For Researchers: New CURE Grant, Infantile Spasms Treatment Guidelines, and NIH Request for Information

May 11, 2020

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create challenges for the scientific and patient communities, we are glad to be able to share good news: we’ve launched a new grant mechanism, the Catalyst Award! We will open our call for proposals on Monday, June 1, 2020.

Below, you can find details about this new grant opportunity, as well as an important statement from the Child Neurology Society on managing infantile spasms during the pandemic and a request for information from NIH on healthcare disparities and inequalities.

New CURE Grant: The Catalyst Award

Request for Proposals (PDF)

The Catalyst Award (2 years / $250,000) aims to stimulate and accelerate the discovery and development of new therapies for epilepsy, moving promising, well-supported preclinical and/or clinical research closer to clinical application.

Grant Timeline

  • 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 proposal deadline: Thursday, September 17, 2020, 9 PM ET
  • Awardee notification: Late-December 2020
  • Anticipated award start date: March 2021

Child Neurology Society Statement on Managing Infantile Spasms during the COVID-19 Pandemic

View Statement (PDF)

While clinicians are limiting in-person healthcare visits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, timely diagnosis and management of new onset of infantile spasms is critically important for child neurologists. The Child Neurology Society has created guidance to assist with clinical decision making regarding infantile spasms during this public health crisis.

NIH Request for Information: Health Disparities and Inequities in Neurological Disease and/or Care in the United States

Submit Comment

To address healthcare disparities and inequities among people with neurological conditions, NIH is seeking input from scientists, clinicians, patients, families, caregivers, advocates, and the broader community on the most important knowledge gaps, health and research needs, and promising opportunities to address this issue. NIH aims to use this information to help guide NINDS research on health disparities and inequities in neurological diseases and disorders.