Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation: Awards Program in Alzheimer's Disease Drug Discovery Research

Overview

SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE DRUG DISCOVERY RESEARCH IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

The goal of the Thome Memorial Foundation Awards Program in Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery Research is to support innovative drug discovery research that will lead to improved therapies for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers dedicated to the validation and testing of target compounds and therapeutic agents including biologics and small molecules, are encouraged to apply. Consideration will be given to research focused on pathogenic mechanisms including inflammatory response, synaptic toxicity, neuronal toxicity, and endosomal/lysosomal trafficking defects.

Basic research or new target discovery, genetic studies, biomarker research, neuro-imaging, and clinical studies are currently outside the scope of this Program.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The Edward N. & Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation was created in 2002 to advance the health of older adults through the support of direct service projects and medical research on diseases and disorders affecting older adults. In keeping with the Foundation’s mission, the goal of the Awards Program is to support innovative drug discovery research that will lead to improved therapies for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

In 2022, the Thome Memorial Foundation, Bank of America, N.A. granted Health Resources in Action (HRiA) funding to oversee the continuation of its programs in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease Research. HRiA works with a Scientific Review Committee to select the proposals that best align with the mission of the Foundation and the goals of the program. HRiA is a non-profit organization in Boston that advances public health and medical research.

RESEARCH FOCUS

The goal of the 2024 Awards Program in Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery Research is to support innovative drug discovery research that will lead to improved therapies for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Successful research proposals should fall along the preclinical research spectrum such that they can be “carried out using cell or animal models of disease; samples of human or animal tissues; or computer-assisted simulations of drug, device or diagnostic interactions within living systems”.1 These projects are intended to move basic science insights towards solutions, techniques, and tools that can be transferred to clinical practice in the near term. Funding areas include, but are not limited to:

* Validation and testing of target compounds and therapeutic agents (e.g., DNA or RNA oligonucleotides, and virally driven therapies) 
* Strategies that target pathogenic mechanisms (inflammatory response, synaptic toxicity, and oligodendrocyte or endosomal/lysosomal dysfunction).

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* All applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

* Receive an invitation to submit a Full Proposal to the Thome AD program
* The administrative lead applicant must hold a faculty appointment at a non-profit academic, medical, or research institution in the United States.  
* PIs must be independent investigators with demonstrated institutional support and specialized space and facilities needed to conduct the proposed research. 
* Applicants and key personnel may not have funding for a similar project.
* Individuals who are current Thome Foundation Awards Program in Age-Related Macular Degeneration or Alzheimer’s Disease Research awardees at the time of Initial Proposal deadline are not eligible to apply for the 2024 grant cycle. 
* Each PI may only submit one application.  
* Institutional nomination is NOT required.
* United States citizenship is not required; visa documentation is not required.

* Eligibility is not limited to those investigators currently working in Alzheimer’s Disease research.

Ineligibility

* Funds may not be used for new construction, the renovation of existing facilities, general operating costs, fundraising projects, or endowments. Funds may not be used for any political activity or for any  other purpose prohibited by the Internal Revenue Service Code
* The Award monies may not be used to cover any Indirect Costs at either the Award Recipient Institution or any contracting institution.