Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD Grant

The Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) provides $300,000 in funding to U.S. researchers exploring novel treatments and understanding of AMD. This initiative, co-funded by partners such as the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, encourages high-risk, high-gain research that could lead to significant advancements in AMD therapies. Each award is designed to support innovative projects that are not yet in clinical trials, fostering groundbreaking work in vision science.

The Catalyst Awards for Innovative Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)* will provide funds to researchers who are working on novel approaches to understanding or treating AMD. Ideally, at least one of the awards given will focus on a translational project - clinically relevant research that could lead to therapeutics or treatment for AMD - not yet in clinical trials. RPB is partnering with:

• American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF)
• Dr. H. James and Carole Free
• International Retinal Research Foundation (IRRF)

to co-fund the Catalyst Awards. One award will be given with each partner.
Each award is $300,000 payable in two (2) payments, $150,000 per payment with the second payment contingent upon approval of a 14-month substantive progress report.
A wide range of applications will be considered to improve the understanding of AMD and/or to develop novel treatments for dry or wet forms of AMD. These Catalyst Awards are intended to provide seed money to proposed high-risk / high-gain vision science research, which is innovative, cutting-edge, and demonstrates out-of-the-box thinking.
All RPB grants must remain free of institutional overhead and indirect costs. The Catalyst Award may be transferable to another institution. It is the responsibility of the primary appointment department to monitor the funds and report on their use. Any equipment purchased with RPB funds is the property of the primary appointment department

Eligibility

This award is available to researchers from any institution of higher education in the U.S.Department chairs (including interim or acting chairs) can nominate one candidate holding a primary academic position as Assistant Professor through full Professor (MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent doctoral degree).Candidates must provide not less than 5% effort for the proposed research. Greater percentage of effort is highly desirable.
Hypotheses and strategies should reference and be grounded in known science. Researchers should be aware of existing and potentially available data to support their proposed research.
For example, some relevant topics include:AMD genetics and pathogenesis
Predictive models of AMD development
Prevention of retinal degenerationNew methods of diagnosis for tracking AMD progression Metabolic factors in AMD Stem cell treatment of retinal degenerationOptogeneticsTherapeutics-delivery—or other treatment--innovations

Ineligibility

The Catalyst Award will not fund incremental extensions of previously or currently funded research by the NEI, NIH, other government agencies, non-profits, private funders, etc. or research that does not have a direct connection to AMD. Previous recipients of this grant are ineligible