MIAMI, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of the National Parkinson Foundation announces a major commitment to fund significant Parkinson-related research by means of a new, $3 million grants program for large research projects. Named the NPF Fight Back, Move Forward Large-Grants Program for Parkinson Research, this initiative will be in addition to NPF’s individual-grants program and NPF’s research grants to its Centers of Excellence throughout the world.
The large-grants program will consist of highly competitive, peer-reviewed proposals, each of which will be evaluated by NPF’s prestigious Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB will make funding recommendations to the NPF Board of Directors, which will then consider and decide on such proposals and recommendations. Each applicant will be eligible to receive up to $150,000 per year for up to three years, for a maximum total of $450,000. Grantees will be required to present a progress report and an application for further funding at the end of each year. No portion of the grant monies may be used for overhead or administrative purposes. Applications for the initial funding cycle will be due no later than March 14, 2005.
“We are determined to find the cause and cure for Parkinson disease,” stated NPF’s Chairman Emeritus, Nathan Slewett, “and this additional commitment of $3 million puts significant financial resources behind that determination. We believe that this is one fight that can and will be won. That is why we have called this program the NPF Fight Back, Move Forward Large-Grants Program for Parkinson Research.”
After instituting this program, NPF will be funding Parkinson-related research in three different manners. First, NPF funds research worldwide at numerous educational and health-care institutions that have earned the designation as NPF Centers of Excellence. Second, NPF sponsors and funds a yearly program of investigator-initiated grants, geared toward scientists early in their careers who propose to conduct high-risk high-yield projects deemed by the SAB to show promise of yielding significant results. And, now, NPF will fund Parkinson-related research in a third manner, through the $3 million large-grants program just announced. In all cases, research proposals must be carefully evaluated by NPF’s Scientific Advisory Board and must be reviewed by NPF’s Board of Directors. Reporting and accountability of all grant monies are always required and are strictly monitored.
“Our Board of Directors and our new Chairman, Paul Oreffice, have challenged us to put large amounts of money into a competitive process designed to provide to Parkinson researchers the kind of financial support that they need in order to explore and develop new ideas that will lead us to find a cure,” noted NPF’s President, Daniel Arty. “This is our response to that challenge.”
National Parkinson Foundation
CONTACT: Laura Legra of National Parkinson Foundation, +1-305-243-4830
Web site: http://www.parkinson.org/