Development Office Funding Opportunities

Deadline:
•LOI due May 28, 2026
•Full application due August 14, 2026

Eligibility:

•Academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and small for-profit companies may apply. Preference is given to companies with 50 or fewer employees.

•The principal investigator must be considered a full-time employee of the applicant organization. Postdoctoral applicants are not eligible to serve as PI but may be included as key personnel.Academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and small for-profit companies may apply. Preference is given to companies with 50 or fewer employees.

About: The Tau Pipeline Enabling Program (T-PEP) seeks to accelerate the discovery of potential new therapies for tauopathies. This program intends to enrich the pipeline for therapy development by facilitating the translation of academia-derived ideas into practical application. In short, T-PEP bridges the gap between innovative but resource-constrained researchers and the larger pharmaceutical companies that are looking for drug candidates to be taken into human trials.

The overarching goal of T-PEP is to promote the advanced study of a wide range of novel targets, agents, and/or therapeutic strategies that will accelerate the development of disease-modifying interventions for tauopathies.

Deadline:
•LOI due May 30, 2026
•Full proposal due August 30, 2026

Eligibility:

•This application is open to global academic institutions, for-profit organizations, and other entities. Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and internal or external resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator (PI) is invited to submit an application through their institution.

Core Grants support research projects in discovery, nonclinical, and clinical development of reversible non-hormonal male contraceptives. All modalities are eligible: small molecules, biologics, devices, and other approaches. Projects may range from target validation and screening through IND-enabling studies and early clinical work. Envisioned eligible project activities include but are not limited to:

•Discovery & Target Validation: Studies to identify and validate novel targets for male contraception. Research on the biology of sperm development, maturation, and function to identify potential points of intervention. Development of assays and screening platforms.

•Hit-to-Lead & Lead Optimization: High-throughput screening and medicinal chemistry to identify and optimize lead compounds. Structure-based drug design and SAR studies. In vitro assessment of ADMET properties. Chemical modifications to enhance potency, selectivity, or pharmaceutical properties.

•Preclinical Development: Preclinical studies (in vitro and in vivo) to assess safety and efficacy. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies in relevant animal models. Development of formulations and novel drug delivery systems (e.g., long-acting injectables, implants, transdermal systems). Toxicology and safety pharmacology studies. Manufacturing process development at research scale.

•Clinical Development: IND-enabling studies and regulatory interactions. Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials.

•Devices & Biologics: Design, prototyping, and testing of contraceptive devices. Development and optimization of biologics (e.g., antibodies, peptides). ISO compliance work for devices.

•Other Approaches: Repurposing existing drugs for contraceptive use. Development of multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs). 

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.

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

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)

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

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.

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

Deadline:
•Full application due June 1, 2026

Eligibility:
Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award

• ACR Members:
o Applicants must have received a priority score and summary statement on their NIH K08, K23, K25, K99/R00, or VA CDA-2 award. Applicants whose career development applications were unscored are not eligible.
o Have earned a DO, MD, MD/PhD, or DO/PhD degree or be currently enrolled in an ACGME accredited clinical training program and have completed at least 1 year of training by the start of the award term

• ARP Members:
o Applicants must have received a priority score, summary statement, and funding decision on their on their NIH K01, K08, K23, K25, K99/R00, or VA CDA-2 award. Applicants whose career development applications were unscored are not eligible.
o Have earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent doctoral degree

About: The purpose of this award is to provide bridge funding for promising investigators as they are revising outstanding individual career development award applications (i.e., applications for NIH K series awards, VA CDA-2 awards, or any equivalent career development awards). Through this bridge funding award, the Foundation will support junior faculty members so that they have the highest likelihood of achieving success in obtaining longer term career development awards

Highlighted Topic: Psoriatic Arthritis
Through a generous contribution by Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network (PPACMAN), funding for one Career Development Bridge Funding Award: K Bridge has been provided for research focused on advancing the understanding and treatment of psoriatic arthritis.

Eligibility:
Applicant must be an ACR or ARP member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award

• ACR Members:
o Applicants must have less than 1 year (or a lapse) remaining on one of the following awards: NIH K08, K23, K25, K99/R00, VA CDA, institutional K, or Rheumatology Research Foundation Investigator Award.
o Have earned a DO, MD, MD/PhD, or DO/PhD degree and have completed a Rheumatology fellowship.

• ARP Members:
o Applicants must have less than one year (or a lapse) remaining on one of the following awards: NIH K01, K08, K23, K25, K99/R00, VA CDA, institutional K, or Rheumatology Research Foundation Investigator Award.
o Have earned a PhD*, DSc, or equivalent degree.

Eligibility:

•Applicant must hold an MD and/or PhD (or equivalent degree) and must be employed by an institution (public non-profit, private non-profit, or government) that is engaged in health care and/or health-related research. He/she must have attained independence from his/her mentor.
•Proposal must be relevant to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or Crohn’s disease and/or ulcerative colitis. Only one application is allowed per applicant per submission date. Simultaneous submission of a Senior Research Award and a Training Award is not permitted.

Eligibility:

•Applicants must be AACR Active members who are independent investigators and have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field and not currently be a candidate for a further doctoral degree. 

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

Eligibility:
•For pre-doctoral applicants:
Applicant must be enrolled in a research doctoral degree program at an accredited academic institution.

•For post-doctoral applicants:
Applicant must hold an M.D. and/or Ph.D. by the application deadline.
Applicant must be no more than 6 years post-completion of last degree.

Eligibility:

•Have obtained a PhD or equivalent degree at least 5 years (excluding career breaks) prior to the application deadline; 

•Be employed by and be part of a research lab at an institution of higher education or research institute;

•Be conducting high-quality research in the area of variability of learning and development;

•Be committed to engaging with and contributing to the activities of both LEVANTE and the Jacobs Foundation.

About:  The overarching objective of LEVANTE is to identify how individual variability, group heterogeneity, and contextual variability influence children’s learning and development. By including data collection of common measures on these different areas longitudinally and at a global level, LEVANTE will help researchers, educators, and policymakers understand child development within individuals, within groups, and across contexts, thus improving future learning outcomes for diverse groups of children worldwide. The focus of the Jacobs Foundation is fostering scientific excellence and building a strong network of internationally active researchers in the field of child and youth development with a strong focus on variability of learning and to foster long-term collaboration with other researchers and the Jacobs Foundation.

This call seeks proposals for research projects that collect longitudinal data using the LEVANTE battery across ages 3–12. Within this framework, special consideration will be given to proposals that

•Contribute to causal inference on mechanisms underlying learning and development, and/or generate insights into how environmental and contextual factors shape learning
•Strengthen the use of innovative, high-resolution measurement approaches and/ or advance our understanding of within-child variability and developmental trajectories

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:

An applicant may be a postdoctoral research fellow, postgraduate medical trainee, junior faculty, or established investigator. The LAM Foundation encourages applications from investigators new to LAM research who could contribute their knowledge and expertise.

Eligibility:

•An applicant may be a clinical fellow, clinical instructor, postdoctoral research fellow, postgraduate medical trainee, junior faculty or established investigator.

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.