Center for Motor Neuron Disease launches Trainer & Trainee Pilot Award

The Center for Motor Neuron Disease (CMND) is launching an internal call (U Chicago labs only) for CMND Trainer & Trainee Pilot Awards, a new funding opportunity to support the generation of exploratory data in the field of motor neuron disease. This is a unique funding opportunity designed for graduate student/Principal Investigator (PI) pairs or postdoc/PI pairs. These high-risk, high-reward exploratory proposals can be transformative, leading to federal funding and breakthroughs in the field of motor neuron disease and neurodegeneration.

This award program will provide $50,000 per year to the PI’s lab, with the option for an additional year of funding based on satisfactory progress. We anticipate awarding up to five awards this year.

The mission of CMND is to generate new knowledge and advance our understanding of motor neuron disease (e.g., ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders. We firmly believe that biomedical breakthroughs are fueled by unique collaborations that bring together scientists with diverse expertise. CMND places a strong emphasis on training the next generation of investigators. We have therefore generated this kind of “hybrid” award where both the trainer and the trainee need to work together and formulate a proposal.

If awarded, funds can be used to provide salary support for a trainee (graduate student or postdoc), consumables for research, and/or travel expenses to conferences and meetings that support the trainee's experience in the field of neurodegeneration.

The PI and their trainee will be expected to provide a progress report including a financial report of expenses 9 months after receiving the initial funds. Based on the progress made in the first year, an additional $25-50,000 may be awarded in the second year to continue the research. Awardees must present their data on the awarded project at the annual CMND Symposium at UChicago in the Spring of each year. 

To be considered:

• Principal Investigators and trainees must submit their NIH biosketch (up to 5 pages) and a 3-page proposal (no more than 1,500 words). The proposals will be scored for Significance, Creativity, and Feasibility. We expect the proposal to be developed by both the trainer and the trainee. 
• An additional 500-word statement written by the trainee (graduate student or postdoctoral trainee) must be provided. The statement should explain why the trainee is interested in the proposed project, whether the project offers training opportunities, and how the research can benefit the trainee’s career goals.
• Must include a section with future directions on how pilot data will be used for future grant applications or research directions (200 words).
• Up to 2 figures can be included.

Please submit award proposals to neuroscience@uchicago.edu by September 30, 2023.