Next Generation Research Grant in ALS and Related Disorders

The American Brain Foundation's Next Generation Research Grants support early career investigators conducting high-quality research intended to improve understanding, treatment, and cures for brain diseases. The grants are developed with disease-focused partner organizations and reflect the Foundation's Cure One, Cure Many research philosophy, which holds that discoveries in one area of brain disease research can accelerate progress across other conditions. The Next Generation Research Grant in ALS and Related Disorders is funded by the CReATe Consortium and the American Brain Foundation and is administered by the American Brain Foundation. The grant provides a two-year award for clinical or preclinical research involving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and related disorders. The RFP specifically identifies progressive muscular atrophy, primary lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, hereditary spastic paraplegia, and multi-system proteinopathy. Projects should study disease mechanisms, diagnosis, or treatment of ALS and related disorders and should have potential relevance beyond these diseases to other conditions. The program is directed to early career researchers and is intended to support their development toward independent research careers. The total award is $150,000, consisting of $75,000 per year for two years. Each annual award allocates $65,000 for salary support and $10,000 for research-related expenses. Indirect costs are not supported, and all awarded funds must be used directly for the proposed project. Applicants may supplement this award with other grants, but the other grant or grants cannot exceed $75,000 annually. The RFP requires 70 percent protected research time. No matching or cost-share requirement is stated. The award and funding period is scheduled to begin July 1, 2027 and end June 30, 2029. Eligible applicants must be clinician-investigators holding an MD, PhD, or equivalent terminal-level clinical or research degree. They must have completed clinical residency or a PhD in 2022 or later. Applicants must be at accredited U.S. institutions. U.S. citizenship is not required, but applicants must be lawfully eligible to work in the United States throughout the entire project period. There is no limit on the number of applications from a single institution. An applicant may apply for more than one Next Generation Research Grant during the same application cycle, but a separate and complete application is required for each grant. Applications must be submitted through ProposalCentral. Required materials include a lay summary of no more than 250 words for a non-specialist audience; an alignment statement of no more than 500 words addressing the RFP goals and the Cure One, Cure Many philosophy; a career development plan of up to one PDF page; and a research plan of up to three single-spaced PDF pages covering aims, background and significance, methodology, potential pitfalls and alternatives, and supporting preliminary data or figures. Bibliographic references do not count toward the three-page research-plan limit. Applicants must also submit a current NIH Biosketch. The proposed mentor, academic advisor, or lab head must submit a support letter of no more than 1,000 words and upload their NIH Biosketch. The department chair or equivalent institutional official must complete an institutional sign-off confirming institutional support and adequate protected research time. Any use of AI to generate proposal ideas or assist with proposal writing or editing must be disclosed. Applications are evaluated by an expert selection committee convened by the CReATe Consortium and American Brain Foundation. Review criteria include scientific rationale, innovation, methodological rigor, a well-developed and testable hypothesis, potential clinical impact and translational value, alignment with grant priorities, investigator expertise and potential for an independent research career, feasibility of the proposed aims, identification of pitfalls and alternative approaches, and the quality and commitment of mentorship. The RFP also emphasizes detailed statistical planning, feasible aims, innovation with potential relevance across diseases, a gap-based career development plan, and clear communication. All application materials, including the mentor letter and department chair sign-off, are due October 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT; incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed. Award announcements are anticipated in March 2027. Funding is contingent on required institutional, ethical, and regulatory approvals before the award start date. Questions about the RFP or application process should be sent to grants@americanbrainfoundation.org, while ProposalCentral technical questions should be sent to pcsupport@altum.com. The RFP does not state that this opportunity recurs on an annual or other regular schedule.

Use a well-developed and testable hypothesis; provide a detailed and appropriate statistical plan; keep aims focused and feasible within the award period; demonstrate strong mentorship with relevant expertise and commitment; emphasize innovation and potential relevance across multiple diseases or conditions; provide a clear gap-based career development plan; write clearly; in the lay summary use plain language, lead with the patient problem rather than methods, and explain specific potential impact