HDF Transformative Research Award

Yes! The HDF funds applications for researchers working in laboratories around the world.

The contact PI must have an institutional commitment to carry out the work proposed in the application as indicated by institutional signature on full applications.

Only one application can be submitted by an individual listed as the contact PI. However, that person can serve in other roles, such as an MPI, co-I, or collaborator, on additional awards without limitation.

If you are currently funded by a Transformative Research Award as a co-I or collaborator, you may serve as a contact PI. If you currently have funding through HDF’s Transformative Research Award program as a contact PI or MPI, you may act as a co-I or collaborator on a new application, but not submit another application as a contact PI or MPI until funding for the current application has ended.

The HDF sees the value that diverse expertise can bring to a proposal, thus there is no maximum for the number of people that can be included on a single application. However, contributions should be feasible and reasonable within the scope of the project and budget.

The Hereditary Disease Foundation Scientific Advisory Board sets the scientific priorities of the Foundation, reviews applications, and selects the most impactful research projects for funding. The SAB is comprised of over thirty of the world’s leaders in basic science and clinical research, and includes clinicians specialized in Huntington’s disease, and leading scientists from the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Former and current members of our SAB include Nobel Prize recipients, National Academy of Science members, Royal Society members, American Academy of Arts and Sciences members, President’s National Medal of Science recipients, MacArthur Foundation Genius Prize recipients, National Institutes of Health Directors, National Genome Research Institute, NIH Directors, and Society for Neuroscience Presidents.

Reviewers are selected from both the SAB and the wider scientific community for appropriate scientific expertise. Applications submitted by members of HDF’s SAB members are reviewed by external reviewers in addition to one HDF-associated reviewer. Conflicts of interested are taken into account when assigning reviewers for both LOIs and full proposals.

The Hereditary Disease Foundation is nationally and globally renowned and recognized by leaders in the fields of medicine and science. The HDF is dedicated to finding a cure for HD. LOIs should have a direct relevance to Huntington’s disease research. Only the most meritorious applications are funded.

HDF grants are among the most competitive and prestigious in the field. After initial review of LOIs, short-listed applicants are invited to submit full applications. All LOIs related to HD are reviewed by a committee comprised of members of the SAB, who independently review and score each LOI. LOIs that the review committee deems unlikely to produce a competitive and impactful proposal will not be invited to submit a full application. Feedback on LOIs is not provided, but reviewer comments for full applications will be provided to the applicants. These applications undergo thorough review. Each application is scored based on the criteria below, and a composite score is determined for each application. The committee’s review process is strictly confidential. Incomplete applications will be reviewed as they are submitted.

The HDF Transformative Research Awards provides funds to advance transformational collaborative projects that will contribute new insights into disease mechanisms or will create or implement tools and technologies not previously applied to HD research to advance new therapeutics.

The program seeks to fund collaborative research teams to create innovative ways to study new pathogenic disease mechanisms and treatment modalities in HD. Funded projects will “significantly move the needle” and provide transformational new insights to the HD field. Projects that discover disease modifying targets and incorporate novel tools or technologies are encouraged. Projects must justify how results could ultimately connect to therapies.

Awards are intended to stimulate revolutionary advances in discovering fundamental new disease mechanisms or conceptually novel therapeutic approaches. Exceptional novelty with a credible research path toward the envisioned outcome that will impact HD research or HD therapies will be the most important factor in funding decisions. Incremental advances on research already described in the literature are excluded. This funding opportunity is exclusively to develop and test new ideas.

Proposals are expected to establish their own metrics and milestones to measure success and to provide justification for their choice of metrics. Progress metrics must be delineated.

Investigators from academic institutions, companies, national laboratories, nonprofit institutes, and multi-institutional teams are welcome to apply. Partnerships between academia and industry and those bringing scientific expertise from outside the HD field are strongly encouraged.

Reviewers will critique the impact of the proposed project that reflects the likelihood for the project to transform the field of HD research. Our aim is to move highly transformative research on HD forward fast. We want to fund applications that 1) have strong, established collaborations with academic institutions and/or industry, 2) will lead to approaches for novel therapeutics with disease-modifying potential, and 3) are not high risk. Funding the most transformational proposals is our primary goal.

Exceptional novelty of the concept and quality of the experimental design should be the primary factors considered in scoring proposals in addition to metrics of investigator and team qualifications, relevant experience, research settings, and milestones.

Grants should follow NIH formatting guidelines, which can be found here.

Hyperlinks cannot be included in applications.

Annual funding can range from $300,000-500,000 per award per year with appropriate justification for up to a two-year period. Funding can be used for principal investigator, co-investigator, staff scientists, postdoctoral researchers and, where applicable, graduate students’ salaries. The HDF follows NIH guidelines for salary and allowable costs. Also allowed are costs for relevant laboratory supplies, open access publication fees, small laboratory equipment, and vivarium expenses. Institutional indirect support will be capped at 15% of direct costs.

Development of collaborative teams from the same or multiple institutions is encouraged as it is anticipated that responsive applications will require integration of expertise from diverse disciplines. Funding will be contracted, managed and reviewed as a team; nonetheless, teams with PIs from multiple institutions should select one individual to serve as lead PI. Extenuating circumstances that prevent funds from being distributed through institutional subcontracts may be considered.

Matching funds will not be accepted as part of the budget proposal.