Impact Awards Grant for Independent Investigators

Deadline: 15-Oct-2026

The Parkinson’s Foundation Impact Awards provide research grants to independent investigators pursuing high-risk, high-reward projects with the potential to transform Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. The programme is designed to support innovative ideas that may not receive funding through traditional research mechanisms. By investing in potentially groundbreaking research, the Foundation aims to accelerate discoveries and advance the Parkinson’s research community. The Impact Awards are divided into two subprograms: Foundational Research and Translational Research. Foundational Research supports basic and mechanistic studies investigating fundamental disease mechanisms and developing new experimental tools or models. Translational Research supports projects that move promising discoveries closer to clinical application, including therapeutic target validation and advancing biomarkers or therapeutic candidates toward clinical utility. Each award provides $200,000 in total costs over two years, with up to 10% permitted for indirect costs. Combined salary support for the Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, and Co-Investigators is limited to $35,000 per year, while salary support for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research staff is not capped. Eligible applicants are independent investigators with a PhD or MD who hold a tenure-track faculty position or equivalent. Applicants may be located anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality.

About the Parkinson’s Foundation Impact Awards

The Parkinson’s Foundation Impact Awards are intended to fund ambitious research ideas that have the potential to make a substantial contribution to understanding or treating Parkinson’s disease. The programme specifically targets high-risk, high-reward research. This means the Foundation is willing to support innovative approaches where the potential scientific impact is significant, even when the research may involve greater uncertainty than conventional projects.

The programme aims to:

- Encourage groundbreaking Parkinson’s disease research. - Support innovative scientific ideas. - Investigate fundamental mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease. - Develop new experimental tools and research models. - Advance promising discoveries toward clinical application. - Validate potential therapeutic targets. - Advance biomarkers toward clinical utility. - Support development of therapeutic candidates. - Accelerate progress across the Parkinson’s research community. Impact Award Funding

Each Impact Award provides:

- Total funding: $200,000

- Funding period: Two years

- Indirect costs: Up to 10% of the award

- PI/Co-PI/Co-Investigator salary support: Maximum $35,000 per year combined - Postdoctoral, graduate student, and research staff salary support: Not capped Funding is contingent on satisfactory annual progress. Applicants should therefore develop realistic research milestones and demonstrate how the project can make meaningful progress during the two-year award period. Foundational Research Subprogram The Foundational Research subprogram supports basic and mechanistic research aimed at improving understanding of the fundamental biology and mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease.

Research may focus on:

- Fundamental disease mechanisms. - Basic biological processes associated with Parkinson’s disease. - Mechanistic studies. - New experimental tools. - New research models. - Innovative approaches to understanding PD biology. This subprogram is particularly relevant to investigators developing new knowledge that could eventually provide the foundation for future diagnostic or therapeutic advances. Translational Research Subprogram The Translational Research subprogram focuses on moving promising scientific discoveries closer to clinical application.

Supported research may include:

- Validation of therapeutic targets. - Advancement of biomarkers. - Development or advancement of therapeutic candidates. - Research aimed at establishing clinical utility. - Translational studies connecting laboratory discoveries with potential clinical applications. The objective is to help promising discoveries progress beyond early-stage research toward practical applications for Parkinson’s disease. High-Risk, High-Reward Research A defining feature of the Impact Awards is their focus on research that may be considered too risky or unconventional for traditional funding mechanisms. The programme provides researchers with an opportunity to investigate ideas that could potentially produce transformative findings. Applicants should therefore clearly explain: - What makes the research innovative. - Why the proposed approach is high-risk. - What potential scientific reward could result. - Why conventional approaches may not adequately address the research question. - How successful results could change understanding, diagnosis, treatment, or research methods in Parkinson’s disease. The proposal should balance ambition with a credible research strategy. Eligible Applicants The programme is open to independent investigators who meet the relevant academic and professional requirements.

Applicants must:

- Hold a PhD or MD. - Hold a tenure-track faculty position or equivalent. - Be independent investigators. - Be capable of leading the proposed research project. There are no nationality or geographic location restrictions stated for eligible independent investigators. Co-Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators The programme allows researchers at different career stages to participate in projects. - Non-tenure-track faculty may serve as Co-Principal Investigators. - Postdoctoral fellows may serve as Co-Investigators. - Principal Investigators, Co-PIs, and Co-Investigators can collectively receive a maximum of $35,000 per year in salary support. This structure allows investigators to build collaborative research teams while maintaining the programme’s focus on independent scientific leadership