ALS Canada-Brain Canada Discovery Grant Program

The purpose of the 2025 Discovery Grant Program is to invest in high-impact projects focused on identifying causes of, or treatments for, ALS and/or related neurological diseases, including primary lateral sclerosis, progressive muscular atrophy, and ALS/FTLD (frontotemporal lobar dementia) or advancing research aimed at maximizing function, minimizing disability, and optimizing quality of life through symptom management and support for individuals or families living with ALS.

The Discovery Grant Program supports collaborative projects and encourages multidisciplinary teams, particularly those that bring together individuals from outside the field who can combine their expertise in innovative ways. It also aims to provide successful, preliminary data-driven ideas with opportunities for larger, multi-year funding, ideally leading to translational programs that will bring them closer to a world free of ALS.

Categories

• The Seed Grant (Stream 1): is designed to nurture novel ideas by providing support for obtaining preliminary data or pursuing ideas supported by early data signals. Although preliminary data may enhance competitiveness, it is not necessarily required.
• The Development Grant (Stream 2): aims to support projects that build on a strong foundation of preliminary data, driving towards eventual translation to human impact.

Funding Information

• A total funding pool of $1,500,000 will be utilized with flexible allocation across these streams.
• The Seed Grant (Stream 1)
  • Applicants may request $125,000 for research projects over a two-year period.
• The Development Grant (Stream 2)
  • Applicants may request $500,000 for research projects over a three-year period.

Eligibility Criteria

• A lead investigator (Principal Investigator, or PI) must be named to assume the administrative and financial responsibilities. The lead investigator’s institution will serve as the host institution for the grant and will receive funding disbursements from Brain Canada.
• The PI must hold an independent academic position and be conducting research at a qualifying Canadian institution for the full duration of the grant.
• For both streams, at least one additional co-investigator from a different institution or a distinct department within the same institution is required. Each co-investigator must be an independent researcher who holds a PhD or equivalent, or a health professional degree (MD, OT, PT, etc.).
• Clinical researchers should have completed residency training that includes research experience, or they should have previous research experience.
• For clinical research applications submitted through the Principal Investigator must hold a degree recognized by a professional order with experience treating or working with people living with ALS.
• In the event that the PI does not hold an academic position, justification must be provided for assessment by an ad hoc sub-committee of the ALS Canada Scientific and Medical Advisory Council.
• Applicants may submit only one application to the Development Grant stream.
• However, applicants may submit more than one application to the Seed Grant stream, provided the proposed projects are sufficiently distinct and there is no overlap in funding.
• Applications submitted to either stream must be entirely independent, meaning results or experiments from one project cannot be used to inform the other, either within or across streams.

Application Requirements

• Please submit your applications for review in the following order:
  • Cover page
  • Abstract (scientific) (limit: ½ page)
  • Lay Summary (limit: 300 words)
  • Research Plan
    • Seed Grant (limit: 6 pages)
    • Development Grant (limit: 8 pages)
  • Integration into the ALS landscape (limit: 1 page)
    • Seed Grant – path forward for follow-on funding and, if applicable, integration within an ALS program
    • Development Grant – integration within an ALS program, longer-term vision for the project 6)
  • Figures and Tables
    • Seed Grant (limit: 3 pages)
    • Development Grant (limit: 4 pages)
  • Bibliography
  • Proposed Budget and Justification
  • Curriculum Vitae (PI & Co-investigator(s);) (limit: 5 pages per CV)
  • Supporting Documents
  • Institutional Approvals (limit: ½ page)
  • Other funding currently held or applied for
  • Yield from previous ALS-specific funding (if applicable) (limit: 1 page)
  • Explanations of significant delay (optional)
  • Excluded reviewers (optional)

For more information, visit Brain Canada Foundation.