2024 Parkinson's Foundation Impact Awards

Eligibility

• This award is open to scientists with a Ph.D. or M.D., regardless of nationality or location.
• Only independent investigators are welcome to apply: an applicant must be in a tenure-track position or equivalent. The Parkinson's Foundation will consider applications from Instructors who can demonstrate that they will begin a tenure-track position (as shown by a support letter from their department chair). The Foundation is the sole determinant of the applicant’s eligibility.
• The Parkinson's Foundation Impact Awards are designed for researchers both established and new to the field of PD. All research proposals must demonstrate a significant research focus and impact on PD.
• Applications from groups that have been historically underrepresented or excluded in the scientific workforce, including but not limited to racial and ethnic groups, sexual orientation and gender identities, individuals with mental/physical disabilities, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, are especially encouraged.

Summary

All ideas in science start with a seed that, when grown, can have a profound impact upon the community. However, these great ideas may never be explored because great ideas often need funding to grow. For this reason, the Parkinson's Foundation is supporting innovative projects that need support to see their maximum impact on the Parkinson's community.

The Parkinson's Foundation Impact Awards are designed for researchers both established and new to the field of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Projects should be "outside the box" with the goal of bringing new light to the biology of PD, a new approach to Parkinson’s research or testing a truly novel therapeutic idea. Projects should be based on unconventional ideas that are unlikely to be funded through more traditional funding mechanisms. The goal is to provide the support that will enable researchers to test new ideas with an impact on the PD community and generate compelling results that will facilitate continued investment from the Parkinson’s Foundation and other funders.

Level of Support

Awards are up to a maximum of $150,000 for 12-18 months. Up to 10% ($15,000) of the total award may be used towards indirect costs. Salary support is permitted for no more than 40% of the principal investigator’s salary and capped at $50,000.

Application Submission

The application process will be completed in two-stages:

1. Letter of Intent. The application process is highly competitive and divided into two steps to make the process more efficient for both applicants and reviewers. The first step is a Letter of Intent (LOI). The Parkinson's Foundation will only consider applicants who submit complete LOIs by the specified deadline. If selected after peer review, the applicant will then be invited to submit a full-length proposal. An applicant may apply to only one program per funding cycle. In addition, an applicant may not submit multiple LOIs (with different projects) to the same program during the same funding cycle. All components of the application must be submitted online through the Foundation's grant portal, ProposalCentral. There, you will find additional documents and details regarding the application process, the LOI guideline, and the list of required components.

Applicants must obtain institutional approval from the University of Calgary prior to submitting their LOI to the sponsor. Initiate required University of Calgary internal approvals by completing a Pre-Award/Letter of Intent record in RMS (https://my.rms.ucalgary.ca/). Attach a copy of your complete LOI materials and submit for approvals. Please ensure that you allow time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services Office internal review deadline of 12:00pm MT, October 24, 2023.

2. Full Application. The highest ranked LOIs will be invited to submit a full application outlining research plan and budget. The timeline for results of the LOI and full application submissions is as follows:

Notification of LOI Review Result: Late December 2023
RSO Full Application Review Deadline: February 19,2024
Full Application Due: February 22, 2024
Award Notification: Early June 2024
Award Begins: July 1, 2024

Applicants must obtain institutional approval from the University of Calgary prior to submitting their Full Application to the sponsor. Required University of Calgary approvals are obtained through RMS (https://my.rms.ucalgary.ca/). Applicants invited to submit full applications should email Chantal Lemire (chantal.lemire@ucalgary.ca) for additional information on the next stage of this competition.

Overhead

10% ($15,000) of the total award may be used towards indirect costs.

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via RMS in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Additional Resources

Program Guidelines

Biosketch Template