Grants Program
CURE Epilepsy’s mission is based on the fact that research is the key to finding cures for the epilepsies. Each year, grants are funded based on promising trends in the field and the potential for breakthroughs in a specified area.
CURE Epilepsy’s mission is based on the fact that research is the key to finding cures for the epilepsies. Each year, grants are funded based on promising trends in the field and the potential for breakthroughs in a specified area.
CURE Epilepsy awards grants for novel research projects that address finding the cures for epilepsy and address the goal of “no seizures, no side-effects.”
The Epilepsy Research Continuity Find (ERCF) will provide reimbursements of up to $15,000 for research related expenses incurred as a result of institutional shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and for which institutional support was not available or provided. Applicants will be asked to submit a description of the originally funded grant narrative, a description of the specific work that was impacted, and how the work was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated institutional shutdown. If approved, applicants will be required to submit receipts for reimbursement by CURE Epilepsy. Applications will be accepted until September 18, 2020.
Please refer to the Request for Applications for the full program description, application instructions, and FAQs.
This program is made possible through a gift from the Cotton Family in honor of Vivian Cotton.
Eligibility
Special consideration will be given to current and previous CURE grantees. All materials must be submitted in English.
To be eligible, applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements.
Budget
This program will provide reimbursements for up to a total of $15,000 in research costs. Some examples of expenses that are eligible for reimbursement are:
Please contact CURE Epilepsy’s Research Team if you have questions about items that may qualify for reimbursable expenses at Research@CUREepilepsy.org or 312-255-1801.
REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS GRANT PROCESS
Activity | Approximate Date |
Request for Applications | Monday, August 3, 2020 |
End of Application Submission Period | Friday, September 18, 2020 – 9pm ET |
The CURE Epilepsy Catalyst Award (2 years / $250,000) supports nimble development of data necessary to attract
larger commercialization funding opportunities and is not intended to replace those opportunities.
Please refer to the Request for Proposals for an overview of the priority areas, application instructions, and FAQs.
Eligibility
This award is available to independent researchers at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) at universities and non-academic research institutions, including small biotechnology companies, that seek to develop new interventions for epilepsy. International applicants are welcome.
Postdoctoral fellows may not apply for this award. All materials must be submitted in English.
Budget
Requests may be made for up to a total of $250,000 paid over 2 years. Funding requests may include salary support for the PI, technical staff and/or collaborators; supplies, animal costs, etc.; and travel to an epilepsy-related conference if the PI is presenting his/her CURE Epilepsy-funded research. Limited equipment purchases that are required to complete goals will be considered. Indirect costs are not supported.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS GRANT PROCESS
Activity | Approximate Date |
Open call for Letters of Intent | Monday, June 1, 2020 |
Letter of Intent Deadline | Monday, July 6, 2020, 9 PM ET |
Full proposal invitations | Thursday, August 13, 2020 |
Full proposals due | Thursday, September 17, 2020, 9 PM ET |
Awardee notification | Late-December 2020 |
Anticipated award start date | March 2021 |
The CURE Epilepsy Award (2 years / $250,000) reflects CURE Epilepsy’s continued focus on scientific advances that have the potential to truly transform the lives of those affected by epilepsy, with prevention and disease modification as critical goals. Key priority areas for the award include: 1) Basic mechanisms of epilepsy; 2) Acquired epilepsies; 3) Pediatric epilepsies; 4) SUDEP; 5) Treatment-resistant epilepsies; and 6) Sleep & epilepsy.
Please refer to the LOI guidelines for an overview of CURE Epilepsy’s priority areas, application instructions, and FAQs.
Eligibility
This award is available to both established and early career investigators*. Researchers who serve on CURE Epilepsy’s Scientific Advisory Council are ineligible to apply for or sponsor a grant for the duration of their term. International applicants are welcome. All materials must be submitted in English.
* 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. Post-doctoral fellows may not apply for this award.
Budget
Requests may be made for up to a total of $250,000 paid over 2 years. Funding requests may include salary support for the PI, technical staff and/or collaborators; supplies, animal costs, etc.; and travel to an epilepsy-related conference if the PI is presenting his/her CURE Epilepsy-funded research. Limited equipment purchases that are required to complete goals will be considered. Indirect costs are not supported.
SEE LOI GUIDELINES GRANT PROCESS
Activity | Approximate Date |
Request for Proposals Opens | Tuesday, December 1, 2020 |
Letter of Intent Deadline | Monday, January 11, 2021 at 9:00pm ET |
Full Application Invitations | Monday, February 22, 2021 |
Full Application Deadline | Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 9:00pm ET |
Anticipated Award Announcement | July 2021 |
Anticipated Project Start Date | Fall 2021 |
The Taking Flight Award (1 year / $100,000) seeks to promote the careers of young epilepsy investigators to allow them to develop a research focus independent of their mentor(s).
Eligibility
You must fall into one of the following categories to be eligible for the Taking Flight Award:
International applicants are welcome; you do not have to be a US citizen or working in the US to apply for this award. All materials must be submitted in English.
Budget
Requests may be made for up to $100,000 for one year. Funding requests may include salary support for the PI, technical staff and/or collaborators; supplies, animal costs, publication fees etc.; and travel to an epilepsy-related conference if the PI is presenting his/her CURE Epilepsy-funded research. Funds are not to be used to purchase equipment. Indirect costs are not supported.
SEE LOI GUIDELINES GRANT PROCESS
Activity | Date |
Request for Proposals Opens | Tuesday, December 1, 2020 |
Letter of Intent Deadline | Monday, January 11, 2021 at 9:00pm ET |
Full Application Invitations | Tuesday, February 22, 2021 |
Full Application Deadline | Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 9:00pm ET |
Anticipated Award Announcement | July 2021 |
Anticipated Project Start Date | Fall 2021 |
CURE Epilepsy’s research vision is set by the CURE Epilepsy Board of Directors, Scientific Advisory Board, and CURE Epilepsy Research Team.
RFPs are born out of CURE Epilepsy’s Strategic Vision and outline the research topic areas and requirements for the grant year.
LOIs are short letters from potential CURE Epilepsy grantees that succinctly and clearly describe their proposed research project and its relevance to CURE Epilepsy’s mission.
LOIs are reviewed and scored by the Research Team and scientific peers by criteria outlined in the RFPs. Applicants with the most relevant and exciting LOIs are invited to submit full proposals.
Applicants whose LOIs are invited will submit full grant proposals that contain detailed scientific and budget information for the proposed CURE Epilepsy project.
Each full grant proposal is reviewed by members of CURE Epilepsy’s Lay Review Council (LRC) and three external scientific reviewers. The LRC is made up of people with epilepsy and the loved ones of people with epilepsy who have a special interest in finding a cure. Members of the LRC contribute to CURE Epilepsy’s grant review process by reading research proposals from a lay perspective, which helps ensure that the stakeholder point of view is critically represented at all stages of the grant review process.
Scientific reviewers serve a one-time term on committees that are specially formed for each mechanism each grant review cycle. Applications are then discussed amongst the committee members and CURE EpilepsyResearch Team and scored.
Applications are discussed with the CURE Epilepsy Research Committee, which is made up of CURE Epilepsy Board members and volunteers, to ensure alignment with CURE Epilepsy’s mission. Funding recommendations are then developed and presented to the CURE Epilepsy Board of Directors.
The CURE Epilepsy Board of Directors has final approval of all grants that are funded by CURE Epilepsy each cycle.