September 2017 RFP

United for a Cure Friends of FSH Research has opened our September Request for Proposals process.

Friends of FSH Research is a Seattle-based non-profit that has been investing in FSHD research for over 13 years (See Research pages). Our mission is find a treatment or cure for FSHD. To achieve our mission we work with a network of top-tier scientists and advisors to disburse funds in ways that are meaningful to the scientific community.

We will be accepting research project proposals from now through October 15th, 2017. Although we welcome all innovative project ideas, Friends of FSH Research has identified the following priority areas:

  1. Seed funding for innovative pilot projects focused on developing our understanding of the initiation, progression, and ultimate destruction of muscle in FSHD patients. Seed projects are 1-2 years, between $30,000-$50,000 per year.
  2. Ongoing funding for projects which focus upon 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. Funding level and timing can vary depending on need of the project. Milestone-based payments may apply, depending on the request.

Additionally, we are exploring a new mechanism of funding and encourage investigators to contact us directly if the following situation applies: we are seeking to provide ongoing funding for advanced projects/programs which are in need of professional support that can accelerate the program. The purpose of this new funding mechanism is to build capacity in promising programs that are in clear need of skilled personnel to achieve actionable goals. The funding mechanism excludes salary support for trainees, but may include professional dedicated laboratory staff, contractors, administrative/program management support (directly related to research), consultants (e.g. regulatory advisors) etc. Funding level and timing can vary depending on need of the project.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal, the first step is contact us at ProgressReports@fshfriends.org to share the scope of your proposal. Please detail for us how your project is relevant to our mission. This conversation is intended to speed up the grant-making process.

If this is your first time interacting with our organization, we will also ask for your background as well as the background of key personnel that will be involved in your project.

If it is decided that your proposal is relevant to our mission, you will then be able to create a login for our online granting system where the full RFP process will be carried out.

Our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) will review the projects in Early November and determine those which will receive funding by December 2017.

As stated above, applications for this review cycle are due by 11:59 pm (Seattle time) October 15th, 2017.

Click here to view the full application instructions.

To schedule a call with one of our Scientific Advisors, e-mail ProgressReports@fshfriends.org