The 2025 Annual Ataxia Conference is in Las Vegas! Will you join us in March? LEARN MORE!
NAF’s programs that support your work to accelerate treatment development.
NAF works with the most knowledgeable, accomplished Ataxia researchers in the world. We are committed to providing the resources needed to pursue a cure and better quality of life for people with Ataxia.
FY2026 Application Dates will be announced later this spring. Please join NAF’s member database for email updates and watch this webpage for updated application cycle and eligibility details.
All documents due by 11:59pm ET on the dates listed via ProposalCentral.
Grant Submissions | Open Date | Deadline | Decision Notification |
Letter of Intent | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Grant Application | TBA | TBA | February 2026 |
Applicants may submit one proposal per year. Please review each grant type for specific eligibility requirements.
Research Seed Money Grants are awarded to independent researchers to support new and innovative studies that are relevant to the cause, pathogenesis or treatment of hereditary or sporadic ataxias. This 1-year grant provides $50,000 in direct research funding. These research grants are offered primarily as “seed monies” to assist investigators in the early or pilot phase of their studies and as additional support for ongoing investigations on demonstration of need.
Based on the emergent needs of the patient and research community, priority areas of ataxia research may be identified in the Seed Money Research Grant call for applications. In rare circumstances, these priority projects may be eligible for increased funding amounts based on their scope of inquiry. Requests for increased funding amounts are judged on a case-by-case basis and must be approved before submitting a letter of intent. Please email research@ataxia.org for further details.
September 6, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
To utilize the proposalCENTRAL online portal to submit letters of intent and applications, a user account needs to be created. Use this weblink https://proposalcentral.com to create an account. Creating an account can be done any time prior to submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply.
December 2, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Application is not available until LOI has been approved.
This 1-year award, beginning March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, provides $50,000 in research funding that can be used to support direct research expenses.
No more than 50% of the grant can be used to support personnel costs.
Indirect costs and cost sharing are prohibited from being applied to NAF grants.
No-cost extensions (NCE) will be considered for extenuating circumstances and are subject to approval by NAF.
NAF retains the right to unilaterally cancel any awards for non-compliance or non-performance.
Eligibility & Guidelines
1. Applicants must have completed their post-doctoral training and have a full-time appointment as a faculty member, clinical fellow, or senior scientist at a research institution.
2. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for a NAF grant award.
3. Grant applications are accepted from U.S. and international institutions.
4. Individuals are ineligible if they were the lead PI on an awarded NAF grant within the past two fiscal years.
5. Applicants are only eligible to submit one application per year. Applicants should select the grant program that best suits their current position and proposal.
The Pioneer SCA3 Translational Research Award is annually granted to independent researchers to support outstanding research proposals that aim to make significant advancements in the development of treatments and/or improvements to patient care for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3). This 1-year grant provides $100,000 in direct research funding. Proposals may incorporate other forms of ataxia but must have a predominant focus on SCA3 preclinical, translational, or clinical research.
September 6, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
To utilize the proposalCENTRAL online portal to submit letters of intent and applications, a user account
needs to be created. Use this weblink https://proposalcentral.com to create an account. Creating an
account can be done any time prior to submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply.
December 2, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Application is not available until LOI has been approved.
This 1-year award, beginning March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, provides $100,000 in research funding that can be used to support direct research expenses.
No more than 50% of the grant can be used to support personnel costs.
Indirect costs and cost sharing are prohibited from being applied to NAF grants.
No-cost extensions (NCE) will be considered for extenuating circumstances and are subject to approval by NAF.
NAF retains the right to unilaterally cancel any awards for non-compliance or non-performance.
Eligibility & Guidelines
1. Applicants must have completed their post-doctoral training and have a full-time appointment as a faculty member, clinical fellow, or senior scientist at a research institution.
2. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for a NAF grant award.
3. Grant applications are accepted from U.S. and international institutions.
4. Individuals are ineligible if they were the lead PI on an awarded NAF grant within the past two fiscal years.
5. Applicants are only eligible to submit one application per year. Applicants should select the grant program that best suits their current position and proposal.
NAF Early Career Investigator awards are awarded to outstanding scientists who have completed their postdoctoral research training and have an appointment as a junior faculty member or clinical fellow. Proposals across the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical research are welcome, but must have a significant focus on improving our understanding of hereditary and/or other forms of ataxia.
September 6, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
To utilize the proposalCENTRAL online portal to submit letters of intent and applications, a user account
needs to be created. Use this weblink https://proposalcentral.com to create an account. Creating an
account can be done any time prior to submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply.
December 2, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Application is not available until LOI has been approved.
This 1-year fellowship, beginning March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, provides $50,000 in research funding that can be used to support direct research expenses.
No more than 50% of the grant can be used to support personnel costs.
Indirect costs and cost sharing are prohibited from being applied to NAF grants.
No-cost extensions (NCE) will be considered for extenuating circumstances and are subject to approval by NAF.
NAF retains the right to unilaterally cancel any awards for non-compliance or non-performance.
Eligible Applicants
1. Applicants must have completed a PhD, equivalent research degree program (e.g., PharmD, PsyD, ScD), formally combined MD/PhD program, or other combined professional/clinical and research doctoral degree (e.g., DDS/PhD).
2. Applicants must have completed their post-doctoral training and have an appointment as a junior faculty member or clinical fellow by Grant Application deadline. Individuals at the Associate Professor level are not eligible. Clinicians must have finished their residency no more than five (5) years prior to applying.
3. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for a NAF grant award.
4. Grant applications are accepted from U.S. and international institutions.
5. Individuals are ineligible if they were awarded a NAF grant within the past two fiscal years.
Applicants are only eligible to submit one application per year. Applicants should select the grant program that best suits their current position and proposal.
Post-doctoral fellowship awards are designed to serve as a bridge from post-doctoral positions to junior faculty positions. Applicants should have completed at least one year of post-doctoral training, but not more than four at the time of application and should have shown a commitment to research in the field of ataxia. The award will permit individuals to spend an additional year in a post-doctoral position and increase chances to establish an independent ataxia research program.
September 6, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
To utilize the proposalCENTRAL online portal to submit letters of intent and applications, a user account needs to be created. Use this weblink https://proposalcentral.com to create an account. Creating an account can be done any time prior to submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply.
December 2, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Application is not available until LOI has been approved.
This 1-year fellowship, beginning March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, provides $35,000 in research funding that can be used as used as salary support or for direct research expenses.
Indirect costs and cost sharing are prohibited from being applied to NAF grants.
No-cost extensions (NCE) will be considered for extenuating circumstances and are subject to approval by NAF.
NAF retains the right to unilaterally cancel any awards for non-compliance or non-performance.
Eligible Applicants
1. Applicants must have completed a PhD, equivalent research degree program (e.g., PharmD, PsyD, ScD), formally combined MD/PhD program, or other combined professional/clinical and research doctoral degree (e.g., DDS/PhD).
2. Applicants must have completed at least one year of post-doctoral training, but not more than four years of post-doctoral training at the time of application and should have shown a commitment to research in the field of ataxia.
3. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for a NAF grant award.
4. Grant applications are accepted from U.S. and international institutions.
5. Individuals are ineligible if they were awarded any NAF grant within the past two fiscal years.
6. Applicants are only eligible to submit one application per year. Applicants should select the grant program that best suits their current position and proposal.
This URM Pre-doctoral research fellowship is a competitive, non-renewable, merit-based award intended to enhance research and/or clinical training of promising students who are matriculated in pre-doctoral or clinical health professional degree training programs and who intend careers as scientists, physician-scientists or other clinician-scientists aimed at continuing ataxia basic science, translational science or clinical research towards the goal of serving individuals with ataxia.
This award provides partial support for study and research and may be used to support pre-doctoral students who are pursuing research with an ataxia-relevant theme. Proposals across the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical research are welcome.
September 6, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
To utilize the proposalCENTRAL online portal to submit letters of intent and applications, a user account
needs to be created. Use this weblink https://proposalcentral.com to create an account. Creating an
account can be done any time prior to submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply.
December 2, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Application is not available until LOI has been approved.
This award provides up to two years of support, beginning March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2027, totaling $50,000 ($25,000 per year).
Funding can be used to support direct research costs associated with the funded proposal and can be used to support the fellow’s annual stipend.
Indirect costs and cost sharing are prohibited from being applied to NAF grants.
A progress report is required 11 months after the start of the grant funding term. The second year of funding is contingent on demonstration of progress by the awardee.
NAF retains the right to unilaterally cancel any awards for non-compliance or non-performance
Eligible Applicants:
At the time of application, the applicant must:
1. Have a baccalaureate degree or equivalent and be currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., PharmD, PsyD, ScD), a formally combined MD/PhD program, or other combined professional/clinical and research doctoral (e.g., DDS/PhD) in the U.S.
2. Have successfully completed their qualifying exams, or equivalent*, in their respective programs by the final grant due date.
3. Be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen U.S. national, U.S. permanent residents, individual granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, or individual granted Temporary Protected Status.
4. Identify as one or more of the following:
i. An individual from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., including but not limited to Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders. Individuals from racial or ethnic groups not listed here that can be demonstrated convincingly to be underrepresented by the grantee institution are also encouraged to apply.
ii. An individual who identifies as LGBTQIA+.
iii. Individuals with a disability, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
5. Have identified a research project and sponsor, show evidence of high academic performance in the sciences, and a commitment to a career as an independent research scientist, or as an independent physician-scientist or other clinician-scientist (dual-degree training) with a specialized interest in ataxias. The primary sponsor should be an active investigator and be committed both to the candidate’s research training and to direct supervision of his/her/their research.
6. Applicants are only eligible to submit one application per year. Applicants should select the grant program that best suits their current position and proposal.
The National Ataxia Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship is a competitive, non-renewable, merit-based award intended to encourage pre-doctoral students to pursue research and a career in the field of ataxia. This award provides partial support for study and research and may be used to support pre-doctoral students who are pursing research with an ataxia-relevant theme. Applications for any type of ataxia are accepted for this award. Proposals across the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical research are welcome.
September 6, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
To utilize the proposalCENTRAL online portal to submit letters of intent and applications, a user account
needs to be created. Use this weblink https://proposalcentral.com to create an account. Creating an
account can be done any time prior to submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply.
December 2, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Application is not available until LOI has been approved.
This award provides one year of support, beginning March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, totaling $25,000.
Funding can be used to support direct research costs associated with the funded proposal and can be used to support the fellow’s annual stipend.
Indirect costs and cost sharing are prohibited from being applied to NAF grants.
NAF retains the right to unilaterally cancel any awards for non-compliance or non-performance.
Eligible Applicants: At the time of application, the applicant must:
1. Have a baccalaureate degree or equivalent and be currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., PharmD, PsyD, ScD), a formally combined MD/PhD program, or other combined professional/clinical and research doctoral (e.g., DDS/PhD)
2. Have successfully completed their qualifying exams, or equivalent*, in their respective programs by the final grant due date.
3. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for a NAF grant award.
4. Grant applications are accepted from U.S. and international institutions.
5. Applicants are only eligible to submit one application per year. Applicants should select the grant program that best suits their current position and proposal.
NAF utilizes proposalCENTRAL for grant applications.
1. Create a proposalCENTRAL account.
2. Submit a LOI that contains a full title and specific aims of your research proposal.
3. If your LOI is accepted, submit a full application through proposalCENTRAL.
1. If a letter of support is required for a grant, can I provide two letters of support?
Yes, if you would like to provide additional letters of support, please upload to proposalCENTRAL during the application process. However, only one letter of recommendation is required.
2. I have previously been granted funding from NAF. May I apply for another grant type in this new funding cycle?
Applicants may receive more than one award from NAF over the course of their career. However, individuals are ineligible to apply if they were the lead PI on an awarded grant within the past two fiscal years.
3. Are there any restrictions on how my awarded funds may be used?
Specific restrictions on use of funds vary between grant types. Please review the instructions associated with your particular grant application. No funds provided by National Ataxia Foundation may be used for indirect/F&A costs.
Want to check out research that we have funded in the past? Click a link from past years to a see a list of researchers and information about their studies.
In our Science Showcase webinar series, NAF-funded researchers will present their work and facilitate a discussion about their study. Fellow researchers, clinicians, and industry partners are welcome to participate in scientific discussions or ask questions after the presentation, gaining insights into advancements, methodologies, and findings that are shaping the landscape of Ataxia research.
Are you interested in presenting your NAF-funded research to an audience of fellow academics, clinicians, industry professionals, and our NAF community? Please email Aimee Alcott at aimee@ataxia.org.
If you are considering requesting a No-Cost Extension for your funded award, please review the below and reach out to Aimee Alcott at aimee@ataxia.org for more information and next steps.
We know that patient recruitment for research is important to the success of your work. NAF is here to help.
We maintain an active list of Ataxia research opportunities for patients on our website. We ensure that studies listed on our site have undergone approval by esteemed Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), Research Ethics Boards (REBs), and/or Research Ethics Committees (RECs). In addition, NAF offers recruitment assistance via email and social media, including targeted recruitment efforts by location and Ataxia type. We can also work with you to develop and deliver an informational webinar on your research study.
If you would like to have your study listed on our website or request help with recruitment, download the Research Recruitment Application or email research@ataxia.org with your question.
NAF hosts an annual patient conference each year which is attended by those affected by Ataxia and their caregivers/family members. Attendance is often over 500 individuals. Presentations by leading Ataxia researchers are given during the 2-day conference. Ataxia researchers are invited to participate in the exhibit area of the meeting to recruit patients for IRB approved research studies or share their research findings.
If you are interested in recruiting patients at NAF’s Annual Ataxia Conference, please contact us at (763) 553-0020 or email research@ataxia.org.
NAF partners with Sanford Research Coordination of Rare Dieseases (CoRDS) to maintain a registry of Ataxia patients. Access the registry to find potential participants for your research studies.
NAF and the University of Florida’s Center for NeuroGenetics are working together to maintain a repository of brain and spinal cord tissue from Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) donors. This tissue is available to SCA researchers to help advance our understanding of these diseases. To learn what is available and how to request tissue, download our instruction sheet.
The Clinical Research Consortium for the Study of Cerebellar Ataxia (CRC-SCA) is on a mission to better understand the factors that determine disease progression among Cerebellar Ataxia with the goal of improving the understanding of disease process, current treatments, and development of disease-modifying therapies. CRC-SCA collects longitudinal data and biospecimens for research participants who have a confirmed diagnosis of SCA 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 or 10. Ataxia researchers can request data and biosamples.
ICAR is a collaborative research environment that promotes exchanges of ideas and knowledge to improve understanding of Ataxias and accelerate treatment development initiatives. This bi-annual conference is hosted by NAF, Ataxia UK, FARA and AGI. It is attended by hundreds of delegates from countries around the world. The event offers oral presentations, poster presentations and networking opportunities.
The Ataxia Global Initiative (AGI) is a worldwide research platform that has the goal to facilitate the clinical development of therapies for ataxias. AGI´s activities are based on the principles of openness, transparency, flexibility and fairness.
The Centralized Ataxia Genomics Core (CAGC) is a freely accessible resource developed with support from the National Ataxia Foundation and hosted within the Clinical Neurogenomics Research Center based at the University of California, Los Angeles. This application is designed to facilitate connections within the ataxia research community related to shared interest in the same gene(s) and/or genetic variant(s). The goal of the CAGC is to improve collaboration to help solve undiagnosed Ataxia cases through a centralized ataxia-specific data repository of genomic data collected from both research and/or clinical sources.
Our generous donors help us fund promising Ataxia research and offer support services to people with Ataxia. Your gift today will help us continue to deliver on our mission to improve the lives of persons affected by Ataxia.
Join for FREE today! Become a part of the community that is working together to find a cure. As a member you will receive access to the latest Ataxia news with our e-newsletter and Generations publication.
