Grants & Postdoctoral Fellowships for Studies aimed at Fragile X Treatment

FRAXA's grants and fellowships program aims to encourage research aimed at finding a specific treatment for fragile X syndrome. FRAXA's goal is to bring practical treatment into current medical practice as quickly as possible; therefore, preference will be given to research projects that have a clear practical application and the results of which will be shared in a timely fashion. The next application deadline is February 1, 2013.

FRAXA offers grants in two categories. Program Grants are intended for only the most translationally relevant proposals; basic science proposals will be streamlined out without review. Those applicants with a more basic approach should consider the Postdoctoral Fellowship program, though these grants are still awarded with some weight given to therapeutic potential.

> Research Priorities (pdf)
> Application Process
> Grant Renewal Guidelines (pdf)
> Final Report Guidelines (pdf)

FRAXA Postdoctoral Fellowships

FRAXA will offer a limited number of postdoctoral fellowships this year at a fixed rate of $45,000 per year. We will not accept applications for higher amounts. Successful applicants for these grants will likely be working in established labs with secure overall funding, which have funding for supplies and any required animal handling costs. If the applicant proposes to work with a particular fragile X model (KO mouse, drosophila, human neural stem cells, etc.) s/he should demonstrate that this model system has already been established in-house.

FRAXA Program Grants

FRAXA invites investigator-initiated research applications for innovative pilot studies aimed at developing and characterizing new therapeutic approaches for the treatment and ultimate cure of fragile X syndrome. These are flexible grants, but we expect that this program will be much more competitive than in the past, since fewer grants will be awarded. Successful applicants will be pursuing advanced translational, preclinical, and clinical research in fragile X.

Please read FRAXA's Research Priorities for 2012 before applying. In all cases, it is advisable to contact Dr. Michael Tranfaglia, CSO of FRAXA, at mtranfaglia@fraxa.org to discuss any potential application. We always try to steer prospective applicants in the right direction, and away from potential pitfalls!

Eligibility for Grants/Fellowships

Institutions receiving grants must be recognized as nonprofit. In the US, this means that institutions are exempt from federal income taxes. Preference is given to institutions within the United States.

Individuals nominated by applicant institutions for the postdoctoral fellowship should have training and experience at least equal to the Ph.D. or M.D. level.

Acceptable Costs

FRAXA reserves the right to cover any item if explicitly authorized by FRAXA's Board of Directors. However, FRAXA is unable to pay for indirect costs under any circumstances.

Fellowships and grants are awarded for the period of one year and may be renewed for a second year, based on satisfactory progress. A financial report and progress report are required at the end of each year.

Amendment of Policies

FRAXA Research Foundation reserves the right to modify its policies governing grants at any time. The grantee agrees to abide by any changes or to terminate the grant at the time when such changes become effective. Failure to abide by the policies governing grants shall be considered sufficient grounds for cancellation of a grant or refusal to consider any pending application by the grantee.

Prohibition of Discrimination

No person shall be excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of any program or activity receiving financial assistance from FRAXA because of race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.

Human and Animal Subjects

Human subjects studied in the course of research conducted under a grant are under no circumstances a responsibility of FRAXA. Human subjects in a program supported by FRAXA shall be volunteers in any survey, study or procedure. Research involving human subjects must have Institutional Review Board approval.

If animals are used in the proposed study, written certification must be provided to FRAXA indicating that proper treatment, care, and humane conditions have been provided. Research involving animal subjects must have Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval.

Obligations of the Grantee

In accepting a grant, the applying institution undertakes that at its conclusion it will Submit promptly to FRAXA a complete final report on the work pursued.
> On awards of more than one year duration, a yearly report will be expected.
> Supply an accounting of funds received from FRAXA and expenditures made in such detail and in such manner as may
meet Internal Revenue Service procedures.
> Recognize the support of FRAXA in any published article resulting from the work pursued with a credit line reading
"Supported in part by a grant from the FRAXA Research Foundation"
> Recognize the support of FRAXA in any presentation of the work at professional meetings and conferences.

Publication and Dissemination of Results

FRAXA's purpose in providing grants is to accelerate progress towards treatment for fragile X. Therefore, in accepting an award, the Principal Investigator undertakes to publish the results of the work pursued in the primary literature in a timely fashion. Once published, the reagents, methods, materials, and products of the work must be made available immediately to other qualified researchers.

"Invention" means all discoveries, improvements, inventions, new concepts and ideas arising from the study together with all related data, results and information. Title to any Invention shall reside with the grantee institution. The grantee institution will notify FRAXA promptly after identifying any Invention that the grantee institution believes is patentable, and will supply FRAXA with copies of that Invention. For a patented Invention conceived and reduced to practice that is subsequently licensed under this grant, FRAXA and the grantee institution will negotiate in good faith to enter into a licensing agreement consistent with the grantee institution's policies and procedures solely for the equitable distribution of net income from the invention, taking into consideration the level of funding provided.

Grantee institution shall make diligent efforts to license the invention for commercial development to a third-party. Unless otherwise agreed to by FRAXA, the institution or other title holder shall agree that, if it or its designee or licensee has not taken effective steps to bring the invention to practical or commercial application through licensing or otherwise on terms that are reasonable in the circumstances within three years after issuance of the patent, FRAXA shall receive an automatic grant of a non-exclusive, indefinite, fully paid-up, royalty-free, transferable, irrevocable world-wide license (with the right to sub-licenses) to advance such invention within the field of fragile X research, diagnosis, and treatment.

Publicity on Work Under Grant

The grantee institution and Principal Investigator will cooperate fully with FRAXA in announcement through the news media of grants awarded and in materials prepared to publicize work under the grant. FRAXA will publish periodic descriptions and updates on funded projects on FRAXA.org and in newsletters.

Application Process

Please send a letter of intent prior to application (by Jan 20, 2013, at the latest), since only those applications which meet the highest standards of translational relevance will be reviewed.

No specific application format is required, but an NIH R01 proposal is acceptable.

Please provide the following information with your application:

> Description of the proposed project (8-15 pages recommended)
> Curriculum Vitae for the Principal Investigator
> Curriculum Vitae for the Postdoctoral Fellow to be supported under the grant
> Names of 3 references who are willing to be contacted to provide recommendations for candidate postdoctoral fellow
(not necessary for principal investigators)
> Financial accounting of how the funds will be spent, with dollar distribution into major component items
> A full accounting of any other current and submitted sources of support for this project and other lab research
> Requested start date of the project. The earliest possible start date is 3 months after receipt of the application;
applicants will be notified of awards in 2 months.

For FRAXA grants of more than one year duration, we require a renewal application be submitted at least 8 weeks before the second year of funding is needed. The renewal application should consist of a detailed progress report for the first year and work plan for the second year, as well as a financial report of how first year funds were spent. Grant Renewal Guidelines (pdf)

Deadline for receipt of applications is 11:59 pm EST on Feb 1, 2013. Email submission is preferred; please keep the application to a single pdf file of less than 10 MB and email all applications to mtranfaglia@fraxa.org and kclapp@fraxa.org to ensure delivery. Please be sure we acknowledge receipt of emailed applications. Hard copies are no longer required but may be sent, postmarked by the deadline date, to:

Michael Tranfaglia, MD
Medical Director
FRAXA Research Foundation
45 Pleasant St. Second Floor
Newburyport, MA 01950

For further information contact Michael Tranfaglia
Phone (978) 462-1866
Fax: (978) 463-9985