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

August 2026 (Letter of Intent) | December 2026 (Full Application)

Up to $100,000 for one year; direct research costs only, no indirect costs allowed.

Supports innovative preclinical, translational, or clinical research advancing treatment and care for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3).

Forecasted cycle—dates are projected; check the program page for updates.

--- ## Description The Pioneer SCA3 Translational Research Award, offered annually by the National Ataxia Foundation (NAF), funds independent researchers with outstanding proposals that focus on advancing treatment, care, and mechanistic understanding of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3). The award prioritizes projects that accelerate disease-modifying therapy development, support clinical trial readiness, foster biomarker discovery, bridge scientific discovery to therapeutic application, and optimize care or symptom management. Proposals should demonstrate a clear path toward improving patient outcomes and advancing the field toward clinical solutions, especially in therapeutic development, biomarker identification, clinical trial readiness, mechanistic research, and optimization of care and symptom management. Interdisciplinary and collaborative projects, as well as those leveraging innovative technologies, are encouraged. --- ## Due Dates - **Letter of Intent Deadline (anticipated):** August 2026 - **Full Application Deadline (anticipated, by invitation):** December 2026 *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - **Maximum Award:** Up to $100,000 for a one-year project period. - **Allowable Costs:** Direct research expenses only; no more than 50% of the award may be allocated to personnel costs (subject to NIH salary cap). Indirect costs and cost sharing are not allowed. - **No-Cost Extensions:** Considered only under extenuating circumstances and subject to NAF approval. --- ## Eligibility - Must have completed postdoctoral training and hold a full-time appointment as a faculty member, clinical fellow, or senior scientist at an academic, non-profit, or for-profit research institution. - Open to both U.S. and international applicants; non-U.S. citizens are eligible. - Applicants who were lead PI on a funded NAF grant within the past two fiscal years are **ineligible**. - Only one application per applicant (as lead PI) per year; applicants should select the most appropriate NAF program for their career stage and research focus. - Applicants must be in good standing with any previous NAF awards. --- ## Application Process 1. **Create a ProposalCentral Account:** All submissions are managed through [ProposalCentral](https://proposalcentral.com/). 2. **Submit Letter of Intent (LOI):** The LOI must include a statement of need, impact statement, specific aims (1 page), and biosketch (5 pages). See [LOI Instructions (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FY2026-LOI-Instructions.pdf). 3. **Invitation to Apply:** Only the top 30–50% of LOIs will be invited to submit a full application. 4. **Full Application:** If invited, submit a full application including scientific abstract, lay summary, specific aims, biosketch, research plan (6 pages), budget details, and references. See [Full Application Instructions (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/FY2026-Full-Grant-Application-Instructions.pdf). 5. **Review and Notification:** Applications undergo competitive peer review. Funding decisions are typically announced in early spring following the application deadline. --- ## Additional Information - **Funding Priorities:** Projects accelerating disease-modifying therapy development, biomarker and outcome measure discovery, clinical trial readiness, mechanistic research, and optimization of care/symptom management for SCA3. - **Budget Limitations:** No indirect costs; personnel costs limited to 50% of total budget and subject to NIH salary cap. - **Reporting:** End-of-term and annual follow-up reports are required. Data and resource sharing is expected. - **Compliance:** All funded research must comply with NAF’s [General Grant Policies](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FY2026-General-Grants-Policy.pdf). --- ## External Links - [NAF Researcher Resources & Grant Programs](https://www.ataxia.org/researcher-resources/) - [Pioneer SCA3 Award RFP & Instructions (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FY2026-Pioneer-SCA-Award-Instructions.pdf) - [General Grant Policies (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FY2026-General-Grants-Policy.pdf) - [ProposalCentral Application Portal](https://proposalcentral.com/) - [LOI Submission Guidelines (PDF)](https://www.ataxia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FY2026-LOI-Instructions.pdf) --- ## Contact Information | Name/Role | Email | Phone | Web Contact Form | |---------------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------|----------------------------------| | General Inquiries / Program | naf@ataxia.org | +1 763-553-0020 | [Contact NAF](https://ataxia.org/contact) | | Program Manager (Aimee Alcott) | aimee@ataxia.org | | | | Grants Policy (Dr. Lauren Moore, CSO) | lauren@ataxia.org | | |

Pioneer SCA3 Translational Research Award

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