Call for Applications: Impact Awards

All great ideas in science begin with a seed that, when nurtured, can profoundly impact the community. However, without adequate funding, these ideas may never get started, grow, or be fully explored. Recognizing this, the Parkinson’s Foundation supports innovative projects from their inception, providing the necessary resources to maximize their impact on the Parkinson’s community.

The science underlying the Parkinson’s Foundation Impact Award projects should be “outside the box” with the goal of bringing new light to the biology of Parkinson’s disease (PD), a new approach to PD research, or testing a truly novel therapeutic idea. Projects should be based on groundbreaking or unconventional ideas that are unlikely to be funded through more traditional funding mechanisms. Their goal is to provide the support that will enable researchers to test new ideas with an impact on the PD community and generate compelling results that will facilitate continued investment from the Parkinson’s Foundation and other funders. Both established researchers and newcomers to PD research are encouraged to apply.

Funding Information

• Awards are up to a maximum of $150,000 for 12-18 months. Up to 10% ($15,000) of the total award may be used towards indirect costs. Salary support is permitted for no more than 40% of the principal investigator’s salary and capped at $50,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• This award is open to scientists with a PhD or MD, regardless of nationality or location. The Parkinson’s Foundation Impact Awards are intended for researchers both established and new to the field of PD. Only independent investigators are eligible to apply, an applicant must be in a tenure-track position or equivalent. Non-tenure track faculty and postdoctoral fellows can have the role of Co-Primary Investigators or Co-Investigators. They will consider applications from Instructors who can demonstrate that they will begin a tenure-track position by the award start date (as confirmed by a support letter from their department chair). The Foundation is the sole determinant of the applicant’s eligibility. Awardees may not concurrently hold an award from another source with overlapping specific aims.
• All research proposals must demonstrate a significant research focus and impact on Parkinson’s disease. They will consider proposals seeking to:
  • Bring new light to the biology of PD: Research that enhances their understanding of the underlying mechanisms of PD.
  • Address an unmet need in PD research: Projects that tackle gaps or unresolved issues in the current PD research landscape.
  • Test a new approach (methods or technology) to Parkinson’s research: Innovative methods or technologies that could advance PD research.
  • Identify new PD biomarkers: Discovery of novel biomarkers that can aid in the diagnosis or monitoring of PD.
  • Identify new intervention targets: Research aimed at finding new targets for therapeutic interventions.
  • Test a truly novel therapeutic idea (pharmacological, brain stimulation, cell or gene therapy): Proposals that explore groundbreaking therapeutic concepts or techniques.
  • Understand the role of co-pathologies in PD: Investigations into how co-existing conditions affect the progression or treatment of PD.
  • Use human subjects with already established cohorts: Studies that utilize existing cohorts of human subjects to advance PD research.
• Applications from groups that have been historically underrepresented or excluded in the scientific workforce, including but not limited to racial and ethnic groups, sexual orientation and gender identities, individuals with mental/physical disabilities, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, are especially encouraged.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Though important, the following areas are not within the scope of this award and will not be considered:
  • Complementary and supportive therapies: Research focusing on diet, exercise, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychotherapy, social work, and community support.
  • Clinical trials: Proposals centered on clinical trial methodologies or conducting clinical trials.
  • Proposals whose scope does not fit the time frame of this award (12-18 months): Proposals that cannot be completed within the specified time frame.
  • Want to use human subjects but don’t have established cohorts: Proposals that intend to use human subjects but lack established cohorts.
  • Meta-analysis of existing clinical studies: Research that involves analyzing data from existing clinical studies rather than generating new primary data.

For more information, visit Parkinson’s Foundation.