Translational Research Program
The International Rett Syndrome Foundation, (IRSF), announces the availability of grants for the first cycle of the 2012 Translational Research program.
HeART (Help Accelerate RTT Therapeutics) and ANGEL (Advanced Neurotherapeutic Grant of Excellence) grant awards to promote the development and testing of therapeutics to treat and reverse Rett syndrome (RTT) and its symptoms. These award mechanisms seek to facilitate the development and testing of novel therapeutics targeting the underlying pathology of the disorder, thereby leading to an amelioration of symptoms or ultimately a pharmacological reversal of RTT. Through these awards, IRSF seeks to foster academic and public-private partnerships and further facilitate drug discovery, development and testing.
IRSF encourages novel research programs that broadly encompass the following areas of unmet need:
- Design, synthesis and testing of potential disease modifying therapeutics to treat or reverse RTT
- Testing of existing therapeutics both in vitro and in vivo to repurpose their use in RTT
- Development and/or validation of in vitro and in vivo models of RTT for therapeutic testing
- Development and/or validation of novel biomarkers for objective clinical trials outcome measures
- Testing of IND-ready therapeutics in pilot clinical trials
IRSF encourages investigators to utilize the newly available IRSF SMART Library of compounds in their proposed studies.
HeART (Help Accelerate RTT Therapeutics) Grant Award
Goal: To provide funding for the later stages of translational research.
Funding: The maximum funding level for HeART grant awards is $50,000 for one year.
HeART grant awards are provided for cell-based assay development, early-stage drug discovery and development, early stage medicinal chemistry efforts on high value candidate therapeutics, cell-based screening of candidate therapeutics and follow-on early-stage in vivo testing. Grant applications for exploratory studies towards development of biomarkers or objective clinical outcome measures will also be considered.
Applications require a 3 page proposal narrative.
ANGEL (Advanced Neurotherapeutic Grant of Excellence) Grant Award
Goal: To provide funding for the later stages of translational research.
Funding: The maximum funding level for ANGEL grant awards is $300,000 per year for up to two years.
Proposals must be comprised of very specific programs focused on pre-clinical drug discovery and development or clinical testing of therapeutic candidates. This mechanism requires development of a milestone based research plan, interim reporting on milestones and interaction with IRSF staff prior to and during the award period. The budget and duration of funding are variable and continued funding will be based on satisfactory progress on milestones. Applications are usually solicited, however, unsolicited proposals will be considered. Preliminary inquiries are required to determine IRSF’s level of interest prior to submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI).
Applications require a 10 page proposal narrative.
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Frequency:
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Awards will be made in two cycles in 2012.
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Cycle 1
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Cycle 2
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Letter of Intent due: March 1, 2012
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Letter of Intent due: August 1, 2012
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Invitation of full applications by: March 16, 2012
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Invitation of full applications by: August 17, 2012
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Applications due: April 20, 2012
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Application due: October 26, 2012
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General Submission Guidelines
Considering the interdisciplinary nature of both Basic and Translational Research projects, collaborative studies among geneticists, molecular biologists, neuroscientists, child neurologists, medicinal chemists and pharmacologists engaged in drug discovery and other clinical or basic researchers are encouraged. Teams working together from different institutions as well as within pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are strongly encouraged.
Grants are made for technical support, supplies, equipment and relevant travel. Indirect costs of up to 10% of direct costs may be included with the request amount. Proposals for less than the maximum amount are encouraged. Second year funding for Regular Research Grants, Post-doctoral Fellowships and ANGEL awards is non-competitive but is based on review of the first year’s progress report.
The IRSF Two-Step Grant Application Process
- Submit a Letter of Intent or Expression of Interest
The investigator must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) or Expression of Interest (EOI) through IRSF’s website describing the project in a succinct manner. The LOI should include objectives and specific aims of the proposal, research design and methods, qualifications of the Principal Investigator, mentor (if applicable) and other principal investigators involved in the project. LOIs should not exceed two pages; EOIs should not exceed three pages.
- Invitation to Submit Full Proposal
After review of the LOI or EOI, IRSF will contact the investigator via email to invite or decline a full proposal. Successful applicants will be provided with specific instructions to submit an electronic application form.
Eligibility
IRSF accepts qualified, scientific proposals from Academic Institutions, existing, private, early-stage pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries (if a clear need for non-profit funding to support the project is demonstrated and justified) and other Non-Profit organizations worldwide. Investigators with “Research Associate” as their title are eligible to apply for post-doctoral fellowships only; exceptions may be considered on a case by case basis.
Please Note: IRSF requires all applicants to use our online submission process. You may begin this process by clicking on the links below.
For application submission inquiries, please contact:
Janice Ascano, Ph.D. Manager of Grants and Research - jascano@rettsyndrome.org | 917-267-4504
For program related inquiries, please contact:
Steve Kaminsky, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer - skaminsky@rettsyndrome.org | 301-961-1559
