• Read Frequently Asked Questions about the online research application process (.pdf)
• Read Instructions for Submission: Research Grant Applications (.pdf)
  

The National MS Society has Changed Its Research Application Procedures

The following changes to the Society’s application procedures have been implemented with as of May 2011:

• A new Web site has been established for preparation and submission of proposals. The new Web site is www.mssocietyapplyonline.org
• Passwords for accessing the site never expire and a new password will not be needed for each cycle.
• Submission of proposals is now exclusively electronic for all parts of the proposal, including signature page and appendix materials, and no paper copies of any part of the proposal will be sent to the Society.
• The application process itself now consists of two parts, a short pre-application and the full application.
• The basic elements of the application remain largely unchanged but have been re-ordered and reformatted.

How to Register with the New System

If you do not already have a password, you will need to register and be approved for access to the Web site. Go to www.mssocietyapplyonline.org and once you are at the login page, click on “Register Here.”  Complete the online registration form and submit your registration by clicking on the word “Register.”  This will submit your request for access to the site to the Research Programs staff of the Society. The staff will review your registration information to verify that you are qualified to apply for funding from the Society. If approved, you will receive an e-mail message containing your login credentials.

Once you have obtained a user ID and password, go to www.mssocietyapplyonline.org and log in at the login page. Once you log in, you will be able to see which funding opportunities are active along with the deadlines for each. You will also be able to begin the preparation of your application. In the new system your password never expires and you will not need to obtain a new password in order to apply for other funding programs or subsequent cycles.

The Pre-Application

In the past prospective applicants were required to contact a member of the Society’s Research Programs staff to obtain clearance before submitting a proposal. While the Society still encourages personal contact and discussion of possible ideas for proposals, in the new system this process has been formalized somewhat through the use of a “Pre-Application” step. For each funding opportunity, there is a pre-application that must be completed and submitted to the Society before the applicant can prepare a full application. The pre-application is reviewed by a member of the Research Programs staff to ensure that the research idea is consistent with the mission of the Society. Once the idea is approved you will receive an e-mail message from the system and you will be able to begin preparation of the full application.

How to Complete the Pre-Application

Once you are logged in, click on “Funding Opportunities” and then on the funding opportunity for which you wish to apply. Once you are on the “Opportunity Details” page, the steps are as follows:

• Click on “Start a New Application”
• Complete the “General Information” page which consists of the name of the PI, the title of the study, and the name of the organization.
• Save the “General Information” page.
• Click on “Go to Application Forms.”
• In the text box that opens, insert a paragraph or two that provides a “Brief Summary” of your idea.
• Save the “Brief Summary.”
• Then click on “Mark as Complete” and “Submit.”

When you submit the pre-application, it will automatically be sent to the appropriate program officer at the Society for review.

How to Complete the Full Application

Once your pre-application has been approved you can log in and begin to prepare the full application. When you log in, click on “Funding Opportunities.”  Then click on the name of the funding opportunity for which you are applying. This will take you to a page listing any applications that you have open for editing. Find the application that you wish to work on (this would be the pre-application that you submitted and which was approved by the Society) and click on the words “Apply Final” on the right side of the list. This will open the “General Information” section. Make any necessary changes and then click on “Save.”  When the next page appears, click on “Go to Application Forms.”  You are now ready to complete the remaining sections of the application.

Detailed instructions for completion of the full application are available in each of the funding opportunity sections of the Web site.