Amount: Up to $2.5M over 3 years
Deadline:
LOI due March 30, 2026
Full proposal due June 1, 2026
Eligibility: —
About: The Treat FTD fund aims to support the development of drugs or devices for FTD disorders while building a better understanding of FTD pathophysiology, biological mechanisms of disease, and analytically and clinically validated biomarkers with a well-defined context-of-use. The fund aims to de-risk clinical development programs by supporting clinical trial readiness activities or early/mid-stage clinical trials with clear go/no-criteria for later stage drug development. Programs will be considered that test novel or repurposed drug candidates or devices in phase 0, 1 or 2 clinical trials for FTD disorders, led by academic researchers or biotechnology companies, worldwide. Both disease-modifying and symptomatic approaches will be considered.
The RFP seeks to support clinical trials incorporating:
biological mechanisms that have a sound scientific rationale for FTD
biomarkers that would permit evaluation of target engagement, downstream pharmacologic effect, and biological effect
trial designs aligned with constraints associated with a rare disease population
clinical outcome measures that could provide a deeper understanding of the drug mechanism and disease progression
therapeutics applicable to sporadic or genetic forms of FTD. Trials of treatments applicable in sporadic FTD are especially encouraged.
Link to Apply
ADDF-Harrington Scholar Program
Amount: $600,000 over 2 years
Deadline:
LOI due June 1, 2026
Full proposal due August 17, 2026
Eligibility:
Lead investigator must have an MD, a PhD, or equivalent.
Proposals should show potential to advance discovery into meaningful therapeutics to treat, prevent, slow, or reverse Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy Body dementia, LATE etc).
Team should possess intellectual property (IP) or have potential for novel IP that has not yet been licensed to a for-profit entity.
Researchers working on drug development programs that are relevant to but not presently focused on the Alzheimer’s field are strongly encouraged to apply.
About: The ADDF-Harrington Scholar Program is dedicated to advancing academic discoveries into medicines for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This award provides funding and project support by a team of pharmaceutical industry experts through a collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and the Brain Health Medicines Centers of the Harrington Discovery Institute.
Link to Apply
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation: Accelerating Drug Discovery for Frontotemporal Degeneration
Amount: Up to $300,000 over 1 year
Deadline:
LOI due May 11, 2026
Full proposal due July 20, 2026
Eligibility: —
About: The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) seek to accelerate this progress by supporting innovative small molecule and biologic (antibodies, oligonucleotides, peptides, gene therapy etc.) drug development programs for FTD through this request for proposals (RFP).
The RFP supports:
Lead optimization of novel disease-modifying compounds, including medicinal chemistry refinement and in vitro ADME.
In vivo testing of novel lead compounds, biologics, vaccines or repurposed drug candidates in relevant animal models for pharmacokinetics, dose-range finding, target engagement, in vivo efficacy, and/or preliminary rodent tolerability studies.
Link to Apply
Weiss Asset Management Foundation: Programs and Research to Alleviate Human Suffering
Amount: Up to $1.5M over 3 years
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: —
About: The mission of Weiss Asset Management Foundation is to reduce human suffering globally. With an Allocation Committee composed of development economists and practitioners, we support evidence-based, cost-effective programs and research that we believe will yield a high, risk-adjusted social return on investment.
Examples of prior grants include support for evidence-based nutrition programming for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, policy-oriented research to reduce barriers to vaccination programs, and technical assistance for government water-purification efforts.
We welcome all proposals related to our goal of reducing human suffering globally. We expect most grants to fall into the following two categories:
Project-based Support: We support work for specific initiatives.
Research with high potential for impact on policy or programs;
Technical assistance;
Operational innovations and experiments for unique programmatic opportunities; and
Support for proven, cost-effective programs that face funding gaps.
Note: For research proposals, we prioritize rigorous causal identification, data science for targeting, and important monitoring or descriptive work that could lead to action. We deprioritize simple correlations or purely qualitative work.
General Support: We also provide general support for highly cost-effective organizations or programs.
Link to Apply
American Cancer Society: Research Scholar Grants
Amount: $860,000 over 4 yrs
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Eligibility: You ARE eligible to submit a proposal if you:
Were first appointed as independent, full-time faculty LESS than 10 years ago
Are the PI on NO MORE than 1 R01 or R01-equivalent grant at the time of application
About: Research Scholar Grants (RSG) provide support for independent, self-directed researchers. Grant proposals are investigator-initiated and may pursue questions across the cancer research continuum, as long as they fit within an American Cancer Society (ACS) priority research area.
Link to Apply
American Cancer Society: Clinician Scientist Development Grant
Amount: $675,000 over 5 years
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Eligibility:
Have a doctoral degree, an active clinical license, and participate in clinical care
Are not a current or former principal investigator (PI) of an individual mentored training grant
Have NOT had an R-level or equivalent grant as PI
About: The Clinician Scientist Development Grant (CSDG) supports full-time faculty members in becoming independent investigators as clinician scientists. This grant is designed for people trained primarily as clinicians who want to maintain clinical practice and conduct cancer research.
Link to Apply
American Cancer Society: Stage II Mission Boost
Amount: Stage II Mission Boost: Up to $545,000 over 1.5 yrs
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Eligibility: You are eligible to submit a proposal if you:
Have an independent, full-time faculty appointment
Previously held or currently hold a Stage I Mission Boost Grant for a minimum of 18 months AND have completed Stage I milestones
About: Mission Boost Grants (MBG) are designed to support select current and past ACS grantees specifically for the translation of their research to human testing. MBGs are opportunities for American Cancer Society (ACS) grantees to seek additional, or “boost,” resources for innovative, high-risk/high-reward projects. Stage II supports testing in cancer patients.
Link to Apply
American Cancer Society: Stage I Mission Boost
Amount: Stage I Mission Boost: Up to $270,000 over 2 yrs
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Eligibility:
No longer require MBG applicants to be current or former ACS grantees or fellows.
Are an independent investigator with a full-time faculty appointment (or equivalent). Applicants may be at any career stage.
Applicants may submit only one MBG I or MBG II application per cycle, and applicants may not submit RSG, DBG, or CSDG applications in the same cycle as a MBG submission.
About: Mission Boost Grants (MBG) are designed to support select current and past ACS grantees specifically for the translation of their research to human testing. MBGs are opportunities for American Cancer Society (ACS) grantees to seek additional, or “boost,” resources for innovative, high-risk/high-reward projects. Stage I requires the investigator to develop outcome-specific, unequivocal milestones that reduce the risks of studying a new drug, device, or procedure in patients.
Link to Apply
American Cancer Society: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Amount: Up to $204,000 over 3 yrs
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Eligibility: You are eligible to submit a proposal if you:
Have had your doctoral degree for LESS than 4 years; time spent in clinical-only training is not counted.
Do not have a faculty appointment (e.g., Instructor, Research Assistant Professor)
About: Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) support new investigators in research training programs to position them for independent careers in cancer research. As part of their evaluation, peer reviewers consider how well the fellowship will broaden the applicant’s research training and experience.
Link to Apply
Research to Prevent Blindness Stein Innovation Award
Amount: $300,000 over 2 years
Deadline:
Nominations due June 15, 2026
Full proposal due July 1, 2026
Eligibility:
Department Chairs (including interim or acting Chairs) from any institution of higher education in the U.S. may nominate multiple candidates per department.
Though multiple candidates can be nominated from one department, only one award per department can be approved.
Candidates must hold a primary academic position as Associate Professor through full Professor (MD, PhD, or MD/PhD) with a primary appointment in a basic science or other relevant department.
Previous recipients of this grant are ineligible.
Candidates must be full-time faculty in their primary appointment department
Proposed research cannot be funded – previously or currently – by others (NEI, NIH, nonprofits, private funders, etc.).
Candidates declined for this award must wait two years before re-applying for the SI Award.
About: The RPB Stein Innovation (SI) Awards provide funds to two groups of researchers, both with a common goal of understanding the visual system and the diseases that compromise its function. For the January deadline, Department of Ophthalmology faculty who are performing innovative vision research may apply for the SI Awards. Candidates may be from any institution of higher education in the U.S. For the July deadline, scientists outside the Department of Ophthalmology who are actively engaged in innovative vision research may apply for the SI Awards.
Link to Apply
Research to Prevent Blindness Physician-Scientist Award
Amount: $300,000 over 2 years
Deadline:
Nominations due June 15, 2026
Full proposal due July 1, 2026
Eligibility:
Department Chairs (including interim or acting Chairs) from any institution of higher education in the U.S. may nominate multiple candidates per department.
Though multiple candidates can be nominated from one department, only one award per department can be approved.
Candidates must hold a primary academic position as Associate Professor through full Professor (MD, PhD, or MD/PhD) with a primary appointment in a basic science or other relevant department.
Previous recipients of this grant are ineligible.
Candidates must be full-time faculty in their primary appointment department
Proposed research cannot be funded – previously or currently – by others (NEI, NIH, nonprofits, private funders, etc.).
Candidates declined for this award must wait two years before re-applying for the SI Award.
About: The RPB Clinician-Scientist Award in Myopia Research will focus on research that seeks to provide a better understanding of the development of myopia and/or how it can be prevented or decelerated. The number of people affected by myopia is now increasing around the world and is projected to affect 50% of the world population by 205
Link to Apply
Children’s Heart Foundation: Independent Research Awards
Amount: Up to $300,000 over 2 years
Deadline:
LOI due May 20, 2026
Full proposal due September 9, 2026
Eligibility: —
About: The Foundation’s primary focus is on funding research in patients born with structural congenital heart disease. We also support research in fetuses/patients with congenital complete heart block, and investigations focused on the evaluation and treatment of cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias in patients with underlying CHD, and research on pediatric heart transplantation. Traditionally, we have not funded research on acquired heart disease (e.g., Kawasaki disease, rheumatic fever) or preventive cardiology (e.g., hyperlipidemia or hypertension in children).
This award mechanism is used to fund the most promising research that will advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects.
Link to Apply
March of Dimes: Reproductive Scientist Development Program
Amount: Up to $250,000 over 2 years
Deadline:
LOI due May 15, 2026
Full proposal due July 1, 2026
Eligibility:
MD or DO degree.
Completion of a four-year internship and residency in obstetrics-gynecology approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada by the time the Reproductive Scientist Development Program training would begin.
Must be seeking a career in academic obstetrics and gynecology research.
Applicants must be near completion of their residency in obstetrics and gynecology or in their subspecialty fellowship.
About: Research proposals must be translational in nature and relate to the field of maternal fetal health—with a focus on prematurity, maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, and health equity—all said, while the outcome of the work is important, we know that the training and shaping of the recipient during the grant period is what will lead to better and more impactful work in the future.
Link to Apply
American Society of Transplantation: Transition to Independence Research Grants
Amount: Up to $150,000 over 2 years
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.
About: The purpose of the AST Research Network Transition to Independence Research Grants is to promote the careers of academic investigators whose development of an independent research program is focused on the field of basic science, translational and clinical investigation in solid organ transplantation. The grants are intended to provide support for the investigator’s transition to an R-series or equivalent grant. The Transition to Independence Research Grant seeks to:
Foster the transition of early to mid-career scientists who are contributing to our understanding of transplant science/immunobiology and/or treatment of transplant recipients and need funding to start or strengthen work that is not yet funded by larger grants.
Foster research that is of high merit.
Encourage the continued commitment of high-quality applicants to careers in academic transplantation
Link to Apply
EQT Foundation: Science Grant – Blood-Brain Barrier Innovations
Amount: Up to $115,000
Deadline: April 7, 2026
Eligibility:
Master’s/PhD or currently in a Master’s/PhD program
About: EQT Foundation is seeking to award €25,000 to €100,000 in catalytic, non-dilutive funding to research projects with high-risk, deeptech approaches with the potential for high impact to crossing or modulating the blood-brain barrier for therapeutic delivery.
We are particularly interested in translational proposals focused on:
Novel BBB-crossing delivery platforms – Breakthrough technologies that enable therapeutic cargo to cross or transiently open the blood-brain barrier with precision and safety.
Physical and device-based BBB modulation – Technologies that transiently and safely open the BBB to enable therapeutic delivery.
Biological and molecular BBB modulation – Approaches that temporarily and reversibly alter BBB permeability at the molecular level.
CNS-targeted gene therapies and large molecule delivery – Innovations enabling delivery of genetic medicines, antibodies, and other biologics across the BBB.
BBB models, biomarkers, and translational tools – Technologies that accelerate BBB research and de-risk clinical translation.
Link to Apply
American Respiratory Care Foundation: AARC Vision Grant
Amount: $50,000 over 1 year
Deadline:
LOI due March 31, 2026
Full proposal due June 1, 2026
Eligibility:
All are encouraged to submit a LOI describing a research plan that can adequately investigate the effect of respiratory therapists’ educational levels on quality-of-care indicators and patient safety, or on departmental/institutional performance on core value measures.
Preferences are given when respiratory therapists are PI or co-PI. At least one member of the research group must be an active member of the AARC, as verified by the AARC Executive Office
About: The primary purpose of the 2026 AARC Vision Grant is to fund members who conduct research documenting the clinical and economic impact of respiratory therapists. The intent is to align with the foundation’s mission of promoting respiratory care, as well as AARC’s mission to provide the highest quality of care for all patients with cardiopulmonary disease.
Link to Apply