Open Call: Research Seed Money Grant Program

Deadline: 18-Nov-2026

The National Ataxia Foundation Research Seed Money Grant provides $50,000 for short-term, innovative studies addressing the causes, pathogenesis, or treatment of hereditary, sporadic, and acquired ataxias. Established investigators in the United States and other countries must submit a Letter of Intent by 18 November 2026, with invited full proposals considered for funding decisions in June 2027.

About the Research Seed Money Grant

The Research Seed Money Grant is part of the National Ataxia Foundation’s Annual Research Grant Program. It provides limited, short-term support for promising ataxia research that may not yet have sufficient preliminary evidence to attract larger-scale funding.

The grant is:

- Merit-based - Nonrenewable - Open to eligible investigators worldwide - Intended for innovative research - Limited to direct research expenses - Designed to generate preliminary data - Focused on advancing ataxia knowledge and treatment

About the National Ataxia Foundation

The National Ataxia Foundation is a patient-centered nonprofit organization working to accelerate the development of treatments for ataxia. NAF supports scientific research, collaboration, treatment development, and the broader exchange of knowledge among researchers, clinicians, patients, and families. Its research grant program aims to catalyze discoveries that can lead to improved understanding, clinical care, therapeutic development, and patient outcomes. Purpose of the Grant The Research Seed Money Grant helps established investigators begin or advance innovative projects that require targeted financial support.

The program aims to:

- Generate preliminary research data - Explore new scientific hypotheses - Investigate ataxia disease mechanisms - Develop or validate disease models - Advance treatment development - Improve clinical-trial readiness - Support translational research - Address critical gaps in ongoing projects - Position investigators to seek larger grants - Improve the lives of people affected by ataxia What Is Ataxia? Ataxia is a neurological condition characterized by impaired coordination, balance, speech, movement, or control of voluntary muscles. Ataxia can result from genetic changes, neurological disease, injury, immune processes, toxins, or other acquired causes. It may be progressive and can significantly affect mobility, communication, independence, and quality of life. The program recognizes three broad categories:

- Hereditary ataxias: Conditions caused by inherited or genetic factors

- Sporadic ataxias: Conditions occurring without a clear family history or immediately identifiable cause

- Acquired ataxias: Conditions resulting from injury, illness, immune processes, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, or other external factors

Research Priorities Projects must advance understanding of one or more of the following: - Causes of ataxia - Disease pathogenesis - Mechanisms of progression - Diagnosis or characterization - Treatment development - Clinical-trial readiness - Clinical care - Patient outcomes - Disease models - Therapeutic targets NAF gives equal priority to common and rare forms of ataxia. Research on Well-Characterized Ataxias For well-characterized forms of ataxia, proposals should demonstrate strong translational potential.

Projects may focus on:

- Advancing clinical-trial readiness - Developing biomarkers - Validating outcome measures - Identifying therapeutic targets - Testing potential treatments - Supporting drug development - Improving diagnosis - Strengthening clinical management - Producing findings with significant patient benefit Applicants should explain how the research could move scientific knowledge toward clinical application. Research on Rare or Newly Identified Ataxias For rare, newly identified, or poorly understood forms of ataxia, immediate clinical translation is not required.

Foundational research may address:

- Basic disease mechanisms - Genetic pathways - Cellular or molecular processes - Natural history - Phenotype characterization - Novel disease models - Early biomarker discovery - Mechanisms of disease progression - New experimental tools - Preliminary therapeutic concepts Applicants should demonstrate that the work addresses an important gap and could establish a foundation for future research. Types of Projects Supported

The grant may support:

- Early-stage studies - Pilot research - Feasibility studies - Innovative laboratory investigations - Translational research - Development of novel disease models - Preliminary therapeutic studies - Research supporting clinical-trial readiness - Critical components of ongoing innovative projects - Studies generating data for larger external applications Routine projects without clear innovation or ataxia relevance are unlikely to be competitive. Funding Amount

The grant provides:

- Total award: $50,000

- Funding type: Direct research expenses only

- Renewal: Not available

The available information does not specify a mandatory institutional contribution. Applicants must comply with all category-specific caps and excluded-cost rules. Eligible Research Expenses

Grant funds may support:

- Research salary or stipend - Laboratory reagents - Research supplies - Essential equipment - Animal care - Publication expenses - Travel to present NAF-funded research - Other approved direct research costs Every expense should be necessary for the proposed study and clearly justified. Budget Limits

Specific spending limits apply:

- Salary or stipend: Up to 50% of the total award

- Essential equipment: Up to 20% of the total budget

- Publication costs: Up to $2,500

- Travel: Up to $2,000 for presenting NAF-funded work

Based on a $50,000 award, salary or stipend costs may not exceed $25,000, while equipment costs may not exceed $10,000. Applicants should confirm how these limits are calculated under the official budget instructions. Ineligible Expenses

Funding cannot be used for:

- Indirect costs - Institutional