STXBP1 Foundation Grants Program

 The STXBP1 Foundation offers grants to help enable investigator-led research to broaden our understanding of STXBP1 biology and develop safe and transformative therapies for STXBP1-related disorders.

Introduction

The STXBP1 Foundation is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to creating awareness and finding a cure for STXBP1 disorders. It supports a wide range of research activities including patient registries, natural history studies, and basic and clinical research.

Ojectives & Areas of Interest

The objective of the STXBP1 Foundation grant program is to identify promising research projects that address specific areas of interest to the Foundation. These areas include but are not limited to the following:

  1. Biomarkers and clinical endpoints development.

  2. Neurodegeneration.

  3. Pathomechanisms of STXBP1 mutations and genotype-phenotype relationships.

  4. Non-CNS functions of STXBP1.

  5. New Therapeutics and Drug repurposing.

Eligibility

The STXBP1 Foundation grant program is open to research investigators affiliated with an academic institution, hospital system, non-profit institution, or other accredited research institutions based in the United States (U.S.) or internationally. Eligible applicants include post-doctoral fellows, clinical fellows, researchers, physicians, or other associated research professionals with faculty appointments or research positions.

Mechanisms of Support

The STXBP1 Foundation funds multiple types of projects aimed at addressing diverse research needs in the STXBP1 field.

  1. Seed Grant. Seed Grants are intended to fund small proof-of-concept studies aimed at collecting supportive data for subsequent research initiatives and funding. Applicants may request up to $25,000 direct costs to be expended within a 12-month period.

  2. Trainee Grant. Trainee Grants are intended to help cover the salary and/or research costs for promising Postdoctoral Fellows interested in pursuing basic and/or clinical research in the STXBP1 field. Applicants may request up to $60,000 direct costs to be expended within a 12-month period. This grant may be renewed for a second year at the Foundation’s discretion.

  3. Innovation Grant. Innovation Grants are intended to fund projects with significant potential for pioneering discoveries that accelerate the mission of the Foundation. Applicants may request up to $100,000 direct costs to be expended within a 12-month period. This grant may be renewed for a second year at the Foundation’s discretion.

  4. Clinical Grant. Clinical Grants are intended to fund STXBP1-related clinical studies. The funding can be used to either fund a small study in its entirety or help to cover the costs of a larger clinical trial that is already partially funded. Applicants may request up to $150,000 direct costs to be expended within a 12-month period.

The STXBP1 Foundation does not support indirect costs for grants.

Application Instructions

There will be a two-stage peer-review application process.

  1. Letter of Intent: All applicants must submit a one-page maximum LOI to the Foundation by email, as a PDF file, to grants@stxbp1disorders.org. Only select applicants will subsequently submit a full proposal.

  2. Full-length Application: The Foundation will supply the applicant with a ‘Grant Application Instructions and Forms’ package, which will be used for submission.

Review Mechanism

All proposals will undergo rigorous peer review by the STXBP1 Foundation, comprised of experts in STXBP1-related disorders and diverse areas of research as appropriate. Applications will be scored according to Key Selection Criteria including, but not necessarily limited to, (i) significance of the research to STXBP1 disorders; (ii) innovation of the project; (iii) feasibility of the proposed methods; (iv) investigators and environment; and (v) potential impact of the project on STXBP1 disorders.

More Information

Grant submissions are on a rolling basis and LOIs will be accepted at any time. We accept grant applications for both US and non-US citizens and institutions. For full application instructions and more information on Areas of Interest, please download a copy of the full STXBP1 Disorders Grants Program.

If you have any questions, please contact the STXBP1 Foundation’s Scientific Director.