Michael J. Fox Foundation Offering $7.5M in Funding for Parkinson’s Research Projects
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is continuing to support the advancement of Parkinson’s disease research by investing up to $7.5 million in projects proposed by investigators, the nonprofit recently announced.
Funding will be considered for projects aimed at the following four areas: exploring new biological targets for therapeutic development; identifying biomarkers to objectively measure disease progression; testing potential new treatments; and determining preventive factors.
“Our core goals are to better understand, measure, treat and — most significantly — prevent Parkinson’s disease,” Todd Sherer, PhD, the foundation’s CEO, said in a press release. “We ask scientists to bring us their promising, innovative projects in these areas to move the needle closer to cures and better quality of life for people with this disease today.”
Scientists can submit their proposals through Sept. 26, with funds anticipated in May 2019.
The foundation has divided each of the research areas into four programs for which investigators can apply for grants.
To find new biological targets of the disease, the Target Advancement Program will focus on the identification of proteins and pathways that are involved in the onset and progression of Parkinson’s.
Finding these targets will not only shed light on neurodegeneration and motor and non-motor dysfunction and symptoms, but it will also enable the development of potential new therapies to slow or stop disease progression.
Ask questions and share your knowledge of Parkinson’s Disease in our forums.
The Improved Biomarkers and Clinical Outcome Measures program is intended to identify biomarkers associated with the disease that can be effectively quantified using objective tests, and accelerate the development of new therapies. These tests are expected to improve diagnosis, track disease progression, and monitor treatment response.
The Therapeutic Pipeline program seeks to develop new therapies that can change the course of the disease and improve treatment beyond the current standards of care. Existing treatments alleviate symptoms, but do not address several aspects of the disease, and can result in serious side effects.
A fourth program is centered on Parkinson’s prevention. By using epidemiological factors, such as lifestyle behaviors (e.g. diet and exercise), medication taken or other types of treatments, the foundation hopes to identify which factors can decrease the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Each of the four programs will receive a total of $1.5 million of the grant money, with the exception of the Therapeutic Pipeline program, which will receive $3 million to fund preclinical and clinical studies.
Applications for project submissions are now open. Both academic and industry scientists worldwide are invited to apply.
The foundation will host a webinar at 12 p.m. EST Sept. 6 to review the goals of the programs, explain the funding process, and answer applicant questions. For more information and to register for the webinar, visit here.
