.

When will I know if I am invited to submit a full proposal?
CURE will email invitation and rejection letters for Letters of Intent (LOIs) to all applicants.

After I have been issued an invitation to submit a full proposal, how do I do so?
All application and application materials are to be mailed in hard copy to CURE by Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Full proposals cannot be submitted electronically or by fax. Guidelines are available for each grant category: Multidisciplinary Award, Donalty/Coggins SUDEP Award, Challenge Award, TBI Award.

Can I apply using standard NIH forms?
No. All applications must be submitted using the CURE forms provided on the website.

Does the full proposal have to be postmarked or received by the submission deadline?
All CURE applications must be received, not postmarked, by the submission deadline.

If I can’t submit by the posted deadline, can I request an extension? What is CURE’s policy on late submissions?
No, CURE does not accept late applications.

If I am submitting with another researcher, do we both need to submit an application?
Each researcher must submit a cover page, biosketch, bibliography, facilities/institutional assurances, and proof of application to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and/or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). However, collaborative proposals should only have one, combined budget.

Can multidisciplinary funding be split between two institutions?
Yes. CURE requires detailed budgets outlining the allocation of funds to each institution.

Who can receive salary from the grant?
Grant funds can be allocated to cover the salaries of investigators, postdocs, and graduate students in relation to percentage of effort spent on the project.

Can grant funding be used for travel?
$1,000 per year can be allocated for travel; $1,500 can be allocated for international grantees.

Can the budget include indirect costs?
No. CURE does not provide funding for indirect costs

What should I list as the start date for the project?
The start date for the current grant cycle is July 1, 2010.

What are the funding levels and budget restrictions?
CURE Innovator Award: 1 year, up to $50,000
CURE Christopher Donalty and Kyle Coggins Memorial Award for SUDEP Research: 1 year, up to $100,000
CURE Multidisciplinary Award: 2 year, up to $150,000
CURE Challenge Award: up to 3 years, up to $250,000
Prevention of Epilepsy After Traumatic Brain Injury Award: up to 3 years, up to $250,000

I’m an international applicant and some of my application materials are in a language other than English. Can I still submit them?
No. All application materials must be submitted in English.

Will I be notified that my application has been received?
Receipt of application materials will be sent via email.

Once I have submitted my application, can I check on its status?
All applicants will be notified in May of application decisions. Status on applications will not be available before that time.

How quickly will the full application be reviewed? When can I expect to know if my application has been chosen for funding?
The review process for the full grant proposals will be completed by mid-May. At that time, you will be notified of funding decisions regarding your application.

How many applications are reviewed each year? How many applications receive funding each year?
This varies by year. The number of proposals that receive funding is determined by annual budgetary constraints.

If not chosen for funding, how can I get feedback on my application?
Email Danielle Davis, Program Officer, at danielle.davis@CUREepilepsy.org. Copies of de-identified reviews will be emailed to you.