Morton Cure Paralysis Fund Research Grant

MCPF supports cutting-edge ideas, enabling researchers to gather the proof-of-concept data needed to pursue multimillion-dollar grants from large financiers.
The focus areas are:
1. Understanding the effects of spinal cord injury at the cellular level, particularly with emphasis on that which determines apoptosis and/or prohibits regrowth. As stated above, if the proposed project is at this level, it is important that the proposal demonstrate how the project is a change of direction, innovative research or can be quickly moved to therapeutic application.
2. Studying strategies to promote neuronal growth and survival, encourage the formation of synapses, enhance the production of myelin, restore conduction capabilities, or otherwise lead to restoration of the compromised circuitry in the acutely and chronically injured CNS.
3. Evaluating new therapies in clinical trial.

In addition to those elements listed above, MCPF will also take into account projects that:
• Encourage promising new investigators to undertake research on regeneration and recovery, particularly with respect to the spinal cord;
• Encourage researchers who are well-established in other areas to transfer their efforts to spinal cord research; and,
• Enable researchers with novel ideas to test their ideas and develop pilot data for seeking larger awards from NIH and other funding sources.
Either senior scientists or postdoctoral fellows may serve as principal investigators. If the latter, the applicant must submit a letter of support from the laboratory’s senior scientist, as well as two other appropriate letters of reference.