[National Ataxia Foundation](https://ataxia.org)

August 2026 (Letter of Intent) | December 2026 (Full application, by invitation only)

Up to $50,000 for one year; direct research costs only; no indirect costs allowed.

Supports innovative, early-stage or pilot research advancing understanding, treatment, or clinical trial readiness for hereditary, sporadic, or acquired ataxias.

Forecasted dates—check the program page for updates.

--- ## Description The National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) Research Seed Money Grant provides one-year, merit-based, nonrenewable awards to support new and innovative studies that advance the understanding of the cause, pathogenesis, or treatment of hereditary, sporadic, and acquired ataxias. This program is intended for established investigators in the early or pilot phases of research, or as supplemental funding for ongoing innovative projects with a critical need. Funded projects are expected to generate preliminary data that will position investigators for larger grant applications in the future. The program welcomes proposals across all ataxia subtypes, with priority given to both translational projects with immediate clinical impact and foundational studies for rarer or less characterized forms. --- ## Due Dates - **Letter of Intent deadline (anticipated):** August 2026 - **Full application deadline (by invitation only, anticipated):** December 2026 *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - **Maximum award:** Up to $50,000 (direct research expenses only) - **Duration:** 1 year - **Budget notes:** - No more than 50% of the award may be allocated to personnel expenses. - Indirect costs and cost sharing are not permitted. - No-cost extensions considered only under extenuating circumstances and subject to NAF approval. --- ## Eligibility - Applicants must have completed postdoctoral training more than five years before the start of funding. - Must hold a full-time appointment as a faculty member, clinician, or senior scientist at an academic institution, non-profit, or for-profit organization. - Open to both U.S. and international applicants; U.S. citizenship is not required. - Applicants who were lead PI on a funded NAF grant within the past two fiscal years are **ineligible**. - Must be in good standing with any previous NAF awards. - Only one application as lead PI may be submitted per year. --- ## Application Process 1. **Create a ProposalCentral account:** [proposalcentral.com](https://proposalcentral.com/) 2. **Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI):** Required for all applicants; only top LOIs are invited to submit full applications. - Required LOI components: - Statement of Need (≤4 sentences) - Impact Statement (≤4 sentences) - Specific Aims (1-page max) - Biosketch (5-page max) - See [LOI instructions (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FY2026-LOI-Instructions.pdf) 3. **Full application (by invitation only):** - Components include scientific abstract, lay summary, specific aims, biosketch, research plan, budget, and references. - Detailed requirements in [Application Instructions (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FY2026-Research-Seed-Money-Instructions.pdf) 4. **Review and funding decisions:** Peer review by NAF committee; funding decisions announced in early spring following the application cycle. --- ## Additional Information - Priority is given to projects with strong translational potential (for common ataxia subtypes) or foundational research (for rare/less characterized subtypes). - No indirect costs are allowed; only direct research expenses may be covered. - Funded projects are expected to generate data suitable for future, larger grant applications. - For further details, review [NAF’s Annual Grant Program Policies](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FY2026-General-Grants-Policy.pdf). --- ## External Links - [NAF Researcher Resources & Grant Opportunities](https://www.ataxia.org/researcher-resources) - [Seed Money Grant Full Instructions (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FY2026-Research-Seed-Money-Instructions.pdf) - [Letter of Intent Instructions (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FY2026-LOI-Instructions.pdf) - [NAF Grants Program Policy Manual (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FY2026-General-Grants-Policy.pdf) - [ProposalCentral Application Portal](https://proposalcentral.com/) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact | |--------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | General inquiries | [naf@ataxia.org](mailto:naf@ataxia.org) | | Application questions | [aimee@ataxia.org](mailto:aimee@ataxia.org) | | Phone | +1 763-553-0020 | | Funder contact form | [NAF Contact Page](https://ataxia.org/contact) | ---

NAF Research Seed Money Grant

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