August 2021: The National MS Society remains committed to funding priority research. We have continued to support existing grant and fellowship commitments, and as we recover financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have begun offering some limited new funding opportunities.
We just completed reviewing proposals submitted to our Early Detection of MS RFA, and we will continue our commitment to support the research workforce by offering annual opportunities for fellowships and early career funding opportunities in the coming year.
While our usual Research Grant spring and fall cycles and Pilot Research Grants are not yet available, we anticipate offering new research support opportunities over the next few months, that advance our
Pathways to Cures Roadmap. The Pathways to Cures initiative encompasses research aiming to stop MS, restore function, and end MS forever, as summarized in
this document (.pdf). We expect that these opportunities will align with many of the themes that MS researchers are actively pursuing.
We will share these new opportunities as they become available.
(CURRENTLY ON HOLD)
The Society funds high-risk pilot grants to researchers who have completed their postdoctoral training to quickly test novel ideas. Funding is provided for one year to test innovative, cutting-edge ideas or untested methods, and to gather sufficient preliminary data to apply for longer-term funding. We welcome proposals for research relevant to our Research Priorities.
Researchers who have completed their post-doctoral training, and who are considered eligible by their institutions to apply for a research grant, are invited to apply. Individuals who are currently postdoctoral fellows or the equivalent, or who are graduate/medical students or residents, are not eligible for support under this program. Applicants are not eligible to apply if they have an existing National MS Society pilot research award that expires later than the application deadline.
In order to submit a proposal for research support, investigators must first register with our Apply Online site (https://nmss.fluxx.io/) and complete a pre-application. Staff will review the pre-application to determine whether the research plan is appropriate and relevant to our goals. All pilot applications must be submitted through the online application site (https://nmss.fluxx.io/).
For more information, please contact:
Mark Allegretta, PhD
mark.allegretta@nmss.org