Development Office Funding Opportunities

Eligibility:

•Compounds that have been tested in humans at any stage of clinical development (Phase I–IV) are not eligible for this prize. This includes FDA-approved drugs, repurposed clinical-stage compounds, and reformulations of approved or previously clinical-stage drugs. 

Eligibility:

•Applicants must be independent investigators (an individual that has completed fellowship training and whose institution allows them to submit applications for research funding as a Principal Investigator).
•Each laboratory (not PI) may submit only one application  

About: Path to a Cure: Pilot and Feasibility Awards are intended to support projects that will develop and test new hypotheses and/or new methods that could eventually contribute to the development of a cure for CF, (or those being applied to the problems of cystic fibrosis for the first time), and to support promising new investigators as they establish themselves in research areas relevant to cystic fibrosis. The intent of these awards is to enable investigators to collect sufficient data to compete successfully for support from the NIH or other funding agencies.
Pilot and Feasibility studies that may be high risk but high reward when it comes to advancing our understanding of the disease or developing technologies that can advance us towards a cure are encouraged to apply through this mechanism. Applications for continued funding of a project, or longterm support of an investigator, will not be considered through this program. Projects that are an extension of previous work should be submitted through the Path to a Cure: Research Grant mechanism

High Priority Topics of Interest:

•Characterize and evaluate the functional role of cell populations within either or both large and small conducting airways and submucosal glands and the contribution of CFTR functional restoration to cell fate and function

•Identification of cellular factor(s) and processes during protein translation that impact the fidelity and productivity of nonsense mutation readthrough

•Developing and applying novel gene insertion technologies in eukaryotic cells as a means of repairing/replacing multiple mutant CFTR gene variants (such as hotspot repair/exon replacement) other than those already served by small molecule modulators

•Evaluating potential gene insertion sites within the native CFTR locus or at safe harbor sites and determining the impact of chromosomal architecture and epigenetic state on insertion

•Identification of targeting ligands or chemical modifications to improve cell- and/or tissue-specific delivery of nucleic acid-based therapies to the lungs and extrapulmonary organs

•Developing novel chemistries and strategies to deliver large gene editing components (DNA, RNA, RNP) to relevant cells and tissues with a focus on understanding intracellular handling (endosomal escape, subcellular- or nuclear-localization, elimination/degradation pathways)

•Development of tools and strategies to evaluate immune and inflammatory response to genetic therapies (cargo and vehicle)

•Optimizing and validating in-vitro tools and assays to pre-clinically evaluate the efficacy and safety of restoring functional CFTR through gene repair, gene replacement, small molecules, or any other novel method in primary cells or tissues

Eligibility:

•Postdoctoral applicants engaged in or planning CF-related research are eligible. Preference will be given to recent graduates and those just beginning their research careers and those with a clear commitment to CF research
•Applicants can apply for this fellowship anytime during their postdoctoral period.

Path to a Cure: Postdoctoral research fellowships are offered for support of postdoctoral research training related to CF. These awards are intended to enable research training in new research areas and methods to advance the scientific knowledge of the applicant and to collect data to enable their transition into an independent research career. Research projects proposed through this program should seek to develop new information that contributes to the development of new therapies focused upon repair or replacement of CFTR variants not served by existing small molecule modulators. Applicants seeking to submit proposals focused on topics such as mucociliary clearance and airway hydration, infection and inflammation, or nonlung manifestations of disease should apply through the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award program.

High Priority Topics of Interest:
•Characterize and evaluate the functional role of cell populations within either or both large and small conducting airways and submucosal glands and the contribution of CFTR functional restoration to cell fate and function

•Identification of cellular factor(s) and processes during protein translation that impact the fidelity and productivity of nonsense mutation readthrough

•Developing and applying novel gene insertion technologies in eukaryotic cells as a means of repairing/replacing multiple mutant CFTR gene variants (such as hotspot repair/exon replacement) other than those already served by small molecule modulators

•Evaluating potential gene insertion sites within the native CFTR locus or at safe harbor sites and determining the impact of chromosomal architecture and epigenetic state on insertion

•Identification of targeting ligands or chemical modifications to improve cell- and/or tissue-specific delivery of nucleic acid-based therapies to the lungs and extrapulmonary organs

•Developing novel chemistries and strategies to deliver large gene editing components (DNA, RNA, RNP) to relevant cells and tissues with a focus on understanding intracellular handling (endosomal escape, subcellular- or nuclear-localization, elimination/degradation pathways)

•Development of tools and strategies to evaluate immune and inflammatory response to genetic therapies (cargo and vehicle)

•Optimizing and validating in-vitro tools and assays to pre-clinically evaluate the efficacy and safety of restoring functional CFTR through gene repair, gene replacement, small molecules, or any other novel method in primary cells or tissues

Eligibility:

•Applicants must be independent investigators (an individual who is out of fellowship training and whose institution allows them to submit applications for research funding as a Principal Investigator).
•Each laboratory (not PI) may submit only one application

About: Path to a Cure: Research Grants are intended to facilitate or enable the development of new information that may contribute to the development of new therapies focused upon repair or replacement of CFTR variants not served by existing small molecule modulators. Applicants seeking to submit proposals focused on topics such as mucociliary clearance and airway hydration, infection and inflammation, or non-lung manifestations of disease should apply through the Research Grant mechanism. Proposals must be hypothesis-driven and contain sufficient preliminary data to justify support from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. However, proposals that aim to develop tools or reagents that are not typically hypothesis-driven but may facilitate research that could lead to a cure will be considered through this mechanism. Information derived from such studies will hopefully lead to submission to other funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

High Priority Topics of Interest:

•Characterize and evaluate the functional role of cell populations within either or both large and small conducting airways and submucosal glands and the contribution of CFTR functional restoration to cell fate and function
•Identification of cellular factor(s) and processes during protein translation that impact the fidelity and productivity of nonsense mutation readthrough
•Developing and applying novel gene insertion technologies in eukaryotic cells as a means of repairing/replacing multiple mutant CFTR gene variants (such as hotspot repair/exon replacement) other than those already served by small molecule modulators
•Evaluating potential gene insertion sites within the native CFTR locus or at safe harbor sites and determining the impact of chromosomal architecture and epigenetic state on insertion
•Identification of targeting ligands or chemical modifications to improve cell- and/or tissue-specific delivery of nucleic acid-based therapies to the lungs and extrapulmonary organs
•Developing novel chemistries and strategies to deliver large gene editing components (DNA, RNA, RNP) to relevant cells and tissues with a focus on understanding intracellular handling (endosomal escape, subcellular- or nuclear-localization, elimination/degradation pathways)
•Development of tools and strategies to evaluate immune and inflammatory response to genetic therapies (cargo and vehicle)
•Optimizing and validating in-vitro tools and assays to pre-clinically evaluate the efficacy and safety of restoring functional CFTR through gene repair, gene replacement, small molecules, or any other novel method in primary cells or tissues

Eligibility:

•Applicants must demonstrate an existing, authentic, and accountable community partnership of at least two years (with more time preferred). One of the co-principal investigators must be a representative or leadership from community-based organizations.
•Applicants who have been or are currently RWJF grantees are eligible to apply.

About: RWJF and the NCCs are interested in research that identifies the root causes of structural discrimination; challenges harmful narratives that undermine individual and community health and wellbeing; and disrupts growing mis- and disinformation. While HERA is still in its early stages, RWJF and the NCCs are launching this first CFP to sustain and advance health equity research during this critical time, while generating insights that can help shape HERA’s future funding priorities and strategies. Such research can generate knowledge that shows how to advance health equity through systems change. With this background in mind, proposals submitted under this first CFP must include the characteristics described below:
• Research through equitable community partnership.
• Research that focuses on at least one RWJF Prioritized System.
• Research that informs systems change.
• Research that leads to actionable solutions.

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: The goal of the Focused Antibiotics program is to reformulate existing antibiotics to spare the gut microbiome without loss of treatment efficacy. To achieve this goal, the Focused Antibiotics program will work across 2 primary thrust areas.

Thrust 1 seeks to reformulate existing antibiotics to avoid increasing antibiotic resistance in the bacteria that live in us, while maintaining the same or better treatment success. In parallel, work in this thrust aims to ensure that these antibiotics can be produced at scale and at an acceptable price to enable their use as potential new firstline therapeutics.

Thrust 2 seeks to enable iterative design of these newly formulated, focused antibiotics by identifying a surrogate marker based on specific antibiotic induced microbiome changes. This will require new analyses of human cohort data to match gut microbiome predictors of subsequent resistant infections with better than 80% predictive accuracy.

Eligibility:

•Only collaborative projects will be considered.
•Collaborative projects for this call comprise groups of 3-5 laboratories working around a common theme or target.
•Principal Investigators should be at the career level of an independent faculty member who leads an independent lab or industry equivalent.
•Research assistant professors, post-doctoral fellows, and staff are not eligible to be included as investigators.
•We encourage each consortium to include at least one Principal Investigator from the biotech/pharmaceutical industry.
•A Principal Investigator can only participate in one LOI submission.
•Principal Investigators who have two or more active competitive grants from Target ALS are not eligible to apply.

About: 
Although all groups studying disease progression biomarkers are eligible to apply, Target ALS is particularly interested in supporting projects that propose the study of:
• novel biomarkers predictive of disease progression or phenoconversion
• biomarkers with utility as treatment response
• biomarkers for patient population stratification (e.g., fast vs slow progressors, cognitive impairment, peripheral immunity)
• novel analytical approaches to blood-based biomarkers, including AI/ML-extracted signatures
Confidentiality of the investigator’s data, research, and intellectual property will be strictly honored. Target ALS does not seek ownership of any intellectual property or financial gains that result from its funding.

Eligibility:
•Applications from researchers working in other diseases that may bridge to IBM, for example, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multisystem proteinopathy 1 (MSP1), are encouraged.

•The principal investigator must be professionally trained with a terminal degree—MD, MD/PhD, PhD, or equivalent. TMA research grants are designed to support applicants based at an accredited medical school, university, or research institute.

About: The Cure IBM Research Fund at TMA announces its inaugural grant to advance basic science and mechanistic research in the biological basis of inclusion body myositis (IBM) to accelerate understanding of IBM causes, pathophysiology, and disease progression. IBM offers a distinctive opportunity to study disease mechanisms directly in affected skeletal muscle, where biopsy samples can capture pathology across disease stages and cellular contexts.

Proposals must adhere to the following guidelines:

•Focuses exclusively on basic science and mechanistic research in IBM.

•Is a hypothesis-driven study of early molecular and cellular changes in muscle fibers and how these changes relate to inflammatory and degenerative processes.

•Priority will be given to hypotheses related to the following topics:
RNA processing and nucleocytoplasmic transport defects (including nuclear pore complex biology, mis-splicing/cryptic exon inclusion, TDP-43 pathology, and related downstream consequences)

•Early initiating events that precede overt structural degeneration or dense immune invasion
Mitochondrial dysfunction

•Immune and stress-response mechanisms, spanning immunogenetics/HLA-linked antigen presentation, immune recruitment/persistence/amplification, and innate immune activation (e.g., nucleic-acid sensing and related inflammatory signaling)

•Stromal remodeling and tissue progression mechanisms, including fibrosis, fatty replacement, and senescence-associated programs

•Intercellular signaling mechanisms, including extracellular vesicles and other mediators of pathogenic cargo transfer.

Eligibility:

•TMA fellowships are designed to support early-career physicians, scientists, and investigators who have a career interest in research and/or a clinical practice focused on rare autoimmune disease, hold a terminal degree (MD, MD/PhD, PhD, or equivalent), and are enrolled in a formal fellowship program with a myositis experienced mentor. Eligibility extends to residents planning to enroll in a formal fellowship program with a myositis experienced mentor, or fellows interested in an advanced fellowship with a myositis experienced mentor. Mentors will be required to provide a letter of support affirming their involvement and approval.

•Applications will be evaluated primarily based upon relevance to myositis, alignment to this RFP, scientific quality, and feasibility. Additional criteria are innovation, collaboration, and patient centricity.

About: In the 2026 grant cycle, TMA announces an IBM/IMNM Fellowship to support a clinical and/or research trainee in neuromuscular medicine or related fields.

TMA’s IBM/IMNM Fellowship is an award of $107,500 that will be granted to a fellow in adult neurology, neuromuscular pathology, neurophysiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or related specialty pursuing a disease-specific, targeted project that meets the following guidelines:

•Advances the understanding of the cause, prevention, detection, treatment, or cure of inclusion body myositis (IBM) and/or immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM).

•Treatment may extend beyond clinical management of autoimmune neuromuscular disorders into health-related quality of life, such as assessments and interventions that help patients preserve muscle function, manage fatigue and pain, and navigate any psychosocial effects of their condition

•Priority is given to fellows in adult neurology, neuromuscular medicine, neuromuscular pathology, neurophysiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or related specialties, with demonstrable commitment to IBM and/or IMNM as a primary focus within their clinical, research, and career priorities.

•Priority is given to interdisciplinary projects that emphasize a collaborative approach, including partnering with patients and care partners.

Eligibility:

•The principal investigator must be professionally trained with a terminal degree—MD, MD/PhD, PhD, or equivalent—and striving to improve understanding of and quality of life for those who live with myositis, related diseases, and complications.
Applicants must demonstrate a career interest in research and clinical practice focused on rare autoimmune diseases, especially myositis.

•Applications will be evaluated primarily based upon relevance to myositis, alignment to this RFP, scientific quality, and feasibility. Additional criteria are innovation, collaboration, and patient centricity.

About: In the 2026 grants cycle, The Myositis Association (TMA) announces an IMNM Research Grant. With the goal of advancing research into the cause, prevention, detection, treatment, and cure of myositis and related diseases, this year’s grant cycle targets a project specifically related to immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM).

One award of up to $150,000 will be granted for a disease-specific, targeted project that adheres to the following guidelines:

•Focuses on new or existing projects aimed at IMNM: the causes, disease processes, therapies, treatments, and/or challenges related to one or more subtype of IMNM (anti-HMGCR, anti-SRP, or other subtype).

•While the focus must be on IMNM, the proposed project can explore IMNM alongside related idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs).

•Focus may include quality of life or therapies for IMNM-related symptoms and conditions such as preservation of muscle function, reversal or minimization of myofiber necrosis, mobility challenges, pain, fatigue, flares, pulmonary function, dysphagia, and/or other impairments.

•Proposals must discuss the likelihood of new treatments, improved treatment options, or enhanced quality of life for those living with IMNM based upon the described project.

•Priority is given to interdisciplinary projects that emphasize a collaborative approach, including partnering with patients and care partners.

Eligibility:

•TMA fellowships are designed to support early-career physicians, scientists, and investigators who have a career interest in research and/or clinical practice focused on rare autoimmune disease; hold a terminal degree (MD, MD/PhD, PhD, or equivalent); and are enrolled in a formal fellowship program with a myositis experienced mentor. Eligibility extends to residents planning to enroll in a formal fellowship program with a myositis experienced mentor, or fellows interested in an advanced fellowship with a myositis experienced mentor. Mentors will be required to provide a letter of support affirming their involvement and approval.

•Applications will be evaluated primarily based upon relevance to myositis, alignment to this RFP, scientific quality, and feasibility. Additional criteria are innovation, collaboration, and patient centricity.

About: In the 2026 grant cycle, TMA announces our second fellowship award for a project related to antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) and/or interstitial lung disease (ILD).

TMA’s Meredith Thomas Memorial Fellowship is an award of $107,500 that will be granted to a fellow pursuing a disease-specific, targeted project that meets the following guidelines:

•Advances the understanding of the cause, prevention, detection, treatment, or cure of antisynthetase syndrome and/or myositis interstitial lung disease.

•Treatment may extend beyond medication management into health-related quality of life, such as assessments and interventions that help patients manage physical symptoms, maintain employment, and navigate any mental health or social effects of their illness.

•Priority is given to fellows in rheumatology, pulmonology, critical care, or related fields (neurology, dermatology, and other specialties involved in myositis science and care).

•All applicants must exhibit demonstrable commitment to antisynthetase syndrome and/or lung disease as a primary focus within their clinical, research, and career priorities.

•Priority is given to interdisciplinary projects that emphasize a collaborative approach, including partnering with patients and care partners.

Eligibility:

•There’s no age limit to apply, but preference will be given to those under the age of 45 as of August 30, 2026, with a rank of instructor up through associate professor (or the institutional equivalent).

•First preference will be given to those working in a department or division of dermatology, and second preference to those with a close working relationship to dermatology.

•If an MD, the candidate must be board-certified in dermatology with at least 3 years of in-depth experience in investigative dermatology.

•If a PhD, the candidate must have at least 3years of postdoctoral or faculty-level experience in investigative dermatology.

•The candidate must be identified as a current or future leader in dermatological investigation and must spend at least 80% of his/her professional time in research.

Eligibility:

•There’s no age limit to apply, but preference will be given to those under the age of 45 as of August 30, 2026, with a rank of instructor up through associate professor (or the institutional equivalent).

•First preference will be given to those working in a department or division of dermatology, and second preference to those with a close working relationship to dermatology.

•If an MD, the candidate must be board-certified in dermatology with at least 3 years of in-depth experience in investigative dermatology.

•If a PhD, the candidate must have at least 3 years of postdoctoral or faculty-level experience in investigative dermatology.

•The candidate must be identified as a current or future leader in dermatological investigation and must spend at least 80% of his/her professional time in research.

Eligibility:

•There’s no age limit to apply, but preference will be given to those under the age of 45 as of August 30, 2026, with a rank of instructor up through associate professor (or the institutional equivalent).

•First preference will be given to those working in a department or division of dermatology, and second preference to those with a close working relationship to dermatology.

•If an MD, the candidate must be board-certified in dermatology with at least 3 years of in-depth experience in investigative dermatology.

•If a PhD, the candidate must have at least 3 years of postdoctoral or faculty-level experience in investigative dermatology.

•The candidate must be identified as a current or future leader in dermatological investigation and must spend at least 80% of his/her professional time in research.

Eligibility:

•There’s no age limit to apply, but preference will be given to those under the age of 45 as of August 30, 2026, with a rank of instructor up through associate professor (or the institutional equivalent).

•First preference will be given to those working in a department or division of dermatology, and second preference to those with a close working relationship to dermatology.

•If an MD, the candidate must be board-certified in dermatology with at least 3 years of in-depth experience in investigative dermatology.

•If a PhD, the candidate must have at least 3years of postdoctoral or faculty-level experience in investigative dermatology.

•The candidate must be identified as a current or future leader in dermatological investigation and must spend at least 80% of his/her professional time in research.

Eligibility:

•There’s no age limit to apply, but preference will be given to those under the age of 45 as of August 30, 2026, with a rank of instructor up through associate professor (or the institutional equivalent).

•First preference will be given to those working in a department or division of dermatology, and second preference to those with a close working relationship to dermatology.

•If an MD, the candidate must be board-certified in dermatology with at least 3 years of in-depth experience in investigative dermatology.

•If a PhD, the candidate must have at least 3 years of postdoctoral or faculty-level experience in investigative dermatology.

•The candidate must be identified as a current or future leader in dermatological investigation and must spend at least 80% of his/her professional time in research.