Early Career Investigator Award for Ataxia Research

Donor Name: National Ataxia Foundation

Reference URL:https://www.ataxia.org/researcher-resources/

The Early Career Investigator Award provides a one-year grant to support early-stage scientists conducting innovative research on the causes, mechanisms, or treatment of ataxia.

The National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) is a patient-centered nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of treatments for ataxia and improving the lives of those affected by it, with a global reach and a strong focus on fostering national and international research collaboration.

This one-year grant is designed to support outstanding early-stage scientists as they develop independent research careers and generate pilot data in the field of ataxia. The award aims to catalyze significant progress toward meaningful scientific insights and therapeutic advances by funding innovative, high-impact studies that address the causes, pathogenesis, or treatment of hereditary, sporadic, or acquired ataxias.

Priority is given to projects that focus on fundamental disease mechanisms, development and validation of disease models, identification of emerging therapeutic targets or strategies, and early-stage data collection that can support future external grant applications. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a clear commitment to ataxia research and describe how the award will support their path to research independence, with strong mentorship and institutional support encouraged.

The award provides $50,000 USD for direct research expenses, which may include salary or stipend costs (up to $25,000), laboratory reagents and consumable supplies, essential equipment (up to 20% of the budget), animal purchase and care, publication costs (up to $2,500), investigator registration and travel to scientific meetings (up to $2,000), and patient-related expenses directly tied to the study. Indirect costs, fringe benefits, tuition, relocation, and other unallowable expenses are excluded.

Applicants must have completed a PhD or equivalent research degree, finished post-doctoral training within the past six years or hold a junior faculty appointment, and be affiliated with an academic institution, nonprofit, or for-profit company. Both U.S. and international applicants are eligible, but prior NAF awardees within the past two years and those with overlapping funding are ineligible. Only one Letter of Intent may be submitted per funding cycle.

The application process requires submission of a Letter of Intent by November 18, 2026, followed by a full proposal upon invitation. All applications are reviewed competitively for scientific merit, innovation, and alignment with NAF’s mission, with funding decisions announced in June 2027.

For more information, visit National Ataxia Foundation.

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