Funder: Cures Within Reach
Due Dates: June 26, 2026: Letter of Intent (LOI) submission deadline
Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000 per trial (includes 10% institutional match); additional $5,000–$10,000 available for community engagement
Summary: Supports proof-of-concept clinical trials validating AI-driven repurposing of approved therapies for unsolved diseases, with a focus on rare diseases and robust AI preclinical support.
Key Information: LOI is required; only accredited nonprofit/academic institutions and health systems are eligible to apply.
Description
This opportunity from Cures Within Reach funds investigator-initiated, proof-of-concept Phase I or Phase IIA clinical trials that aim to validate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven repurposing opportunities for approved drugs, biologics, or gene/cellular therapies in any unsolved disease. Eligible projects must use AI-generated data as preclinical support and demonstrate a clear, explainable link between the AI workflow and the repurposing hypothesis. The program especially encourages applications targeting rare diseases and off-patent therapies, and seeks robust, well-designed trials that can generate reproducible clinical impact and data suitable for follow-on funding. Additional support is available for community engagement, particularly with underrepresented populations.
Due Dates
- June 26, 2026: Letter of Intent (LOI) submission deadline (by 11:59pm US Eastern Time)
Funding Amount
- Maximum request: $100,000 per clinical trial (includes a required 10% institutional match; CWR provides 90%, institution provides 10%)
- Additional support: $5,000–$10,000 available for approved community engagement activities (not included in the $100,000 cap)
- Indirect costs: Up to 30% of the total funding may be used for indirect costs
- Project duration: Up to 36 months
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants: Accredited academic or nonprofit research institutions and/or health systems significantly involved in medical research, located anywhere in the world
- Principal Investigators (PIs): Must be based at eligible institutions; both early-stage and previously funded investigators are welcome
- Collaborations: Startups, biotechs, and pharma companies are not eligible as lead applicants, but can collaborate with eligible institutions
- Project requirements:
- Must be an interventional, proof-of-concept, Phase I or Phase IIA clinical trial testing a repurposed, approved therapy (drug, biologic, or eligible gene/cellular therapy) for a new indication
- Must include AI-generated data as preclinical support, with an explainable workflow
- Preference for rare diseases and off-patent therapies
- No prior or existing funding required, unless CWR funding is the sole, late, or final funding needed to accomplish the trial aims
- Institutional match: 10% of total project budget (can include indirect costs, in-kind, or external contributions)
- Community engagement: Strongly encouraged, especially for trials involving underrepresented populations, but not required for ultra-rare diseases
Application Process
- Two-stage application:
- Letter of Intent (LOI): Submit via ProposalCentral under "Non-Disease Specific Repurposing Research" program. LOI must include a summary of the AI model(s) and a simple AI workflow diagram (template provided in RFP).
- Full Proposal: Top-rated LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal (decision within 6–8 weeks after LOI deadline).
- Required at LOI stage:
- Basic project and PI information
- AI Supporting Evidence Form (summary and workflow diagram)
- No detailed budget or institutional signature required at LOI
- Review criteria:
- Repurposing innovation and feasibility
- Relevance to patient population and potential clinical impact
- Research team and environment
- Strength and explainability of the AI-driven hypothesis
- Community engagement plans: Encouraged but not required at LOI; further details to be finalized if selected
Additional Information
- Any AI model is eligible (open or restricted access; developed by nonprofit, academic, government, or for-profit entities)
- CWR does not accept applications substantially written by generative AI tools (e.g., LLMs)
- CWR will only fund trials where its support is the sole, late, or final funding needed for the project
- For questions about AI model eligibility, repurposing fit, or budget, contact research@cureswithinreach.org
External Links
Contact Information