GRANTS PROGRAM
CURE’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.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
CURE awards grants for novel research projects that address finding the cures for epilepsy and address the goal of “no seizures, no side-effects.”
CURE Epilepsy Award
The CURE Epilepsy Award (2 years / $250,000) reflects CURE’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’s priority areas, application instructions and FAQs.
Eligibility
This award is available to both established and early career investigators*. Researchers who serve on CURE’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-funded research. Limited equipment purchases that are required to complete goals will be considered. Indirect costs are not supported.
SEE LOI GUIDELINES GRANT PROCESS
2020 FUNDING CYCLE
| Activity | Approximate Date |
| Request for Proposals | Thursday, November 21, 2019 |
| Letter of Intent Deadline | Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 9:00pm ET |
| Full Application Invitations | Tuesday, February 18, 2020 |
| Full Application Deadline | Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 9:00pm ET |
| Anticipated Award Announcement | July 2020 |
| Anticipated Project Start Date | Fall 2020 |
Taking Flight Award
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:
- A senior postdoctoral fellow who has a minimum of 3 years postdoctoral experience
- A clinical fellow who is a Neurology Resident in his/her Neurology training and considering Epilepsy Fellowships
- Newly appointed faculty within one year of having completed postdoctoral training
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-funded research. Funds are not to be used to purchase equipment. Indirect costs are not supported.
SEE LOI GUIDELINES GRANT PROCESS
2020 FUNDING CYCLE
| Activity | Approximate Date |
| Request for Proposals | Thursday, November 21, 2019 |
| Letter of Intent Deadline | Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 9:00pm ET |
| Full Application Invitations | Tuesday, February 18, 2020 |
| Full Application Deadline | Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 9:00pm ET |
| Anticipated Award Announcement | July 2020 |
| Anticipated Project Start Date | Fall 2020 |
GRANT POLICIES AND FORMS
FOR GRANT REVIEWERS
GRANT PROCESS
1. VISION SETTING
CURE’s research vision is set by the CURE Board of Directors, Scientific Advisory Board, and CURE Research Team.
2. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
RFPs are born out of CURE’s Strategic Vision and outline the research topic areas and requirements for the grant year.
3. LETTER OF INTENT
LOIs are short letters from potential CURE grantees that succinctly and clearly describe their proposed research project and its relevance to CURE’s mission.
4. LOI REVIEW
LOIs are reviewed and scored by the Research Team and scientific peers by criteria outlines in the RFPs. Applicants with the most relevant and exciting LOIs are invited to submit full proposals.
5. FULL PROPOSAL STAGE
Applicants whose LOIs are invited will submit full grant proposals that contain detailed scientific and budget information for the proposed CURE project.
6. FULL PROPOSAL REVIEW
Each full grant proposal is reviewed by members of CURE’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’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 Research Team and scored.
7. RESEARCH COMMITTEE REVIEW
Applications are discussed with the CURE Research Committee, which is made up of CURE Board members and volunteers, to ensure alignment with CURE’s mission. Funding recommendations are then developed and presented to the CURE Board of Directors.
8. BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVAL
The CURE Board of Directors has final approval of all grants that are funded by CURE each cycle.