Researcher Update: December 2021

December 16, 2021

In this month’s Researcher Update you’ll find information on:

• CURE Epilepsy Award and Taking Flight Award Applications for 2022 – Requests for Letters of Intent Due January 11, 2022  
• AES is Accepting Applications for the Sergievsky Award for Epilepsy Health Equity and Diversity Through January 14, 2022  
• DoD Epilepsy Research Program Anticipated Funding Opportunities for 2022
• Translational Efforts to Advance Gene-based Therapies for Ultra-Rare Neurological and Neuromuscular Disorders – Funding Opportunity
• Ultra-Rare Gene-based Therapy (URGenT) Network Resource Access – Funding Opportunity 

CURE Epilepsy Award and Taking Flight Award Applications for 2022 due January 11, 2022

The application process for the 2022 CURE Epilepsy and Taking Flight Awards is open. For detailed information, visit our website. 

CURE Epilepsy Award –$250,000 over two years
This award reflects CURE Epilepsy’s continued focus on scientific advances that have potential to truly transform the lives of those affected by epilepsy.

Taking Flight Award– $100,000 for one year
This award seeks to promote the careers of young epilepsy investigators, allowing them to develop a research focus independent of their mentors.

CURE Epilepsy is particularly interested in grant proposals on the following areas of epilepsy research: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), acquired epilepsy, treatment-resistant epilepsy, pediatric epilepsy and sleep and epilepsy.

Timeline for both awards:

AES is accepting applications for the Sergievsky Award for Epilepsy Health Equity and Diversity through January 14, 2022 

The Sergievsky Award provides support for early-career physicians and scientists who are members of underrepresented communities, with preference for Black or African American candidates. The award’s goal is to facilitate launching these individuals’ careers into leadership in academic clinical research in the field of epilepsy. 

The award provides: 

• $75,000 per year for two years of support (for a total award of $150,000) 
• Two years of complimentary AES membership 
• Complimentary registration to the two AES Annual Meetings that occur during the award period 

Learn More and Apply

DoD Epilepsy Research Program Anticipated Funding Opportunities for 2022 

The FY22 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding for the Epilepsy Research Program (ERP) to understand the mechanisms of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) and associated comorbidities to improve quality of life, especially in Service Members, Veterans, and caregivers.  

Applications for the FY22 ERP must address one or more of the following Focus Areas: 

• Innovative research 
• Markers and mechanisms
• Epidemiology 
• Longitudinal studies 

Learn more about the specific award mechanisms here

Translational Efforts to Advance Gene-based Therapies for Ultra-Rare Neurological and Neuromuscular Disorders– Clinical Trial Allowed – Funding Opportunity 

The Ultra-Rare Gene-Based Therapy (URGenT) network supports Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies and planning activities for first-in-human clinical testing of gene-based or transcript-directed therapeutics, such as oligonucleotides and viral-based gene therapies, for ultra-rare neurological or neuromuscular disorders.  

The goal of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to accelerate the development of a promising clinical candidate with robust biological rationale and demonstrated proof of concept data for the intended approach in a model system relevant to a specified patient population towards an IND filing and the initiation of a clinical trial. 

First application due date is December 22, 2021, with additional opportunities to apply throughout 2022, 2023, and 2024. 

For more information visit here

URGenT Network Resource Access – Clinical Trial Not Allowed – Funding Opportunity

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) provides investigators with a mechanism to access contract research/medical organizations (CROs/CMOs) and subject matter experts (SMEs) within the NINDS URGenT Network to support planning, manufacturing, and limited nonclinical therapeutic development efforts. 

The first application due date is between December 22nd, 2021 – January 31st, 2022, with additional opportunities to apply throughout 2022, 2023, and 2024. 

For more information visit here