• Tourette Syndrome Association

The Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation, Inc.

• Funds up to $150,000 are available for support of research directly related to blepharospasm or Meige's syndrome, both forms of cranial dystonia.
• M.D. or Ph.D. required for principal investigator.
• Non-U.S. citizens working at institutions abroad are also eligible to apply for a research grant.
• Research proposals must relate specifically to benign essential blepharospasm and Meige to include new treatments, pathophysiology and genetics, photophobia and dry eye.
• If a grant is awarded, we expect a semiannual progress report
• Deadline to apply for coming year is July 1.

Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 12468
Beaumont, TX 77726-2468
TEL: (409) 832-0788
FAX: (409) 832-0890
Email: bebrf@blepharospasm.org
Web site: www.blepharospasm.org

United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation

Program Overview

Fiscal Year 2006

The United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, was incorporated in 1955 as a national organization in the non-government sector for the stimulation of needed research, to assist in professional education and to provide for public information relevant to cerebral palsy and related developmental brain injury. It is governed by voluntary officers and a Board of Directors, each of whom is elected annually. The FY 2006 Foundation President was Mr. James C. Stearns; the Chair of the Foundation Board of Directors was Mr. Paul A. Volcker; the Chair of the Foundation's Scientific Advisory Council was Murray Goldstein, DO, former Foundation Director. Upon Dr. Goldstein's retirement on September 30, 2005, Mindy Lipson Aisen, MD assumed responsibility as Foundation Director and CEO.

Grant Information

The UCP Research and Educational Foundation has two grant award programs:

• Research Grant Program: Grants are awarded to institutions or organizations on behalf of a principal investigator in support of pilot studies in biomedical, behavioral and bioengineering research. These areas must have a significant relationship to cerebral palsy and closely related developmental brain disorders and can be in the basic and/or clinical sciences. This grant is generally awarded for up to 2 years at a maximum of $50,000 a year.


• Hausman Clinical Research Scholars Award: Assists institutions in the United States to recruit promising clinician-investigators who have completed their training and who have recently initiated a program of clinical research and teaching. The award is made to help in their establishment as focal points for scholarly activities in areas of direct relevance to cerebral palsy and related developmental brain disorders; these scholarly activities include clinical research, teaching and associated clinical responsibilities. The clinical research program can be patient-based or a combined laboratory-patient activity. The Award is for a three-year period in the amount of $75,000 a year.

Application forms and instructions for each of these programs may be obtained by contacting:

UCP Research and Educational Foundation
1660 L Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Email: lsmithslade@ucp.org
Web site: www.ucpresearch.org

International Essential Tremor Foundation

The IETF is receptive to receiving proposals for grants addressing the nosology, etiology, pathogenesis, treatment or other topics relevant to essential tremor (ET).

The aim is to stimulate inquiry into this poorly understood clinical disorder and to provide support to projects that are innovative and give promise of receiving more substantial support from NIH and/or other sources if sufficient preliminary information can be obtained from projects supported by the IETF.

Concise, clearly written proposals that are hypothesis-driven have the best chance of being funded. The scope of the proposal should be appropriate for a one-year funding period with the possibility of being renewed for a second year. Additional project support beyond the first year of funding requires a second proposal and explanation for additional funding, to be reviewed in competition with all proposals submitted during that funding cycle. In general, IETF research grants will not exceed $50,000 for a given year. Institutional indirect costs will not be provided.

Grant guidelines and applications can also be obtained from the IETF website www.essentialtremor.org on the home page under the topic "Research" located in the lower right hand side of the page. Applications must be sent electronically to: crice@essentialtremor.org

NORD - National Organization for Rare Disorders

For OPCA and closely related neurological diseases research being made available by NORD: http://rarediseases.org/research/requests.

Contact: Stefanie Putkowski, RN
Research Program Administrator
National Organization for Rare Disorders
55 Kenosia Avenue
PO Box 1968
Danbury, CT 06813-1968
Phone: 203.744.0100
Fax: 203.798.2291
Web site: www.rarediseases.org

Huntington's Disease Society of America

HDSA sponsors the following grants for both basic and clinical HD research and care:

Fellowships – HDSA annually awards fellowships in the amount of $40,000 annually for a two year period. These awards are designed to help promising young post-doctoral investigators carry our basic or clinical research projects that are directly related to understanding HD. Applicants must have an MD or PhD degree and are expected to devote a major portion of their time to HD research. Application deadline is July 1.

Grants – HDSA annually awards grants in the amount of $50,000 for one year. These awards are provided as "seed monies" for new basic or clinical research projects that are directly related to understanding HD, in the hope that the results can be used to attract funding from other sources including NIH. Applicants must have a MD or PhD degree and already have a fraculty appointment at an accredited medical school, university or research institute. Application deadline is July 1.

HDSA Coalition for the Cure – These grants are in the amount of $150,000 annually and are provided by HDSA and the High Q Foundation. These awards are for senior HD scientists and their laboratories around the world. The Coalition members work in teams on critical issues pertaining to HD.

Donald A. King Student Fellowships – These grants of $3,000 annually are to attract bright young scientists into the field of HD research and to conduct meaningful HD investigations over the course of a summer (10 weeks). Application is open to matriculated undergraduate students, premedical students, and first-year medical students attending an accredited U.S. institution where HDSA sponsors ongoing HD research. Applications are due by May 1.

HDSA Centers of Excellence Care Program – HDSA currently provides annual grants of approximately $50,000 to 21 HDSA Centers of Excellence that offer a comprehensive array of medical and social services for HD patients and their families.

Application forms and instructions for each of these grants can be obtained from the HDSA web site: www.hdsa.org

Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Inc

The Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (CUREPSP) offers grants for basic and clinical research in PSP. The maximum amount is $100,000 per year for up to three years. Deadlines are April 1 and October 1 of each year.

For further information, visit www.psp.org or contact:
Lawrence I. Golbe, MD
CUREPSP Research Director
TEL: (732) 235-7729
E-mail: golbe@umdnj.edu
Web site: www.psp.org

Rett Syndrome Research Foundation

The Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (RSRF) announces the availability of research grants and two-year post-doctoral fellowships for international biomedical research for the treatment and cure of Rett Syndrome. Funding for the second year is non-competitive but is based on approval from RSRF's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the first year's progress reports. Senior and junior investigators, teams working together from different institutions, as well as industry are encouraged to apply.

In October 1999 the cause of RS, a debilitating neurological disorder, was identified as defects in the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome. RSRF encourages research that answers fundamental questions with regard to how changes in MECP2 cause disease. Treatment-related research is especially encouraged. Please visit the RSRF website for more details and an application form: www.rsrf.org

Tourette Syndrome Association

Tourette Syndrome Grant Awards In the Basic and Clinical Sciences

Up to $75,000 for Ph.D & M.D. Applicants
Post Doctoral Fellowships to $40,000

Fields of Interest Include: Basal ganglia Physiology, Neuroimaging, Genetics, Animal models, Neuropathology, Neurochemistry, Psychiatry, Neuropsychology, Clinical treatment studies

For submission dates, cover sheet and information, visit www.tsa-usa.org/research.html

Make submissions to grantadministrator@tsa-usa.org

Tourette Syndrome Association
TEL: 718-224-2999 x 222
FAX: 718-279-9596