National MS Society: Research Grants
Funding Amount
Not stated
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Tracked since
- April 2026
From the program guidelines: “The Society is pleased to offer a funding opportunity each year for investigator-initiated proposals to support research focused on addressing research questions highlighted in the Pathways to MS Cures Roadmap.”
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Eligible organizations
- Principal Investigator: It is expected that the person indicated as the principal investigator in an application for a grant is the one who is personally and actively responsible for the conduct of the research and who is considered eligible by his or her institution to apply for a research grant.
- The principal investigator need not be a United States citizen.
- Institution: Institutions, except in unusual circumstances, are the official recipients of grants made for the support of specific research by the principal investigator.
Other requirements
- Applicants should possess an M.D., Ph.
- D. or equivalent and be considered eligible by their institution to apply for grant support.
- To be considered for funding, all projects must show relevance to the Society’s research priorities.
- The principal investigator must hold an M.D., Ph.
Not eligible / not funded
- Not eligible: Postdoctoral fellows, residents, and other trainees are not eligible to apply to the research grants program; fellows are encouraged to apply for one of the Society’s research training programs.
Overview
The National MS Society offers annual Research Grants for investigator-initiated proposals addressing key research questions from the Pathways to MS Cures Roadmap. These grants support diverse studies, including clinical and nonclinical research aimed at stopping MS disease activity, restoring function, and preventing new cases. Eligible applicants must hold an M.D. or Ph.D. and demonstrate relevance to the Society's research priorities. This funding opportunity promotes collaboration and focuses on underserved MS populations.
The Society is pleased to offer a funding opportunity each year for investigator-initiated proposals to support research focused on addressing research questions highlighted in the Pathways to MS Cures Roadmap.
The Roadmap includes three Pathways:
- STOPPING MS disease activity, RESTORING function by reversing damage and symptoms, and ENDING MS by preventing new cases.
- Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.
The Society supports fundamental as well as applied studies, nonclinical or clinical in nature, including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation. We value studies aligned with our Research Funding Principles and Priorities that:
promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult these resources for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).
Eligibility
Applicants should possess an M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent and be considered eligible by their institution to apply for grant support.To be considered for funding, all projects must show relevance to the Society’s research priorities.Principal Investigator: It is expected that the person indicated as the principal investigator in an application for a grant is the one who is personally and actively responsible for the conduct of the research and who is considered eligible by his or her institution to apply for a research grant. The principal investigator must hold an M.D., Ph.D. or the equivalent at the time of submission. The principal investigator need not be a United States citizen.Institution: Institutions, except in unusual circumstances, are the official recipients of grants made for the support of specific research by the principal investigator.The recipient institution may be in any country permitted under United States policies and must be a non-profit organization. Applicants are also encouraged to apply for research funding from local sources.
Ineligibility
Postdoctoral fellows, residents, and other trainees are not eligible to apply to the research grants program; fellows are encouraged to apply for one of the Society’s research training programs.
What National Multiple Sclerosis Society actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 92
- Total given
- $23.19M
- Median grant
- $156K
- Range
- $6,000–$1.62M
- By dollars: California 14%, New York 13%, Maryland 9%. Top recipient cities: New York, NY; Boston, MA; Los Angeles, CA.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 12% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD
Research
$1.62M
University of California San Francisco · San Francisco, CA
Research
$1.31M
Columbia University · New York, NY
Research
$1.28M
Cleveland Clinic Foundation · Cleveland, OH
Research
$967K
Stanford University · Palo Alto, CA
Research
$911K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Multiple sclerosis
- Science research
Categories
Browse similar grants by category
Related Grants
Open grants from this funder and similar programs
Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Grant Program
The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Amount
US $250,000 - US $2,000,000
Deadline
October 30, 2026
Listed date — confirm with the funder
DoW Vision, Investigator-Initiated Research Award
Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA
Amount
$4,400,000 total
Deadline
November 12, 2026
DoW Vision, Translational Research Award
Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA
Amount
$1,600,000 total
Deadline
November 12, 2026
Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants
U.S. National Science Foundation
Amount
$50,000,000 total
Deadline
November 16, 2026
DoW Orthopaedic, Clinical Research Award
Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA
Amount
$13,600,000 total
Deadline
November 18, 2026
Career Transition Fellowships: Non-U.S. Institutions Grant
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to apply for National MS Society: Research Grants?
Grantable helps you assess fit, draft narratives, and track deadlines — so you can submit stronger applications, faster.
You found National MS Society: Research Grants. Now let's win it.