Requests for Proposals: JDRF Innovative Awards

Proposals should address key outstanding questions and have the potential to lead to a challenge or a change in the current paradigm or conventional wisdom and/or lead to a groundbreaking discovery. Preliminary data is not required in the proposal, but the underlying concept, premise or hypothesis must be plausible and testable, and the proposal must be focused with a well-defined goal that is achievable within the timeframe and amount of the award.

JDRF’s mission is to accelerate the delivery of life-changing breakthroughs that prevent, cure and treat T1D and its complications. They have come a long way toward this goal with the availability of automated glucose measurement and management systems, improved insulins and a promising pipeline of therapeutic candidates that have the potential to modify the course of the disease and reduce insulin dependence. However, there is still a long way to go.

Research Strategy

• Goals
  • The research strategy rests on two pillars: Cure T1D and Improve Lives of individuals with T1D. JDRF research will prioritize projects with the highest likelihood of accelerating the delivery of therapies to cure (and prevent) T1D while maintaining strategic gap-filling funding in research that improves lives of T1D, and will focus on the following over the next five years:
    • Develop and execute a global universal screening strategy that reduces DKA at diagnosis, identifies high-risk individuals for early detection and accelerate the evaluation of disease-modifying therapies, identify individuals that will be eligible for approved preventive treatments, and in conjunction develop cost-benefit analyses of screening for payer assessment
    • Accelerate the development of disease modifying therapies that delay, stop or reverse the development and progression of T1D, enable clinical testing of these therapies, and facilitate development of business models to support T1D drug development and commercialization.
    • Accelerate the development of first-generation beta cell replacement products demonstrating at least 6 months of reduction in insulin requirements, potentially with the use of local immunosuppression.
    • Improve overall outcomes in people with T1D (and potentially a broader population of individuals with insulin-requiring diabetes), reduce disease burden and complications, and reduce barrier to adoption of newly approved life-changing breakthroughs.
    • Foster a community of T1D researchers and clinicians through training awards and networking activities, and bridge the gap between endocrinologists, transplant surgeons, psychologists and immunologists.
• Execution 
  • The following guiding principles will support the accelerated delivery of products to change the lives of people with T1D:
    • Enable progression of therapies through the R&D pipeline with a line of sight to product development and reduce the barriers in product development and commercialization throughout the process.
    • Support innovation to fill knowledge gaps and create potential for novel treatment paradigms and product development.
    • Make ‘big bets’ to aggressively drive new research opportunities and promising initiatives.
    • Create and sustain partnerships with global funders and stakeholders, such as the National Institutes of Health, Helmsley Charitable Trust, other foundations and government funders that leverage resources and complement strengths to fill gaps and remove barriers.
    • Cultivate multi-disciplinary teams (consortia, public-private projects, coalitions, others) to address specific scientific challenges.
    • Influence via thought leadership to guide activities of T1D stakeholders (academic, private sector, government) to achieve the goals.

Funding Information

• Innovative grants provide one year of support for a maximum of USD 200,000.00 which includes 10% indirect costs. These grants are not renewable. Final progress and expenditure reports are due within 75 days following the close of the award.
• Innovative proposals with significantly higher costs or requiring greater than one year of funding may still be considered for funding through alternate mechanisms at the discretion of JDRF staff. If you believe that your Innovative project requires a greater budget and/or funding period, please contact the administrative contact to discuss possible options for submission.

Eligibility Criteria

• Proposals may be submitted by domestic and foreign non-profit or public organizations, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the federal government. Applicants must hold an M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., Ph.D., or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or equivalent at a college, university, medical institution, or other research facility. There are no citizenship requirements for this program. To assure continued excellence and diversity among applicants and awardees, JDRF welcomes proposals from all qualified individuals and especially encourages proposals from persons with disabilities, women, and members of minority groups underrepresented in the sciences.

For more information, visit JDRF.