PURPOSE
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.
2009 GRANTS/FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
For 2009 we are setting more defined criteria for FRAXA grant programs, since we anticipate a very tight funding budget. While 2008 brought a surge in funding thanks to the success of the Buffett Challenge, funds available for new grants will be severely limited this year. There are 2 reasons for this: most of the large number of new grants made in 2008 will likely be renewed (approximately $1.5M out of a total estimated budget of $2.3M), and the sluggish economy will almost certainly result in fewer donations to FRAXA -- so less funding will be available going forward.
Please note that these guidelines apply only to new grants made in 2009. Renewals of previously approved 2 year grants are not affected by these changes.
FRAXA Postdoctoral Fellowships
- $45,000 per year for 2 years (for salary, fringe benefits, & consumable costs)
- Fixed amount and duration
- Approx. 6-8 total fellowships available for 2009, depending on available funds
- Applicants must be full time and have MD, PhD, or MD/PhD
- Previous grad/postdoc FRAXA grantees are not eligible (previous PI is OK)
- Limit of one application per lab group (current grantees are not eligible)
- PIs must demonstrate adequate overall funding to pursue this project; no supplements will be given for supplies or animal care
- Grants are non-transferable (only good for specified postdoc, PI, and institution)
FRAXA will offer a limited number of postdoctoral fellowships this year. The cost of research has continued to go up everywhere, so we are increasing the level of funding from $40,000 per year to $45,000 per year. However, 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
- No limit to structure of grant (can fund PI, postdoc, grad student, technician, supplies, etc.) or timeframe (though all grants over one year still need yearly renewal)
- Amount up to $100,000 per year (but please remember that all grant applications are ranked based on relative value, so smaller grant requests may have an advantage)
- Grants are given based on innovation and translational relevance: clinical trials are our highest priority, followed by preclinical research (i.e. rescue of animal models) and translational research, in descending order
- Any application with low translational relevance will be streamlined out without review; FRAXA is not able to fund basic science applications in this program
- Approximately $350,000 will be available for 2009 program grants, depending on economic conditions (could be less, the way things look right now!)
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.
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. 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 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 for the equitable distribution of net income from the invention, taking into
consideration the level of funding provided. FRAXA shall receive an automatic grant of a non-exclusive, indefinite,
fully paid-up, royalty-free, transferable, irrevocable world-wide licence (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, 2009, 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 (6-12 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 by FRAXA's regular deadline (February 1). 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, 2009. Email submission is preferred; please keep the application to a single .pdf file of less than 10 MB and email all applications to fraxa@comcast.net 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 at fraxa@comcast.net
Phone (978) 462-1866
Fax: (978) 463-9985
