In 2023, FightMND have made changes to some of the existing grant schemes and are introducing new schemes and a new submission process. Grant criteria and conditions are detailed below.

NEW SUBMISSION PROCESS:

The process for submitting grant applications to FightMND has changed. All applications for the 2023 grant round must be submitted through FightMND’s online Grant Management System – Fluxx. 

Please contact researchgrants@fightmnd.org.au if you have any issues with your registration.

2023 RESEARCH GRANT SCHEMES

Researchers working in areas relevant to improving the translation, progressing the development of potential therapies or discovering causes of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) are invited to apply for funding to support research projects commencing in 2023.  

Opening on November 3, 2022 we are pleased to announce a call for the following FightMND Research Grants: 

  • Clinical Trial Grants 
  • Drug Development Grants 
    • Stage 1 – Early-phase Drug Development Grants (NEW) 
    • Stage 2 – Late-phase Drug Development Grants 
  • Discovery Research Grants 
  • IMPACT (IMProving and ACcelerating Translation) Grants 
  • Research Fellowships and Scholarships 
    • Bill Guest Mid-Career Research Fellowship 
    • Early-Career Research Fellowship 
    • Angie Cunningham PhD scholarship and Grant-in-Aid 
    • Clinical Investigator Awards (NEW) 

 

RESEARCH GRANT CRITERIA

Clinical Trial Grants

Clinical Trial Grants support Phase II/III clinical trials of novel, high-potential treatments for MND/ALS within the Australian Clinical Trials Consortium.  

These grants are awarded with an offer of up to AUD $1,800,000 (Phase II/III trial), with project performance of up to 3 years. 

Eligibility: Applications are open to MND/ALS researchers globally. Australian trial sites and participants are mandatory.  

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

 

Drug Development Grants

Drug Development Grants support the preclinical research, development and assessment of potential therapeutics for MND/ALS through to (and including) completion of Phase I clinical trials. In 2023, Drug Development Grants are further categorised into the following two tiers: 

Stage 1 – Drug Development Grants are awarded with an offer of up to AUD $550,000 with a project performance of up to 3 years. Projects must focus on the development of drug candidates, including candidates for which little or no preliminary data has been obtained. Outcomes should: provide solid evidence on whether or not a candidate drug(s) is suitable and worthy of progressing further through the MND drug development pipeline; and generate data suitable for progressing to a Stage 2 Drug Development Grant and/or data that supports the further development of the candidate drug(s) towards IND-enabling studies and a clinical trial for MND. 

 Stage 2 – Drug Development Grants are awarded with an offer of $1,200,000 in support for 3-year projects. Projects should focus on the further development of a candidate drug(s) that is in hand through to completion of Phase I clinical trials. There should already be solid preclinical evidence in one or more models of MND that demonstrates the candidate drug(s) has strong potential as a therapeutic(s) for MND and data that provides considerable merit for further development and generating IND-enabling data, and a clinical trial for MND. Projects can include generating robust pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data, but applicants should already have supporting PK/PD data in hand that is presented in and backs the project proposal. 

Eligibility: Applications are open to MND/ALS researchers globally. 

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

 

IMPACT Grants

IMPACT (IMProving and ACcelerating Translation) Grants support projects focused on one or more of the following key issues contributing to the lack of translation of effective treatments through to clinical trial for MND/ALS:

  1. Disease heterogeneity
  2. Lack of relevant preclinical models
  3. A lack of reliable disease biomarkers
  4. The challenge of drug delivery into the brain
  5. A lack of effective targeted gene therapies
  6. The untapped potential of stem cell therapy

These grants are for support of 2-year projects up to the value of AUD $300,000. Proposals for both discovery and translational research stages will be considered. 

Eligibility: (NEW) Applications are invited for research based in institutions globally. Investigators at all academic levels are eligible to submit applications.

Please note that applicants are limited to one (1) CIA and two (2) Co-CI applications, or three (3) Co-CI applications for this grant scheme.

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

Discovery Grants

FightMND Discovery Grants support projects focused on defining the underlying cause(s) of MND, and/or understanding the fundamental disease mechanisms that contribute to the progression of the disease in order to more effectively treat MND. Ultimately, outcomes should provide significant advancements in the understanding of MND, and substantially increase the likelihood of an acceleration in the development of more effective treatments or cure for MND. 

Discovery Grants aim to support collaborative projects that challenge and advance current paradigms, and/or significantly progress the way that research dedicated to discovering a cure for MND is conducted. 

FightMND Discovery Grants are offered up to a value of AUD $1,000,000 with a project performance of up to 3 years. 

Eligibility: Applications are open to MND/ALS researchers based in Australia. Collaboration with researchers based overseas is encouraged. 

Please note that applicants may only be the Primary Investigator on one Discovery grant application and co-Investigator on a further one Discovery application in each round (or co-Investigator on two applications if not listed as Primary Investigator). 

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

 

FightMND Research Fellowships and Scholarships  

FightMND is committed to building the capacity and capability of the MND research workforce in Australia. In 2023, FightMND are pleased to call for applications to support outstanding MND researchers through their PhD, and early and mid-career stages. FightMND are also please to offer a new scheme that supports clinical researchers to lead research projects and gain research experience.

Bill Guest Mid-Career Research Fellowships  

FightMND’s Bill Guest Mid-Career Fellowship supports an outstanding mid-career non-clinical researcher with relevant experience, who is an emerging leader in MND research in Australia and ready to lead a research project as Primary Investigator. 

This is a 4-year full-time Fellowship offering a total of AUD $170,000 per annum, with an overall maximum budget of AUD $680,000 over 4 years. 

Eligibility: The applicant must be a non-clinical mid-career researcher within 5-12 years post-PhD award (excluding career disruptions) and based in a research institution in Australia. 

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

Early Career Research Fellowships  

Early-Career Research Fellowship support research aimed at understanding the causes of MND, elucidating disease mechanisms and facilitating the translation of therapeutic strategies from the laboratory to the clinic. Additionally, FightMND aims to attract and retain promising scientists within the field of MND research. 

This is a 4-year full-time Fellowship up to a total of AUD $585,000. 

Eligibility: The applicant must be a non-clinical early-career researcher within 5 years post-PhD award (excluding career disruptions) and based in research institutions within Australia. 

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

Angie Cunningham PhD scholarship and grant-in-aid  

The Angie Cunningham PhD scholarship and grant-in-aid funding supports the training of a graduate students in their pursuit of achieving a PhD qualification (or equivalent) while performing research directly relevant to Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Applications are called for novel, innovative projects aimed at understanding the causes of MND, elucidating disease mechanisms and/or tackling one or more key issues contributing to the lack of effective treatments for MND. 

A total of AUD $205,000 will be awarded for a 3-year Scholarship and Project (PhD stipend of $35,000 per annum, Direct research costs of $30,000 per annum, and budget of $10,000 over the 3-year duration of the PhD candidature for travel and conference attendance/participation). 

Eligibility: PhD students must be based in research institutions within Australia. 

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

Clinical Investigator Award (NEW) 

FightMND’s Clinical Investigator Awards support outstanding clinical researchers with relevant experience to undertake an MND research project and develop their research capability. 

This is a 1-year full-time grant offering a total of AUD $100,000. 

Eligibility: The applicant must be a registered clinician, affiliated with a research institution in Australia, and within five years of their first major clinical appointment.  

Click here to download a copy of :

Videos to guide your submission using the FightMND Grant Management System – Fluxx:

KEY DATES

CLINICAL TRIAL AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

Applications Open: 03 November 2023 

Letter of Intent due: 13 December 2022 at 18:00 AEDT 

Submit Letter of Intent via FightMND’s Grant Management System (Fluxx)

Invitation to submit full application: 22 December 2022 

Full application due: 23 March 2023 at 17:00 AEDT 

Recipients Notified: July 2023 

DISCOVERY, IMPACT GRANTS & CLINICAL RESEARCH AWARDS

Applications Open: 03 November 2022 

Full application due: 23 March 2023 at 17:00 AEDT 

Recipients Notified: July 2023 

FELLOWSHIPS & PhD SCHOLARSHIPS 

Applications Open: 03 November 2022 

Full application due: 16 March 2023 at 17:00 AEDT 

Recipients Notified: July 2023