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Clinical Research Grant Application Guidelines

 

Clinical Research Grants are intended for established, experienced, independent investigators affiliated with a research or academic institution whose proposed projects have a clinical focus and investigate hypotheses directly related to Dravet syndrome. Proposals are scored according to NIH guidelines based on the quality of preliminary data, research design, feasibility, investigator’s qualifications, and overall impact. Grants are awarded for $250,000 over 2 years (beginning January 1 of each year), with indirect costs not to exceed 10% of the award.

Investigators applying for a research grant should ensure their proposed project addresses the needs of the Dravet syndrome community and DSF’s mission to support research toward better treatments and a cure for Dravet syndrome.

Eligibility: Applicants should be affiliated with a research or academic institution (excluding for-profit companies), may be US or foreign based, established in their field, and in good standing with their institution.

2024 Clinical Priority Areas include:

  • Research that helps better characterize the natural history of Dravet syndrome across the patient lifetime, including identifying patient trends, characteristics, epidemiology, or other clinical aspects of Dravet syndrome and/or its comorbidities
  • Research that develops or refines outcome measurements that can fully reflect meaningful improvements in patient symptoms and quality of life
  • Research that helps to understand, predict, and prevent SUDEP
  • Research that will encourage the development of novel therapies to prevent onset or halt the progression of the Dravet syndrome

Applications are due by Friday, August 23, 2024. 

Please email Veronica with any questions.

Application Instructions

Applications which do not include the following materials and meet the specified page limitations will be returned unprocessed, or will be deferred until a subsequent granting cycle.

  • Please use a size 11 font or larger with margins of at least 0.5 inches.
  • All documents should be submitted as PDFs.
  • Applications must be received by 11:59pm (US Pacific Time) on the specified due date.
  1. Face Page – found here
    Fillable PDF form that must be signed by applicant and an institutional grants program official.

    If submitting a multi-PI grant, please include a Face Page for each PI. If the PIs are all employed by the same institution, the signing official is only required to sign the lead-PI’s FacePage.

  2. Scientific Abstract and Lay abstract – 1 page
    Please include a single page including a scientific abstract and a lay abstract.

    The scientific abstract should convey the hypothesis, goals, importance, and impact of the research.

    The lay abstract should convey the same information  in language appropriate for someone without scientific training to understand clearly. The lay abstract is used in the Board of Director’s decision making process following scientific review and care should be taken that the description is clear, accurate, and emphasizes the realistic impacts of the project.

  3. Budget – 1 page
    Often displayed as a table, the budget page should include a simple numeric breakdown of how grant funds will be utilized, including indirect costs and a final total of the funds being requested.

    Indirect costs of no more than 10% of the total award are permitted, and must be included within the $250,000 budget. 

     If the total budget for your project exceeds the amount you are requesting from DSF, your budget page must include a breakdown of how all funds, including those from other sources, will be used.

  4. Budget Justification – 1 page
    The budget justification page should provide an explanation and rationale of each line item of the budget including why specific personnel and/or supplies are critical to the proposed study.

  5. Hypothesis and Specific Aims – 1 page
    Please use a single page to lay out the hypothesis and rationale for the proposal including the specific aims to be accomplished.

  6. Research Plan – 4 pages
    This should include background, preliminary data, experimental approach, methods, expected outcomes and discussion of potential pitfalls and alternative approaches.

  7. Impact Statement – ½ page
    A statement on how the research will impact the understanding, treatment or care of people with Dravet syndrome or related epilepsies.

  8. Bibliography – no page limit
    Please provide citations in NIH format (listing all authors).

  9. CV/Biosketch – not to exceed 4 pages
    Please use NIH format  (an example can be found here).

    For multi-PI applications, please submit a CV/Biosketch for each PI.

Application Review Process

Applications undergo a rigorous NIH-style scientific review process and final decisions are made by the DSF Board of Directors, ensuring projects funded by DSF meet high scientific standards and align with the most pressing needs of the patient community. DSF takes integrity around our grant review process seriously, carefully avoiding conflicts of interest for scientific grant reviewers and panels and bringing in additional reviewers from relevant research fields when necessary to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure reviewers have the appropriate expertise to evaluate the submissions.

Applicants will be informed of the status of their application by late November, following scientific review and final decisions by DSF’s Board of Directors. Awardees are then announced publicly at the annual DSF Research Roundtable that is held just prior to the American Epilepsy Society Meeting.

Step 1: Download/fill out the editable PDF Below

DSF Grant Application Face Page

CV/Biosketch

Step 2: Upload all required files as PDFs via the form below

Note: the application fields will populate automatically after you select the grant category for which you are applying

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