Next Generation Research Grant in Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

The Next Generation Research Grant in Mal de Debarquement Syndrome is funded by the MdDS Foundation and administered by the American Brain Foundation. It is part of the American Brain Foundation's Next Generation Research Grants program, which supports early career investigators conducting high-quality research intended to improve understanding, treatment, and cures for brain diseases. The program reflects the American Brain Foundation's Cure One, Cure Many research philosophy, under which discoveries in one disease area may accelerate progress across other diseases and conditions. This specific award focuses on Mal de Debarquement Syndrome and seeks research that may have relevance beyond MdDS. The grant supports a two-year program of basic, preclinical, clinical, or translational research in Mal de Debarquement Syndrome. Targeted work includes studies of MdDS disease mechanisms and translational research specifically designed to develop treatments or improve the diagnosis or prevention of MdDS. The proposed research should also have potential relevance to other diseases. The total award is $150,000, consisting of $75,000 per year for two years. Each annual award includes $65,000 for salary support, including fringe benefits, and $10,000 for research-related expenses. Indirect costs are not supported, and all grant funds must be used directly for the proposed project. Applicants may hold other awards as Principal Investigator, but those other grants may not exceed $75,000 in direct costs annually. No cost-share or matching requirement is stated. Applicants must be clinician investigators or research scientists with an MD, PhD, or equivalent terminal-level clinical or research degree. Examples of equivalent degrees include DO, MBBS, DVM, PharmD, DDS, DrPH, AuD, and DPT. Eligible disciplines include, but are not limited to, neurology, neurotology, otolaryngology, physical therapy, audiology, and neuroscience. Applicants must have completed clinical residency, a PhD, or an equivalent terminal degree no more than six years before the award start date, which the RFP identifies as 2021 for the 2027 award. Applicants at accredited United States and international institutions are eligible, and there is no citizenship requirement. There is no institutional limit on the number of applications. An individual may apply for more than one Next Generation Research Grant in a cycle, but a separate complete application is required for each grant. Institutional sign-off must confirm at least 70 percent protected research time. Applications must be submitted through ProposalCentral by October 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM Central Time. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed, and applicants are instructed not to submit materials beyond those specifically requested. Required materials include a lay summary of no more than 250 words written for a non-specialist audience; an alignment statement of no more than 500 words addressing the applicant's career goals, MdDS research goals, and the Cure One, Cure Many philosophy; a career development plan of up to one page; and a research plan of up to three single-spaced pages, with bibliographic references excluded from the page limit. The research plan must address specific aims, hypothesis and objectives, background and significance, methodology, potential pitfalls and alternative approaches, and any supporting preliminary data or figures. An NIH Common Form Biosketch is also required. The application also requires mentor and institutional participation. The applicant must provide the mentor's name and email address so the mentor can receive an automated link to submit a letter of support of no more than 1,000 words. The letter must address the relationship of the proposed research to the mentor's program, the applicant's career development plan, the mentor's expertise and anticipated time commitment, prior mentoring experience, and the applicant's potential for an independent research career. The mentor must also upload an NIH Common Form Biosketch. The applicant's department chair or equivalent institutional official receives a separate link to confirm institutional support and at least 70 percent protected research time. The mentor letter and institutional sign-off are subject to the same October 8, 2026 deadline. Funding is contingent upon receipt of all necessary institutional, ethical, and regulatory approvals, including IRB approval where applicable, before the award starts. Applications are reviewed by a committee of experts convened by the American Brain Foundation, after which ranked applications are considered by the Foundation's Science Committee for final selection. Core criteria include scientific rationale, innovation, methodological rigor, a well-developed and testable hypothesis, feasibility of the proposed aims, potential pitfalls and alternative approaches, potential clinical impact and translational value, alignment with RFP priorities, investigator expertise and potential for an independent research career, and the quality of the mentorship plan. Additional criteria include demonstrated interest in MdDS research, a clear and rigorous career development plan, and alignment between the proposed research and training activities and the applicant's career goals. Competitive applications are described as having strong hypotheses, detailed statistical plans, feasible aims, innovative work with relevance across diseases, clear training plans, committed mentorship, and clear writing. The application deadline is October 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM Central Time. The anticipated award announcement is March 2027. The award and funding period begins July 1, 2027 and ends June 30, 2029. The RFP does not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, or other pre-application gating requirement, and it does not state that the opportunity is recurring. Questions about the RFP or application process should be directed to the American Brain Foundation at grants@americanbrainfoundation.org. Questions about the ProposalCentral platform should be directed to pcsupport@altum.com.

Use a well-developed testable hypothesis; provide a detailed and appropriate statistical plan; keep aims focused and feasible within the award period; emphasize innovation and relevance across diseases or conditions; present a clear gap-based career development and training plan; demonstrate strong committed mentorship; write clearly; make the lay summary patient- and family-centered, use plain language, explain impact specifically, and avoid excessive methodology detail.