PERF: CNS Bridge Grant Program

PERF: CNS Bridge Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation
Amount: Up to US $100,000
Last Updated: February 26, 2026

Summary

The PERF: CNS Bridge Grant Program aims to support emerging child neurology researchers by providing essential bridge funding while they seek independent research grants from NIH or CIHR. Established by the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation in collaboration with the Child Neurology Society, this initiative seeks to retain talented investigators in the field of pediatric neurology. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded over $18 million to advance pediatric epilepsy research and related conditions.

Overview

About PERF The Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation (PERF) was established in 2004 as a not-for-profit foundation to support research in pediatric epilepsy and other pediatric neurologic conditions. In 1994, two pediatric neurologists, Roy D. Elterman, MD (1) and W. Donald (Don) Shields, MD (2) filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a study of vigabatrin for the treatment of newly diagnosed infantile spasms. They organized a national collaborative group, the Vigabatrin Infantile Spasms Study Group (VISSG) to allow participating child neurologists access to vigabatrin for patients with infantile spasms until the drug was approved by the FDA. Drs. Elterman and Shields received approval from the FDA to proceed with a single-blind, high dose versus low dose vigabatrin in newly diagnosed infantile spasms, which the members of the VISSG conducted between 1996-2001. The drug manufacturer, Aventis, later decided not to seek approval for vigabatrin in the United States (US). A start-up company, Ovation Pharmaceuticals, eventually purchased US rights for vigabatrin with the plan to seek FDA approval. The VISSG data proved to be essential for FDA approval. Because the VISSG study was not included in the purchase from Aventis, Ovation agreed to pay royalties for the data. It was decided that the highest and best use of that money would be to establish the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation® as a not-for-profit foundation to support pediatric neurology research. PERF funded it first grant in 2010. Since that time, more than $18 million has been awarded to support more than 65 research projects. CNS Bridge Grant Program The Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation (PERF) and Child Neurology Society (CNS) are committed to developing the careers of child neurologists and advancing the state of the art through targeted research support. In pursuit of this goal, we have established a new research career development grant designed to provide bridge funding to promising child neurology researchers who are applying for their first independent National Institutes of Health (NIH) or Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) research support. Through this grant mechanism, we aim to assist investigators who have applied for NIH R01 or CIHR Operating/Project Grant support but were not funded. This award is intended to retain investigators in child neurology clinical, translational, or basic research while they re-apply for NIH or CIHR funding.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. The awardee needs to be an active member of the Child Neurology Society (or membership application in process).