RLS Foundation Research Grant

The RLS Foundation Research Grant, co-funded by the AASM Foundation, supports research on Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Key areas of focus include brain iron homeostasis, genetic interactions, neurobiological factors, and therapeutic mechanisms. The initiative encourages innovative studies on pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, comorbidities, and RLS subtypes. Grants are available for one year, with funding up to $50,000, fostering advancements in understanding and managing RLS effectively.

The AASM Foundation is partnering with the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation (RLS Foundation) to co-fund basic and clinical restless legs syndrome (RLS) research. For this new round of funding, the primary research priorities are:
Brain iron homeostasis: Elucidate the genetic/epigenetic, developmental, and biological factors that contribute to RLS-relevant alterations in brain iron homeostasis.Genetic/epigenetic: Elucidate the interactions between RLS-relevant genetic/epigenetic factors or the consequence of these genetic/epigenetic factors on RLS-relevant neurobiological factors.Neurobiological interaction: Elucidate the points of interaction between RLS-relevant neuro-transmitters and neuropathways and iron deficiency.Therapeutics: Elucidate the mechanisms involved in the therapeutic and unwanted side effects, (e.g., augmentation) of RLS drugs, novel therapeutics (i.e. medical cannabis) and advance knowledge toward development of more durable treatments.Comorbidities:  Elucidate the interactions between RLS and comorbid disorders, such as cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea.Non-pharmacologic treatments: Elucidate benefits of non-pharmacological treatments of RLS. Examples include, but are not limited to, transcranial or spinal magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, cognitive behavioral therapy, intermittent compression of the leg.Pharmacologic treatments: Elucidate effects of novel pharmacological approaches on RLS.Therapeutic responsiveness: Elucidate genetic, epigenetic, biologic, phenotypic and other predictors of responders to pharmacologic and IV iron therapeutics; including predictors of augmentation Disease risk and expression: Elucidate genetic, epigenetic, biologic factors associations with disease risk or with different RLS phenotypes.Methods: development of techniques or devices that allow reliable assessment of suspect CNS pathology that would provide outcome measures for clinical research. Examples include, but are not limited to, transcranial duplex, MRI, TMS, tDCS, blood factors (e.g., exosomes), CSF factors,Clinical Practice: research based on innovations in patient care delivery including but not limited to population health programs, technology-enabled healthcare delivery (i.e.; telemedicine) and public health initiatives.Augmentation: Identifying who is at risk for developing augmentation (e.g. through genetic markers, iron status, or other at-risk clinical phenotypes) and who is lower risk, to understand if there is a subset of RLS patients who can be more safely treated with dopamine agonists long-term. Treatment of Augmentation: Testing novel treatments or treatment algorithms using existing medications in the treatment of augmentation.Special Populations in RLS Management: Studies in pediatrics and special populations (ESRD, pregnancy) identifying causes or developing targeted treatments.Comorbidities: Studies in people with specific comorbidities (CVD, ADHD, depression, Parkinson’s disease) to understand if there are shared mechanisms and/or what the optimal treatment algorithm is when these comorbidities exist and/or whether treatment of RLS improves prognosis or lessens risk of progression of the comorbidity (e.g., does treating RLS prevent future CVD events).RLS Subtypes: Projects that identify/validate subtypes of RLS, either symptomatic subtypes (e.g., painful vs non-painful) or via objective testing (e.g., measurement of PLMS across multiple nights to better characterize the relationship of motor and sensory symptoms across different individuals).
Grant proposals of a 1 year-duration, with funding levels of up to $50,000 (including 8% for F&A costs), based on the number of funded applications. A renewal or extension of a proposed project may be considered, but this extension would be subject to the regular competitive approval process for year 2.

Eligibility

All institutions within the United States, Canada, and other countries where supervision of grant administration is possible are eligible.Approval by the institution’s human investigation committee is necessary for all projects that involve human subjects.The RLS Foundation has adopted the regulations pertaining to these areas, as established by the US Public Health Service.Individual investigators may receive a maximum of one RLSF grant award of any kind in a given year.