Upcoming Research Opportunities

Open opportunities (fellowships, awards, training, research, funding, career, etc.) of interest to NEALS members can be found here. Please contact Christina Smith, NEALS Communications Coordinator, at csmith@neals.org to submit an announcement for posting on the website.

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Active Against ALS is a grass-roots, nonprofit organization whose mission is to raise funds for research toward effective treatments and ultimately a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), while raising awareness of the disease, encouraging physical activity, and building a compassionate community. To date we have awarded over $900,000 to research.

We are pleased to announce a call for proposals for our next awards cycle. We aim to support the work of investigators focused on scientific work that will be instrumental in therapeutics for individuals who have already been diagnosed with ALS. Special emphasis will be placed on proposals from investigators who are early in their careers.

Proposals due: May 15, 2024

Announcement of funding: September 1, 2024

Funding: $100,000/year for up to two (2) years. A progress report will be required after the first year for approval of funding for Year 2.

Brief proposals (no more than 3 pages) are being solicited which should include:

  1. Specific Aims (no more than 1 page)
  1. Background/Rationale: please include how this work could influence therapeutics for patients with diagnosis of ALS
  1. Methods

Please also include a budget page describing how the funding will be utilized, and a copy of your CV and/or bio sketch. These two items will not contribute to the three (3) page, page limit.

Proposals should be submitted to Elisabeth Weinstein via email at email hidden; JavaScript is required You may contact me through this same email address with any questions.

Please label all associated emails with a subject heading “Active Against ALS RFP.”

You can learn more about Active Against ALS through our website: activeagainstals.org.

The Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital is recruiting a board certified or board-eligible Neurologist at the level of Instructor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor to join the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS and will be an integral part of the ALS multidisciplinary care team and a clinical trialist as part of the Neurological Clinical Research Institute based within in the Department.

Qualified applicants should have advanced training in Neuromuscular Medicine and clinical research experience as evidenced by field work, peer-reviewed publications, and grant-supported activities. Applicants should have a completed a neurology residency in a major teaching hospital and should be familiar with working with neurology residents, interns and fellows within an academic neurology department in a general hospital setting. This position will be based at MGH. An appointment at the Harvard Medical School along with a corresponding hospital appointment will be commensurate with experience, training, and achievements. In addition, it is expected that the candidate will engage in teaching in the Harvard community with a minimum of 50 hours required per year. Women and minority applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should submit a c.v. and cover letter to:

James Berry, MD, Division Chief, ALS and Motor Neuron Diseases via email at email hidden; JavaScript is required

The Harvard/Partners Neurodegeneration Clinical Research (NCR) Fellowship is designed to produce experts in the field of neurodegenerative diseases and clinical research, with a particular focus on the clinical care and research of neurodegenerative disease, who will shape clinical research in these fields throughout their career.

The Neurodegeneration Clinical Research Fellowship training will occur via two major avenues: 1) Clinical Care training conducted primarily through mentored clinical encounters and supplemented by clinical conferences and individual study; and 2) Clinical Research training conducted through the experience of acting as a sub-investigator on at least one non-interventional research project and at least one treatment trial, as well as the development of one unique clinical research project with the careful support of a research mentor.

Eligibility/Application Process

Candidates must be board-eligible in Neurology, have completed residency in good standing prior to the start of the fellowship, and have a strong interest in clinical research. Candidates may have completed a one year neuromuscular fellowship or equivalent prior to joining this fellowship.

For more information on the Neurodegenerative Clinical Research Fellowship, and how to apply, please view the fellowship website (https://www.mgbneurologyfellowships.org/fellowships/neurodegenerative.htmlcontact) and contact Program Director, email hidden; JavaScript is required.


The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has recently re-issued a funding opportunity: “Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Intermediate Patient Population Expanded Access (U01 Clinical Trial Required), ” RFA-NS-24-029.

This funding opportunity is intended to support scientific research utilizing data from expanded access (EA) studies for ALS using investigational drugs or biological products. Eligible applicants must be clinical trial sites that participate in a phase 3/efficacy clinical trial supported by a small business concern that is the FDA-designated sponsor of a drug or biological product which is the subject of an IND under section 505(i) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(i)) to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat, or cure ALS. The definition of a small business concern can be found at https://seed.nih.gov/small-business-funding/small-business-program-basics/eligibility-criteria.

NINDS encourages eligible drug sponsors to review RFA-NS-24-029 and consider working with an eligible Phase 3 clinical trial site to submit an application.

NINDS program staff (contact information below) are available to address any questions you may have about the funding opportunity, and to discuss your application should you choose to submit. For more information about technical assistance webinars for potential applicants, see the Notice Number NOT-NS-24-036 for additional information, including registration guidance:  https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-NS-24-036.html

Amy Tsou, Program Director, Division of Clinical Research, NINDS, email hidden; JavaScript is required

Emily Caporello, Program Director, Division of Translational Research, NINDS, email hidden; JavaScript is required

Amelie Gubitz, Program Director, Division of Neuroscience, NINDS, email hidden; JavaScript is required

Lumy Sawaki-Adams, Program Director, Division of Clinical Research, NINDS, email hidden; JavaScript is required

Due date for nominations is January 15, 2024

The Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in partnership with ALS Finding a Cure® (ALSFAC) and FightMND is issuing a request for applications for the ALS Scholars in Therapeutics Program to empower young investigators to learn how to develop new treatments for people living with ALS.

This two-year program is designed to engage clinician-scientists and post-doctoral fellows to gain training and experience in therapy development for ALS at their home institution with an optional industry experience in year two. All ALS Scholars will be part of the broader ALS global community. We believe strongly in identifying, supporting, and mentoring the next generation of researchers and are continuing this tradition through the ALS Scholars in Therapeutics Program.

To download an application form, click here.

Award Details

· 2 years of funding to support a clinician-scientist or post-doctoral fellow working in the ALS field anywhere in the world.

· $150,000 USD award/funding year (inclusive of maximum 15% indirect costs)

· Recipient must commit at least 75% effort to the proposed ALS research plan

Eligibility

· Applications from clinician scientists and postdoctoral fellows focused on translational research.

· Candidates with Ph.D. or M.D. with a strong publication record. International applicants are encouraged to apply.

· The ALS focused proposal must have a strong scientific rationale and should be largely developed by the candidate with guidance from his/her mentor.

· Eligibility for this award is based on the date the candidate attained their degree/ qualification. For MDs, scholars will be considered if they have completed their specialist qualification (i.e., US Residency; Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, etc.) For PhDs they can be no more than 5 years post- degree.

Available resources: NEALS Biorepository, Target ALS post-mortem Tissue Bank, PRO-ACT, Answer ALS resources e.g. IPSC lines banked at Cedar Sinai, the Answer ALS Data portal, etc.

Budget

The ALS Scholars in Therapeutics will be awarded $150,000 USD per year (inclusive of direct and maximum 15% indirect costs) for a maximum of 2 years. These funds can be used for salary support, personnel, and/or supplies relevant to the outlined project. Year one funds will be provided by the Healey & AMG Center philanthropic fund. Year two may be funded by an industry partner, contingent on matching the Scholar with a company.

Application

Full application will require the following:

1. Administrative information: signatures from the applicant and organization acknowledging the terms and conditions of the award

2. Scientific abstract: (300-word maximum) and lay description (150-word maximum)

3. Research Proposal: focused on a translational effort in the ALS field (5-page maximum not including references) must include specific aims, significance, innovation, and experimental plan

4. Timeline & Milestones

5. Bibliography

6. Career plan: outline of applicant’s training plans and career goals (one-page maximum)

7. List of other funding sources for the applicant

8. Two letters of reference: One letter must be from the applicant’s primary mentor

9. NIH-style biographical sketch for the applicant and mentor

10. Budget (in $USD) and budget justification: including key personnel

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and scored based on the following five criteria:

1. Candidate: Strong publication track record, evidence of independent thinking, and a creative approach to problem-solving. For clinicians,applicants should demonstrate capabilities as a clinician scientist based on prior achievements.

2. Mentor: Ideally a principal investigator committed and actively working within ALS or related field.

3. Project Feasibility: While preliminary data is not essential for the application, sufficient supporting data for the proposed aims is required to ensure that the project is feasible and can be completed within the two-year time frame.

4. Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility: the research proposed must be well thought through, include details of experimental design, blinding, power calculations, and approaches to promote reproducibility including validation of key reagents. In addition, the applicant should state how they will share their findings, data, reagents with the scientific community.

5. Research Environment: Quality and nature of training provided by mentor as well as institutional support.

Reporting

The ALS Scholars will submit semi-annual financial and scientific progress reports to the Healey & AMG Center who will share with funding partners. The ALS Scholars will also attend and present their findings at least one of the semi-annual Healey & AMG Science Advisory Council and ALSFAC meetings during the funding period.

Application Due Dates

Release of RFA: October 4, 2023

Applications Due: January 15, 2024

Notification of Award: March 2024

Initiation of Award*: July 1, 2024 (flexible once contracts signed)

*Note: Once the award has been finalized the Healey & AMG Center for ALS will work with the successful candidate to secure an industry internship in the second year of the fellowship.

For queries contact: email hidden; JavaScript is required

To download an application form, click here.

Submit application as a single PDF document to:

email hidden; JavaScript is required

The ALS Association Clinical Trial Awards seek to de-risk clinical programs of novel or repositioned therapies for ALS by providing up to $1,000,000 in total funding over 2–3 years to support early- to mid-stage trials (phase 1 or phase 2a). These awards are open to industry and academic investigators, and both disease-modifying and symptomatic treatments are in scope.

Successful applicants will provide strong preclinical data supporting the biological rationale for the proposed treatment and a clear plan for clinical development. Biomarker-driven clinical trials, along with other methods for increasing the probability that trials definitively answer relevant scientific questions, are strongly encouraged.

Click here for full application instructions.

Letters of intent are due January 25 by 5 p.m. US ET.

MDA provides support for research throughout the pipeline of drug development from discovery research through clinical trials. Funding opportunities exist for both academic investigators as well as for biotech and pharma seeking to develop therapies for neuromuscular disease.

Learn about all our grant programs and find deadlines and instructions on how to apply.

This funding opportunity from the FDA’s Office of Orphan Products Development is intended to support prospective or retrospective, efficient and innovative natural history studies that will advance medical product development in rare diseases/conditions with unmet needs. Through the support of natural history studies with high quality and interpretable data elements, FDA expects to address critical knowledge gaps, remove major barriers to progress in the field, exert a significant and broad impact on a specific rare disease or multiple rare diseases with similar pathophysiology and facilitate rare disease product development.

Letters of intent are due by January 12, 2024, with full applications due February 13, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET. Click here for more information. If you have questions, please contact Katherine Needleman, director of the Orphan Products Grants Program, at email hidden; JavaScript is required.