Call For Grant Proposals

Posted by Friends of FSH Research on Nov 1, 2020

In order to allow investigators to plan ahead (especially in these difficult financial times), Friends of FSH Research is committing now to a plan for grant proposals for early 2021.

At this time we welcome any interested researcher to first submit a brief one to two paragraph summary of the scope of their project to ProgressReports@fshfriends.org. This will be reviewed by one or more members of our SAB, and may include queries for clarification. If the proposal aligns with our areas of interest, then a full application will be requested for submission, as outlined on our website: Apply for a Grant. Before submitting your full proposal, please carefully read the requirements of a grant proposal.

The deadline for submission of initial summaries is midnight Seattle time of 8-Jan-2021. The review process for such outlines is typically only a few days. On approval, the full proposal will be due by midnight Seattle time of 3-Feb-2021. Funding decisions should be announced by late March after review by our SAB. Our areas of interest include:

• Biomarkers - Projects focused on biomarkers or methods of detection that will help determine the appropriate time to treat a patient with a therapeutic compound or test a patient's response to a therapeutic compound.
• Clinical Trial Support - Funding needs that help the development of a worldwide clinical trials network to support eventual approval of therapies aimed at treating or curing FSHD.
• FSHD Mechanism - Innovative pilot projects focused on developing our understanding of the initiation, progression, and ultimate destruction of muscle in FSHD patients.
• Ongoing Programs - Funding for an ongoing program which needs additional support to proceed. This may include professional dedicated laboratory staff, outside contractors, administrative/program management support (directly related to research), consultants (e.g. regulatory advisors), equipment etc. Justification for this support must be provided and will be considered in terms of our mission.
• Novel Therapeutics - Seed funding for novel therapeutic approaches to treat FSHD.

Among the various criteria, and depending on the subject of the grant, the Scientific Advisory Board typically reviews proposals based on:

• The design of the research
• Supporting preliminary data
• Other research support
• Past grant record with our organization, if any
• The capability of lab
• Willingness to share materials