Multidisciplinary Award ; SUDEP Award ; Challenge Award

Multidisciplinary Award:

CURE seeks to promote collaborative, multidisciplinary research that will address the goals of “no seizures/no side effects,” and specifically one of the following needs: prevention of epilepsy, including post-traumatic epilepsy; advancement of the search for a cure; understanding of basic mechanisms; elimination of treatment side effects; reversal of deficits caused by frequent seizures. We specifically encourage studies that may not be currently fundable by other agencies, such as the NIH, because of their preliminary or unconventional nature. Applicants will be expected to pursue novel, multidisciplinary projects requiring the collaborative efforts of both investigators. The LOI (and subsequent application) should provide specific aims for the proposed work and background for the collaborative research effort. We encourage both new and continuing collaborative relationships between investigators. Invited applicants will be required to describe how each investigator will contribute to the proposed work through details of research design and methods, including where and how the specific projects will be accomplished. Additionally, the application will demonstrate an equitable distribution of budget costs. Successful applications are anticipated to pursue work that could not ordinarily be pursued by either of the investigators without collaborative effort.

SUDEP Award:

Every year, approximately 50,000 deaths occur in the United States from seizure-related causes including Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). However, there remains a huge lack of public awareness of SUDEP, and an urgent need for more research to determine underlying mechanisms and identify the causes of SUDEP. Recognizing these inadequacies and the devastating impact SUDEP has on families who have lost a loved one, CURE has established a targeted research program to advance the study of SUDEP.

CURE seeks novel research projects that will address the goal of the prevention of SUDEP. This program awards seed grants to researchers submitting innovative proposals that will provide new directions for SUDEP research. We specifically encourage studies that may not be currently fundable by other agencies, such as the NIH, because of their preliminary or unconventional nature. CURE encourages collaborative projects; however, non-collaborative projects will be given equal consideration. Invited applicants who propose a collaborative project should describe how each investigator will contribute to the proposed work through details of research design and methods, including where and how the specific project will be accomplished. Labor and budget do not have to be equally distributed between investigators who choose to work collaboratively.

Challenge Award:

CURE seeks novel research projects that will address the goals of “no seizures/no side effects,” and specifically one of the following needs: prevention of epilepsy, including post-traumatic epilepsy; understanding of basic mechanisms; advancement of the search for a cure; elimination of treatment side effects; reversal of deficits caused by frequent seizures. This program awards grants to researchers submitting innovative proposals that provide new directions for studying the underlying mechanisms of epilepsy that will ultimately lead to a cure. We specifically encourage studies that may not be currently fundable by other agencies, such as the NIH, because of their preliminary or unconventional nature.

For questions, please contact Danielle Davis at the CURE office, 312.255-1801, or emaildanielle.davis@CUREepilepsy.org.