Neurology Young Investigator Grant Program

What is the Ionis Neurology Young Investigator Grant?

Ionis Pharmaceuticals is pleased to announce the Ionis Neurology Young Investigator Grant (YIG). This grant was recently created by the Division of Neurology within Medical Affairs to advance high-quality research in the field of Alexander Disease by early career investigators. Ionis is dedicated to developing clinicians and scientists who will positively impact the field and support new research for years to come.

Who is Eligible?

The Ionis YIG is a grant aimed at providing research grants to fellows who are at eligible academic or non-profit institutions and submit innovative research proposals in the areas of translational, clinical, or applied research. The Ionis YIG encourages applications from early-stage scientific investigators who are engaged in cutting-edge research on the topic of leukodystrophies, with a focus on Alexander Disease, for the following categories:

• Clinical Investigations
• Basic and Translational Science
• Outcomes Research (and/or EMR-related research)

Specifically, the grant will support 2 fellows, residents, or junior faculty annually (for up to 2 years) to conduct quality research and the development of future researchers and clinicians.

Objective

The objective of the program is to provide grants to researchers at eligible academic or nonprofit institutions who submit innovative research proposals in the areas of translational, clinical, or applied research. The research should advance the understanding of Alexander Disease, facilitate early diagnosis of patients, identify undiagnosed/misdiagnosed patients, and/or enhance the management of patients. Research in other leukodystrophies will be considered, however, the proposal should highlight the relevance of the work to Alexander Disease. Specifically, this program will support two young investigators, such as current fellows, residents, or junior faculty, with an award of $50,000 annually per awardee for up to two years.

Overview

This grant is awarded by an independent review committee on a competitive basis for a maximum of two academic years with the first year guaranteed and the second-year contingent on approval of a progress submission demonstrating progress towards the pre-stated research objectives and ongoing research.

Deadlines and Important Dates Based on Grant Program Approval

• Application Deadline – June 17, 2024 Late submissions or incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Award notification – July 17, 2024 Grant recipients and their affiliated institutions receive grant notification.
• Acceptance Deadline – September 16, 2024 Grant acceptance must be signed by investigator, mentor, and institution and returned to receive grant funds.

Young Investigator Grant Funds

• The Young Investigator Grant will be paid directly to the grantee’s institution. Requesting organization must be legally able to receive award funding directly from Ionis. We strongly recommend that applicants confirm this with their organization or institution prior to submitting an application. Grants awarded to organizations that are subsequently found to be unable to accept funding directly from Ionis may be subject to rescission.
• Grant will be funded in the amount of $50,000 per year and may be renewable for a second year at the same level provided sufficient progress has been made towards the research objectives and with approval of a progress submission demonstrating progress and ongoing research
• The grant may be transferred to another investigator if needed upon renewal for the second year after approval from Ionis (ex. after completion of 1-year fellowship)
• Grant may only be used as described in the granted proposal submission
• Institution is not limited in the amount of additional support it may provide the investigator
• Submissions duplicative of other research, prior submissions of Investigator sponsored studies, or projects focused on competitor products are not eligible for the Young Investigator Grant Program

Applicant Eligibility and Qualifications 

• Mentors may submit the application on behalf of the investigator if not yet selected; this will allow the institution to know if funding has been secured to support a fellowship position in advance
• Investigator must hold a doctorate degree during the grant period
• Investigator may not be more than 5 years post training/fellowship/residency
• Investigators working full-time and currently in training are eligible to apply, including residents
• Applicants with existing tenure-track research positions or senior faculty appointments are ineligible
• Applicants employed or affiliated with a government institution are ineligible.

Young Investigator Program Requirements

• Funded research must be conducted in an academic or non-profit institution
• Grant should broaden the postdoctoral research experience of the young investigator and not be used for further support of preexisting and extensive postdoctoral research training
• Funded research must be conducted under the supervision of an experienced mentor at the sponsoring institution
• Proposed research must have anticipated completion timeline of 2 years or less
• The grant cannot be transferred to an alternate investigator or institution in the event the original institution and investigator dissolve their association without approval by Ionis
• Ionis Medical Affairs must be notified, in writing with appropriate justification, immediately if the sponsoring institution anticipates any delay of the term
• Expected Outcomes: submission of data for external presentation and/or publication within 2 years of initial funding

Application Materials

The following must be submitted via email to [email protected] to apply:

1. Grant Request Letter Must be on institutional letterhead, written and signed by the Department Chair, Division Chief or Training Program Director and include:

• Academic term dates for investigator’s current position if applicable (e.g., July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026)
• Statement of:
  • mentor’s qualifications to supervise and train the investigator
  • scientific prowess of the institution
  • institutional commitment to advancing the care of patients with cardiology or metabolic disease

2. Current Curriculum Vitae or NIH Biosketch

• Mentor (required)
• Investigator (required if known)

3. Research Proposal (preferably not to exceed 5 pages) Proposal to include:

• Introduction, research objectives and rationale
• Background and significance
• Specific area of research
• Preliminary data (if available)
• Design and methods (including statistical analyses)
• Patient population
• Investigator’s role in design and execution of research proposal
• Detailed budget, including other funding sources (if applicable)
• References

4. Letter of Support from Mentor

• Detail the eligibility, scientific skills, and background of the investigator and how the grant would be beneficial for the development of this young investigator

OR, if investigator not yet identified,

• Describe the selection process for identifying an investigator to complete the funded research and how the grant would be beneficial at his/her institution for developing a young investigator

5. Formal brochure/overview of training program or department

Contact Information

For more information, please contact Ionis Medical Affairs at [email protected].

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MED-US–2300916 v2 03/2024