Alzheimer’s Scholar Program Seeks Proposals for Disease Research, Treatments

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and the Harrington Discovery Institute are calling for proposals for their 2017 ADDF-Harrington Scholar Award, which supports innovative research that aims to prevent, treat or cure Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Applicants are eligible to receive financial support over two years of up to $600,000 and drug development and project management support through Harrington’s Innovation Support Center.

“This is a superb opportunity for creative researchers who seek a cure for Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” Jonathan Stamler, MD, president of the Harrington Institute, said in a press release. “The ADDF-Harrington partnership brings a unique combination of know-how and resources to advance the most innovative discoveries in Alzheimer’s disease.”

The call is open to investigators of academic researchers at medical centers, research institutes, and universities in the United States. In the case of a team of researchers, the team’s principal investigator must have the equivalent of a medical doctorate (MD) or a philosophy doctorate (PhD).

Proposals should demonstrate creativity in their approach to science, and should aim to treat, prevent, or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, other dementias, or cognitive aging.

Applications must include a letter of intent and be submitted online through the program’s website. The deadline for a letter of intent is March 17, and the full proposal must be submitted by midnight July 14. Up to three awards are expected to be announced by the end of October.

“Our collaboration with Harrington Discovery Institute provides Alzheimer’s researchers critical support needed to move discoveries into clinical trials,” said Howard Fillit, MD, ADDF’s founding executive director and chief science officer.

“The impact of Alzheimer’s disease is enormous. We need new and diverse approaches to make a difference — and our partnership with Harrington Discovery Institute exemplifies our commitment to advancing these.”

In related news, the ADDF awarded a Georgetown researcher $2.1 million in October to support a Phase 2 clinical trial of low-dose nilotinib (Tasigna, a cancer therapy) in patients with Alzheimer’s.

The grant was awarded as part of the ADDF’s initiative “Learning from Cancer Advance Treatments for Neurodegenerative Diseases,” which aims to develop new therapies and test existing cancer therapies for their potential in treating Alzheimer’s. This initiative is an example of the funding opportunities the ADDF offers to researchers.