Deadline: 16-Oct-23

Cure Parkinson’s (CP) welcomes applications for the Quarterly Research Grant Funding Programme.

This programme primarily funds preclinical and clinical research focused on slowing, stopping, or reversing Parkinson’s. They do not fund research which is directed at symptomatic relief.

Aims

• They have three strategic aims; they believe that if they deliver these, they are giving themselves the best chance of realising the goal of finding a cure.
  • To work with the world’s leading scientists and clinicians to find a cure
  • To be an international catalyst in the search for a cure
  • To work with people affected by Parkinson’s to support, inform and accelerate the search for a cure.

Priorities

• Due to the urgency requirement, they prioritise research which has potential to translate into the clinic within five years.
• One priority is therefore to fund and support promising clinical trials. This includes funding for trials themselves and pre-clinical research to support potential trials.
• It can also include funding any other research supporting or accelerating clinical trials and their outcomes, including clinical trial design, research into exploratory outcome measures, cohort definition, patient stratification, genetic data collection (e.g. bio-banking of samples), flexible bridging support (extension funding) for trials running into difficulties, screening libraries with appropriate assays, carrying out epidemiological studies, novel approaches to treatment or new methods of treatment delivery.
• However, Cure Parkinson’s is not restricted to clinical trial-related work. They will consider funding for other important promising (laboratory and non-clinical) research which has potential to lead to a cure for Parkinson’s.
• From time to time, they may issue a public call for applications for funding in respect of research addressing a particular issue, to reflect a need identified by Cure Parkinson’s. Such applications are scrutinised by the Research Committee to the same degree.
• More widely, the aim to cure Parkinson’s (i.e. slow, stop or reverse) can include potential for preventing or delaying the onset of the condition, although prevention and delay alone are not priorities for Cure Parkinson’s: they seek to cure those living with Parkinson’s now.

Funding Information and Duration

• Cure Parkinson’s has supported projects costed at £50,000 to £2,500,000 (alone or in collaboration with other funders), with durations of between 1-3 years.

How does the charity fund research?

• The charity awards grants of funding for research projects pursuant to contractual terms (its terms and conditions) agreed prior to the start of work.
• For any particular project, funding can be provided solely by Cure Parkinson’s or partially by Cure Parkinson’s alongside other funder(s).
• Whenever funding is provided by Cure Parkinson’s (in full or partially), grants are only awarded by Cure Parkinson’s when the charity has cleared dedicated funds sufficient to pay the full extent of its grant. In practice, funds are paid in stages, periodically in arrears.
• If funding is provided partially by Cure Parkinson’s alongside others, the grant by Cure Parkinson’s is conditional upon the applicant receiving contractual commitment for the full extent of the funding required for the project.
• Cure Parkinson’s does not fund work which is the subject of funding from others.
• Cure Parkinson’s raises money for such funding from charitable donations of individuals, institutions, trusts and corporates. Cure Parkinson’s does not receive any funding from any national government or state funding body.
• In this regard, Cure Parkinson’s can receive money pursuant to match- funding arrangements whereby funds are received by Cure Parkinson’s and form part of Cure Parkinson’s own funding commitment to researchers. An example of such an arrangement is Cure Parkinson’s match-funding arrangement with VAI worth USD 4.5 million over three years.
• Cure Parkinson’s only funds research costs that are directly incurred by the project, the charity does not pay for central overheads associated with a research project or other indirect costs.
• The charity is also willing to sponsor workshops and/or meetings on important Parkinson’s research and clinical trial-related issues. For example, they have organised and/or supported meetings and conferences on neurotrophic factors, gene therapy and repurposing of chemical compounds.

Eligibility Criteria

• Cure Parkinson’s primarily funds academic or research institutions.
• They also fund commercial entities (especially SMEs) in respect of critical translational work on compounds of promise in Parkinson’s that would not otherwise be the company’s highest priority for Parkinson’s, due to funding or other indication priorities.
• Cure Parkinson’s funds research worldwide.

For more information, visit Cure Parkinson’s (CP).