Dravet Syndrome Foundation: Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant

The Dravet Syndrome Foundation offers a Postdoctoral Fellowship aimed at early-career researchers investigating Dravet syndrome. The fellowship provides $75,000 to support full-time research efforts, including salary and benefits. Applicants must hold a relevant doctoral degree and have an acceptable research plan. The fellowship prioritizes projects that address the needs of the Dravet community and contribute to advancements in understanding and treating this severe epilepsy disorder.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards are designed to support early-career researchers under the mentorship of an independent investigator. These fellowships are awarded to qualified applicants whose proposed projects investigate hypotheses directly related to Dravet syndrome. Proposals are scored according to NIH guidelines based on the quality of preliminary data, research design, feasibility, investigator’s qualifications, and overall impact. Grants are awarded for $75,000 (beginning January 1 of each year), intended to support a full-time research effort with salary and benefits (no indirect costs are allowed under this fellowship award). Award funds can also be allocated towards conference travel or support technology (such as a computer).
Applicants should ensure their proposed project addresses the needs of the Dravet syndrome community and DSF’s mission to support research toward better treatments and a cure for Dravet syndrome. DSF research funding priority areas are listed below.
Fellowship recipients are required to provide a final report upon completion and present their findings at our Research Roundtable meeting.
2024 Basic and Translational Priority Areas include:
Understanding the mechanisms of epileptogenesis in Dravet syndromeDevelopment of enhanced models to study Dravet syndromeUnderstanding of the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of Dravet syndromeRevealing causes and interventions for seizures and comorbidities in Dravet syndromeUnderstanding causes and developing interventions for SUDEPDevelopment of novel treatments and interventions that will prevent the onset or halt the progression of Dravet syndrome; this includes research that may overcome the current size and delivery hurdles for gene-therapy approaches
2024 Clinical Priority Areas include:
Research that helps better characterize the natural history of Dravet syndrome across the patient lifetime, including identifying patient trends, characteristics, epidemiology, or other clinical aspects of Dravet syndrome and/or its comorbiditiesResearch that develops or refines outcome measurements that can fully reflect meaningful improvements in patient symptoms and quality of lifeResearch that helps to understand, predict, and prevent SUDEPResearch that will encourage the development of novel therapies to prevent onset or halt the progression of the Dravet syndrome

Eligibility

Hold a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, or equivalent degree.Be a clinical or post-doctoral fellow at an  an academic  institution before or by the start date of the fellowship.Have an acceptable research plan directed towards the purpose of DSF’s research programHave access to institutional resources to conduct the proposed research project.Not have previously been awarded a DSF Post-Doctoral Research Training Fellowship.US Citizenship is not required.

Ineligibility

Academic faculty holding the rank of Adjunct Professor, Research Assistant, Assistant or Associate Professor are not eligible, nor are graduate or medical students, medical residents, permanent government employees, or employees of private industry.Individuals receiving a fellowship from another source are not eligible to receive DSF funding.