Sponsor

Weston Family Foundation, through the Weston Brain Institute

For More Information

Please visit the Weston Brain Institute website for:

  • Eligibility criteria
  • Review criteria
  • Program details
  • Templates

Description

The Foundation, through its Weston Brain Institute, is pleased to announce the re-launch of our flagship Rapid Response program designed to provide seed funding to catalyze novel, high-risk, high-reward translational research that accelerates the development of therapeutics or tools for neurodegenerative diseases of aging.

Eligibility

For this program, the Institute is only able to accept LOIs and Proposals from institutions (or individuals affiliated with and applying through or on behalf of institutions) that are Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) qualified donees located in Canada. Applicants may appear in any role on any number of applications.

  • Eligible Principal Applicants must be a researcher working in Canada at least 50% of the time and hold a position at or above the level of Assistant Professor or equivalent at a CRA qualified donee institution located in Canada.
  • Co-applicants must be at the post-doctoral level or above and working at a CRA qualified donee institution located in Canada.
  • Collaborators must be at the post-doctoral level or above and can be working outside of Canada.

Eligible projects should:

  • Be translational research that can accelerate therapeutic or tool development for neurodegenerative diseases of aging (NDAs), as defined by the Institute. Therapeutics should address unmet needs in the prevention, treatment and/or symptomatic management of NDAs.Tools should address challenges in translational research to accelerate the development and/or clinical implementation of therapeutics for NDAs (e.g., biomarkers, drug delivery systems). Projects covering only the discovery/identification of a tool are considered out of scope.
  • Have preliminary data to support the hypothesis and feasibility of the project.

Funding Availability

A maximum of six projects will be funded. 

Maximum Project Value

Up to $300,000 

Project Duration

18 to 24 months

Deadlines

If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.

TypeDateNotes
External Deadline

The Institute will hold a Program Information Webinar for each disease focus, to provide further details on the program and answer any questions. Register for the information session here

External Deadline

LOI must be submitted directly to Weston Brain Institute through the online grants management system.

Internal Deadline

Applicants will be notified of proposal invitations in July 2024. 

Applicants invited to submit a full proposal after the LOI review stage will be notified by Weston Brain Institute. Applicants invited to the Full Proposal stage must submit a copy of their full proposal draft, including budget and signed OR-5, to the Office of Research Services (research.services@uoguelph.ca) a minimum of one-week prior to the deadline to submit a full proposal to Weston Brain Institute. 

External Deadline

Full proposals must be submitted directly to Weston Brain Institute through the online grants management system.

How to Apply

The application process consists of two stages: Letters of Intent (LOIs) and Proposals. To apply, applicants must submit an LOI to the Institute. Selected applicants will then be invited to submit a Proposal.

Applications must be submitted directly to Weston Brain Institute through the online grants management system.

For more details on the program and application process, visit refer to program guidelines below. 

Attachment(s)

AttachmentSize
PDF icon RFA_Rapid-Response-1.pdf517.54 KB
PDF icon RR24_ProgramDetails.pdf306.6 KB
PDF icon RR24_FAQ_FINAL.pdf150.93 KB
PDF icon RR24_LOI_Template_Final.pdf179.84 KB
For Questions, please contact

Teenu Sanjeevan, Senior Program Manager: teenu.sanjeevan@westonfoundation.ca

Office of Research

Laurie Gallinger, Awards & Agreements Officer
Research Services Office
lgalling@uoguelph.ca

Alert Classifications
Category:
Funding Opportunities and Sponsor News

Disciplines:
Health and Life Sciences