United States | National Institutes of Health (NINDS)

• Research grants (R01)

The R01 is the major grant mechanism used by the NIH to fund research. R01 applications are usually unsolicited, although they may be submitted in response to a specific Request for Applications (RFA) or Program Announcement (PA) by one or more institutes. In general, applications can request up to $250,000 (US) in research support per year for up to 5 years. Applications requesting more than this amount per year must receive approval from the institute prior to submitting the application. Application deadlines for new unsolicited grants are Feb. 1, June 1 and October 1 of each year. RFAs may have alternative deadlines; check the specific requirements of a particular RFA. Detailed budgets are no longer submitted with the new modular grant application, but are required if prior to release of funding if approved. Grants proposing animal or human experimentation must provide documentation of na approved Institutional Review Board (Human) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (animal) protocol within 60 days of submitting the application.

• Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08)

The Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (MCSDA-K08) is designed to recruit and prepareclinically trained persons for research and teaching careers in areas of basic or clinical science related toneurological disorders. Although the award is primarily targeted to candidates holding an MD. Or equivalent degree, it will support individuals holding other health professional degrees as well (e.g.,D.D.S., 0.0., D.V.M., and Dr. P.H.). The award supports a 5-year period of supervised basic or clinical neuroscience research experience and should be comparable in scope and rigor to meeting the requirements for an advanced research degree. Applicants with a clinical doctoral degree must apply within 3 years of completing their clinical training, which is defined as residency training, and if applicable, an additional year of clinical fellowship. Any exceptions to the 3 year limit will require approval of NINDS program staff, prior to the submission of an application. The candidate must identify a mentor with extensive research experience and must devote 100 percent of his or her time and effort to the proposed MCSDA activities (at least 75 percent of this effort must be directed to research and research training activities). To accommodate neurosurgeons, who need significant clinical activity to maintain their surgical skills, NINDS will accept 50% time commitment to the award. Individuals who are current or former principal investigators on NIH research project grants (R01, R29, or P01) or center grants are not eligible.

Beginning with new awards made in fiscal year 2002, the K08 award provides up to $85,000 per year of salary support, based on the established salary structure at the applicant's institution for staff members ofequivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities. The institution may supplement the NINDS salarycontribution. There is also a research allowance of $50,000. All non-competing (Type 5) applications will continue to receive salary and research support under the original terms and conditions of the award.

• Mentored Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)

The Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) was created to support the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research. This mechanism provides support for a period of supervised study and research for clinically trained professionals who have the potential to develop into productive clinical investigators focusing on patient-oriented research. The project period may be for up to 5 years with a minimum of 3 years.

For the purposes of this award, patient-oriented research is defined as research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects. This area of research includes: 1) mechanisms of human disease; 2) therapeutic interventions; 3) clinical trials; and 4) the development of new technologies. The objectives of the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award are to: 1) encourage research-oriented clinicians to develop independent research skills and gain experience in advanced methods and experimental approaches that will allow them to conduct patient-oriented research, and 2) increase the pool of clinical researchers who can conduct patient-oriented studies, capitalizing on the discoveries of biomedical research and translating them to clinical settings. Candidates must have a clinical degree or its equivalent: M.D., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.O., D.C., 0.D., N.D. (Doctor of Naturopathy), and doctorally prepared nurses. In addition, individuals holding the Ph.D. degree may apply for the award if they have been certified to perform clinical duties, such as a clinical psychologist, clinical geneticist, etc. Candidates must have also completed their ciinical training, including specialty and, if applicable, subspecialty training prior to receiving an award. However, candidates may submit na application prior to the completion of clinical training. Candidates must identify a mentor with extensive research experience and must be willing to spend a minimum of 75 percent of full-time professional effort in research career development and clinical research activities. Former principal investigators on NIH research grants (R01 ), FIRST awards (R29), SBlR/STTR awards, subprojects of program-project (P01 ) or center grants (P50), K08 awards, or the equivalent are not eligible. Former principal investigators of an NIH Small Grant (R03) or Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) remain eligible. Beginning with new awards made in fiscal year 2002, the NINDS will provide a salary for the award recipient of up to $85,000 per year plus commensurate fringe benefits for a minimum of 75 percent effort. Direct salary is exclusive of fringe benefits, facilities, and administrative costs. The total salary requested must be based on a full-time, 12-month staff appointment. The NINDS will generally provide up to $50,000 per year research allowance. All non-competing (Type 5) applications will continue to receive salary and research support under the original terms and conditions of the award.

Others link:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS; http:l/www.ninds.nih.gov)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; http://www.nimh.nih.gov)

National Institute of Aging (NIA; http://www.nia.nih.gov).

Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Relevant Institutes: Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), Institute of Aging (IA)

• Operating Grant

An operating Grant provides support for a research project by an individual or small group of investigators. All applicants must register their intention to apply for a new or renewal Operating Grant one month before the deadline date for the full application. The deadline dates for receipt of the full application for both new and renewal applications are September 15 and March 1. The registration deadline dates are August 15 and February 1, respectively. See the complete registration description on CIHR‘s website.

Grants will usually be awarded for two, three or five years. In certain cases, grants (e.g., feasibility studies) may be awarded for one year only. Payment of yearly instalments is subject to the appropriation of funds by Parliament.

• Clinical Trial Grants

CIHR defines a Clinical Trial as a study involving humans where at least two interventions in health care (possibly including placebo or standard care) are compared using random allocation, statistical methodologies and blinding techniques. Applications will be examined for the relevance of the question posed, and the appropriateness of the methodology and of gender representation in the study design and selection of research subjects.

Applications for dose finding studies, safety & efficacy studies and other non-randomized ciinical studies must be made through the CIHR Operating Grants Program (Please refer to the University-Industry Program guidelines for those applications funded in part by Industrial Partners), and will be reviewed by the relevant content committee. CIHR will not provide support for studies that are solely for the purpose of satisfying regulatory requirements.

There are now 4 competitions a year for this program with application deadlines of September 1, November 1, Febmary 15. and April 1 of each year for FULL applications.

• Dyskinesia and Torticollis Research Grants

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has responsibility for administering a Fund for Research in the fields of dyskinesia and torticollis. The Fund was established by an anonymous donor who stated that the income derived from the endowment is to be used for the support of basic and/or clinical research, in the broad field of movement disorders known as dyskinesia and more particularly for research in the movement disorder known as torticollis.

Proposals for the use of the income from the Fund may be submitted to CIHR in the form of a letter accompanied by such documentation as the applicant considers relevant to the assessment. The proposals must be received by CIHR by October 1 each year.

United Kingdom | Medical Research Council (MRC)

• Programme Grants

Support long-term programmes of work, normally where the aim is to answer an interrelated set ofquestions.

• Strategic Grants

Support work which makes a specific contribution to implementing the aims of the Council's scientific strategy.

• Co-operative Group and Component Grants

Establish or bring together critical research mass, in ways which add value to individual projects and improve the productivity of the research.

• Co-operative Group Development Grants

Help host institutions reach the point where they meet eligibility criteria for making applications for funding under the Co-operative Group Grant scheme

• Trials Grants

Provide support for trials to provide high quality evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions in medicine and the health services.

• Career Establishment Grants

Provide support for a fixed period for scientists recently appointed to University academic posts (within last three years) to help them to establish themselves as independent principal investigators.