MDF Pilot Grant Program

Movement Disorders Foundation aims to be a leading funder of basic, translational and clinical research in the spectrum of clinical disorders that includes Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism, dystonia, chorea and Huntington's disease and more. Funding is provided to help develop projects to the point where external funding can be obtained.

Funding Details

• Award Amount: $25,000 - $50,000 per project
• Annual Goal: Fund 6-10 research grants per year
• Focus: Projects with clear possibility of working at scale, but for which grant funding has been otherwise difficult to obtain

Eligible Applicants

Investigators eligible for MDF pilot funding include:

• New investigators without current or past NIH research support
• Established investigators who propose testing innovative ideas that represent a departure from ongoing research interests
• Established investigators with no previous work in movement disorder research who wish to apply their expertise to a problem in this area

Research Focus Areas

• Multidisciplinary approaches encouraged
• Novel aspects of detection or treatment in the context of movement disorders
• Movement disorders research including Parkinson's disease, parkinsonism, dystonia, chorea, Huntington's disease, and more

Review Process

• Reviewed by rotating panels of ad hoc reviewers including Dr. Rajeev Kumar and other leading neurologists and research scientists
• Uses current NIH recommended review criteria for scientific merit and eligibility
• Assessment criteria include: overall impact on the movement disorders field, innovation of the proposed study, and research environment
• All applicants receive a summary statement and score
• Top ranked proposals funded based on availability of MDF resources

Dissemination

• Requests for proposals appear on Movement Disorders Foundation website
• Disseminated to institutions affiliated with respective area of movement disorder research
• All findings from clinical research program made available to movement disorder scientists, clinicians and patients worldwide

Application Requirements

Proposal Components:

• Testable hypothesis clearly presented
• Clear delineation of the question being asked
• Procedures to be followed
• Data analysis plan
• Detailed research plan
• Budget
• Supporting documents

Submission Method:

• Applications submitted through online portal

Review Timeline:

• Funding decisions typically communicated within three months after application deadline