Development Office Funding Opportunities

About: Supports independent investigators who are currently conducting innovative research focused on Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields; intermediate frequency, low intensity, alternating electric fields that disrupt cell division in cancer cells) as well as to encourage independent investigators to enter the TTFields research field. The Inovitro® system (which will be provided by Novocure, if needed), must be included in the experimental design.
Research projects should examine the use of TTFields as a therapeutic modality for cancer. Proposals may include 1) Basic and translational approaches, promoting the transition of TTFields in vitro work into in vivo systems, 2) Studies that link preclinical and clinical data, or 3) Studies with ability to translate into the clinic for cancer treatment.
Projects that focus on one or more of the areas outlined below are strongly encouraged, provided they incorporate the use of Inovitro® and/or inovivo® systems:
• Key cancer-related signaling and cellular pathways.
• Metabolic effects of TTFields.
• Studies that include Omics data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• TTFields immunological aspects and the potential combination with immunotherapy.
• Combinational studies with approved agents (preferably to include mechanistic aspects).

Eligibility: —

About: SPARK NS is an independent non-profit translational research organization dedicated to efficiently advancing promising neuroscience discoveries from the lab to the clinic.

For the SPARK NS Translational Research Program, 2026 Cohort, SPARK NS will select academic PIs with therapeutic discoveries in Parkinson’s disease or autism at any stage of development between target identification and entry into clinical trials. For selected projects, SPARK NS will provide funding, education, mentorship, and networking opportunities focused on advancing the translation of novel science to first-in-class therapeutics.

Proposed projects must:
• Address an unmet clinical need in Parkinson’s disease or autism
• Use a robust and novel approach
• Have a high probability of success at accomplishing proposed translational objectives

Deadline: June 15, 2026

Eligibility:
The applicant (MD, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent) must hold an academic faculty appointment and be developing an independent research program
Applicants cannot be a PI on a previous or current NIH grant to perform independent research.
Applications are accepted in basic, clinical, and translational research. Only applications supporting research directly related to solid organ transplantation will be considered.

Deadline:
• LOI due July 15, 2026
• Full proposal deadline TBD

Eligibility:
• Grant applicants must possess a graduate degree
• Must not have received a Shaffer Grant within the prior three years

About: Supports young investigators with new perspectives to treat and cure glaucoma. There are two primary focus areas that this grant will fund:

1.Physiology of Glaucoma: May include projects to protect and restore the optic nerve, accurately detect glaucoma and monitor its progress, provide better understanding and treatment for congenital/juvenile glaucoma, understand the intraocular pressure system and develop better treatments, and determine the risk factors for glaucoma damage using systematic outcomes data.

2.Genetics of Glaucoma: May include projects to identify the genes that cause glaucoma and explore new approaches to gene therapy to preserve or restore vision 

Eligibility:
•Candidates must have a MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DO degree, or equivalent.

•At the time of funding, candidates must be:

oWithin 6 years of starting their first faculty position and currently have an academic appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America,
oOR hold a postdoctoral fellowship appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America.

•Candidates must be a NANETS member in good standing.

Eligibility:
•Candidates must have a MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DO degree, or equivalent.

•At the time of funding, candidates must be:

oWithin 6 years of starting their first faculty position and currently have an academic appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America,
oOR hold a postdoctoral fellowship appointment at an accredited medical school or other institution in North America.

•Candidates must be a NANETS member in good standing.

About: This funding call focuses on interventions that improve youth mental health by targeting circadian rhythms (such as, but not limited to, sleep timing, sleep quality and daily light exposure) and/or physical activity (such as, but not limited to, aerobic exercise, dance classes, walkinThis Request for Proposals (RFP) from Cures Within Reach (CWR) is seeking investigator-initiated, proof of concept, Phase I or Phase IIA clinical trials to validate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven repurposing opportunities in any unsolved disease, where the therapies supported by AI models are already approved. Eligible clinical repurposing trials must include AI-generated data as part of the preclinical support for the trial. Supporting data from any type of AI model is accepted for this RFP, including models that are:
• Developed/owned/controlled by nonprofit/academic/government institutions or for profit companies
• Open to public use or only accessible via collaboration

Eligibility:
• The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
• All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
• Post-doctoral scientists are eligible to apply for fellowship support within four years of receiving a Ph.D. or completing M.D. residency.

About: Supports clinical and functional studies of the medical, psychosocial, and economic effects of spinal cord injury or disease, and / or interventions proposed to alleviate these effects.

Eligibility:
• The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
• All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
• Post-doctoral scientists are eligible to apply for fellowship support within four years of receiving a Ph.D. or completing M.D. residency.

About: Supports laboratory research in the basic sciences related to spinal cord injury or disease.

Eligibility:
• The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
• All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
• Post-doctoral scientists are eligible to apply for fellowship support within four years of receiving a Ph.D. or completing M.D. residency.

Eligibility:
• The project must involve at least one person living with SCI/D, MS or ALS.
• Fellowship applicants must apply within 4 years after receiving a PhD, or within 4 years of completing a formal medical residency program.
• Fellowship applicants must have a designated and identified mentor/sponsor
• All grant applicants must have a professional degree: Ph.D. or M.D. preferred.
• Senior fellows are encouraged to apply as principal investigators.

Eligibility:
Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
• ACR Members:
o Have earned a DO or MD degree and who have completed a Rheumatology fellowship.
o Individuals more than 7 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 8 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
• ARP Members:
o Have earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree.
o Must be within 5 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About: 
This award is intended to support early career investigators for the period between the completion of post-doctorate fellowship training and establishment as an independent investigator

This cycle, in partnership with the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF) is pleased to issue a notice of special interest (NOSI) to highlight the availability of funds aimed towards driving the discovery and development of next generation lupus diagnostics and curative treatments. Please note that this NOSI complements but does not replace the RRF’s annual programs. Funded projects via this partnership will be in addition to those funded via the standard Scientist Development Award and Investigator Award.

Applications submitted through the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership should aim to accomplish one or more of the following goals:

• Stimulate the investigation of underexplored pathways and novel concepts in lupus biology,
• Initiate transformative discoveries in autoimmune disease, driving the development of safer and more effective treatments for people living with lupus, and/or
• Aim to bridge the gap between the bench and the bedside in lupus and autoimmunity research.

Projects should be relevant to the mission of both the RRF and LRA and be applicable to the LRA’s strategic priorities:

• Defining human lupus heterogeneity by molecular pathology to stratify patients by active disease mechanisms, and
• Integrating the research continuum to bring advances to patients,
• Enabling global research/technology collaborations.

About:
This award is intended to support early career investigators for the period between the completion of post-doctorate fellowship training and establishment as an independent investigator

This cycle, in partnership with the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF) is pleased to issue a notice of special interest (NOSI) to highlight the availability of funds aimed towards driving the discovery and development of next generation lupus diagnostics and curative treatments. Please note that this NOSI complements but does not replace the RRF’s annual programs. Funded projects via this partnership will be in addition to those funded via the standard Scientist Development Award and Investigator Award.

Applications submitted through the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership should aim to accomplish one or more of the following goals:
• Stimulate the investigation of underexplored pathways and novel concepts in lupus biology,
• Initiate transformative discoveries in autoimmune disease, driving the development of safer and more effective treatments for people living with lupus, and/or
• Aim to bridge the gap between the bench and the bedside in lupus and autoimmunity research.

Projects should be relevant to the mission of both the RRF and LRA and be applicable to the LRA’s strategic priorities:
• Defining human lupus heterogeneity by molecular pathology to stratify patients by active disease mechanisms, and
• Integrating the research continuum to bring advances to patients,
• Enabling global research/technology collaborations.

Eligibility:
Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
• ACR Members:
o Have earned a DO or MD degree and by the start of the award term have completed at least 1 year of training in an ACGME accredited rheumatology training program.
o Individuals more than 4 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 5 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
• ARP Members:
o Have earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree by the time of award start.
o Must be within 3 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About:
This mentored career development award is designed for individuals in the early stages of their career or those without significant prior research experience. Projects should help awardees generate scientific data and develop innovative research ideas necessary to transition to an independent research role in areas aligned with the stated goals of the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership.

Applications submitted through the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership should aim to accomplish one or more of the following goals:
• Stimulate the investigation of underexplored pathways and novel concepts in lupus biology,
• Initiate transformative discoveries in autoimmune disease, driving the development of safer and more effective treatments for people living with lupus, and/or
• Aim to bridge the gap between the bench and the bedside in lupus and autoimmunity research.

Projects should be relevant to the mission of both the RRF and LRA and be applicable to the LRA’s strategic priorities:
• Defining human lupus heterogeneity by molecular pathology to stratify patients by active disease mechanisms, and
• Integrating the research continuum to bring advances to patients,
• Enabling global research/technology collaborations.

About: 
This award is intended to support early-stage investigators with a faculty appointment during the period that they are developing a project that will be competitive for NIH and/or equivalent funding. It is not intended to be a second postdoctoral fellowship. The purpose is to provide support for basic science, translational, and clinical investigators engaged in research relevant to the rheumatic diseases for the period between the completion of post-doctorate fellowship training and establishment as an independent investigator.

Highlighted Topic: Adult Dermatomyositis
Investigators pursuing novel research ideas addressing the disease area of adult dermatomyositis are encouraged to apply for funding via the Norman Family Fund for Dermatomyositis Research.

Eligibility:
Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
• ACR Members:
o Have earned a DO or MD degree and by the start of the award term have completed at least 1 year of training in an ACGME accredited rheumatology training program.
o Individuals more than 4 years from the beginning of fellowship (or 5 years for pediatric rheumatologists) at the time of award start date may not apply
• ARP Members:
o Have earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree by the time of award start.
o Must be within 3 years of terminal degree at the time of award start date.

About:
This award is designed for individuals in the early stages of their career, typically Fellows, including those without significant research experience who plan to embark on careers in rheumatic disease research.
The purpose of this award is to provide a structured research training program for rheumatologists or health professionals in the field of rheumatology.

Highlighted Topic: Adult Dermatomyositis
Investigators pursuing novel research ideas addressing the disease area of adult dermatomyositis are encouraged to apply for funding via the Norman Family Fund for Dermatomyositis Research.

Highlighted Topic: Spondyloarthritis Research: Through a generous contribution by UCB, funding for one Scientist Development Award (SDA) has been provided for research focused on advancing the understanding and treatment of spondyloarthritis. Early career investigators who conduct research on spondyloarthritis, and meet all eligibility criteria, are encouraged to apply this cycle through the SDA mechanism. Please note, only applicants who were recommended for funding by the study section will be considered for this support, and UCB does not have any role or information regarding the scientific peer review process conducted by the Foundation.

Eligibility:
Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award
• ACR Members:
o Applicant must be an NIH K08, K23, K25, VA CDA, or equivalent 4- or 5-year award recipient. The applicant must be in years 2, 3 or 4 of their award at the time of application.
o Have earned a DO, MD, MD/PhD, or DO/PhD degree or be currently enrolled in an ACGME accredited clinical training program.
• ARP Members:
o Applicant must be an NIH K01, K08, K23, K25, VA CDA, or equivalent 4- or 5-year award recipient. The applicant must be in years 2, 3 or 4 of their award at the time of application.
o Have earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree.

About:
The NIH K Series and VA CDA awards provide limited resources to cover research costs, such as essential laboratory supplies or support staff (e.g., salary support for a research technician, research assistant/coordinator, or statistician), which are crucial to the successful transition of junior investigators to independent investigators. This award is designed to address the needs of these investigators and serve as a supplement to the NIH individual K series, VA CDA, or equivalent 4- or 5-year award mechanism.
Applicants should propose a new project or expansion of their career development award that demonstrates growth of the aims of the initial award and an independent direction for the investigator leading to the submission of an R award or equivalent.