How To Apply For Brightfocus Foundation Grant Alzheimer's Disease Research Program

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Brightfocus Foundation Grant Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program

How To Get Grants from Brightfocus Foundation Grants – The far-reaching effects of diseases including Alzheimer’s, Macular Degeneration, and Glaucoma make them vital research priorities. Alzheimer’s disease causes significant cognitive and memory loss. Vision loss in the elderly, caused by macular degeneration, impacts daily living. Research is necessary to provide effective therapies and prevention measures for glaucoma and other common and crippling eye diseases since they cause irreversible blindness.

Very much obliged to the Brightfocus Foundation for their grant. In its quest to find treatments or a cure for eye diseases including glaucoma, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s, BrightFocus Foundation Grants helped approximately $300 million in research funding to over 6,000 researchers in 25 different countries.

There are some foundations such as Rasmuson Foundation Grants, and Roddenberry Foundation Grants that are responsible for giving grants in terms of money to needy organizations in order to serve the community. You can check your eligibility for those grants.

Key Takeaways

  • BrightFocus Foundation awards grants for research on Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
  • Funding supports world-class research to find cures and improve treatments.
  • Grants are available for postdoctoral fellows and established investigators.
  • The foundation prioritizes innovation and supports young scientists in their research careers.

What is the Brightfocus Foundation Grant?

BrightFocus Foundation Grants support world-class research to cure Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and glaucoma and deliver professional information. The foundation is devoted to health equity starting in the lab, and gaps must be addressed to effectively prevent, treat, and cure mind and sight disorders.

The charity was created in 1973, four years after the moon landing. People spoke about moonshots, ambitious, inspirational, and inventive ideas with big results. The BrightFocus Foundation, formerly The American Health Assistance Foundation, shared this tenacity. Its mission was to sponsor vital research to solve the biggest health issues.

Brightfocus Foundation chose to invest in young scientists like Dr. Stanley Prusiner from the start. He discovered and defined illnesses like Mad Cow using BrightFocus funding. Nobel Prize in 1997 for game-changing prion theory. The BrightFocus Foundation Board of Directors honors Dr. Prusiner, who chaired the foundation’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Scientific Review Committee. If you are interested in knowing more about the Brightfocus Foundation Grant, then you can visit the official website of the foundation at https://www.brightfocus.org/

Focus Area of Brightfocus Foundation Grant

Here are some key areas, where the Brightfocus Foundation Grant mainly focuses.

  1. Alzheimer’s Disease

They fund the most private research into its causes, prevention, and treatment. They have several financing options for early-career and experienced researchers.

  1. Macular Degeneration

BrightFocus supports AMD research, the second leading cause of blindness among adults over 65. They finance AMD cause research and breakthrough diagnosis and treatment strategies.

  1. Glaucoma

Third, glaucoma, a frequent eye disease, can cause lifelong blindness if untreated. BrightFocus prizes finance research on glaucoma, its development, and diagnosis and treatment.

If you are looking for more opportunities for your organization, check out the application process for Skillman Foundation Grants. 

Type of Brightfocus Foundation Grant and the Eligibility Criteria

There are 2 types of Brightfocus Foundation Grants That are offer :

Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

Eligibility for Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

Postdoctoral fellows, both junior and senior, can apply. You can apply even if you have a meeting coming up, but it has to be official by the start of the award.

Initiation for Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

The postdoctoral fellow, not the boss, should be the one to start the plan.

Transition to Independence for Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

If a senior postdoctoral fellow becomes an independent investigator during the award, the BrightFocus Foundation may decide to transfer the remaining award money to the new position, as long as the new position will still be able to meet the specific goals of the original award.

Definition for Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

Follows the NIH/NSF description of a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, focusing on a set amount of time for supervised advanced training.

In order to follow the chosen job path, the goal is to improve professional skills and study independence.

Standard Awards (National Glaucoma Research – NGR)

Eligibility for Standard Awards (National Glaucoma Research – NGR)

Traditionally, the Principal Investigator (P.I.) had to have been at least an Assistant Professor in terms of academic rank in order to be eligible. These days, outstanding junior teachers in non-tenure-track jobs are also eligible as long as they have the right training to lead an independent research project.

Criteria for Standard Awards (National Glaucoma Research – NGR)

Applications must come from people who have finished their official post-doctoral mentored research training and are the intellectual and artistic leaders of the projects they want to work on.

Position Clarification for Standard Awards (National Glaucoma Research – NGR)

Applicants for non-tenure-track jobs need to make it clear on their application forms what their independent study position is.

Encouragement for Standard Awards (National Glaucoma Research – NGR)

BrightFocus wants to hear new ideas from people at all stages of their careers.

These awards fund National Glaucoma Research to improve glaucoma diagnosis and treatment. To reflect the changing nature of research careers, the foundation now accepts non-tenure-track posts that satisfy certain conditions.

Application Process of Brightfocus Foundation Grant

Each of BrightFocus’ three research efforts has a Scientific Review Committee. These experienced investigators can examine grant bids objectively. Volunteers receive small evaluation pay. Most are NIH research section or foundation review committee members.

  1. The BrightFocus Scientific Affairs Department and Scientific Review Committee Chair(s) assign each submission to a primary and secondary reviewer based on experience and study area. Some have tertiary readers. The foundation checks all submissions for conflicts of interest before allocating them to reviewers.
  2. Reviewers must decline assignments in areas of knowledge gap and conflict of interest. Another reviewer gets these applications.
  3. Reviewers with conflicts of interest (e.g., applications from investigators at the same institution, applications from previous or current collaborators, or applications to support research where the reviewer has a financial interest) cannot serve on a committee in a review cycle in which they submit a proposal.
  4. Grant applications and Scientific Review Committee talks must be confidential. The BrightFocus Grants Department informs applicants about review results and mediates between Reviewers and applicants.

There are also Arcus Foundation Grants available, do not miss your chance to get possibilities for your organization.

Contact Details of Brightfocus Foundation Grant

Here are some ways of getting in touch with the Brightfocus Foundation.

Physical Address: 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871

Website: https://www.brightfocus.org/

Phone: 1.800.437.2423

Fax: 301.258.9454

Email: [email protected]

You can also fill out a contact form or a quarry form available at https://science.brightfocus.org/apply-grant

Grantees of Brightfocus Foundation

Recent grants from the Brightfocus Foundation—over $25 million in 2021 for 106 new initiatives to enhance knowledge about, access to treatments for, and prevention of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Steffi Daniel at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas

Dr. Steffi Daniel of Dallas, TX’s University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is the recipient of a $200,000 Postdoctoral Fellowship from the BrightFocus Foundation. The purpose of the research project “Identifying FDA Approved Drugs to Reverse Dry AMD” is to investigate possible medications that might alleviate the symptoms of dry age-related macular degeneration. With the generous generosity of The Ivan Bowen Family Foundation, this fellowship will be available to Dr. John Hulleman and his team from July 01, 2022, to June 30, 2024.

Dr. Daniel Hass from the University of Washington in Seattle

Daniel Hass, a professor at Seattle, Washington’s University of Washington, has won a postdoctoral fellowship for $200,000. Investigating the influence of fatty acid oxidation on drusen levels associated with AMD is the topic of his study, “Can Fatty Acid Oxidation Influence Drusen Levels in the Eye?”. This study, he is working on under the guidance of Dr. James Hurley. The Ivan Bowen Family Foundation will cover the costs of the fellowship for the six-year period beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2024.

Dr. Yifan Jian at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland

Dr. Yifan Jian of Portland, Oregon’s Oregon Health & Science University has been granted a $449,323 New Investigator Grant. Titled “Discovering an Invisible Layer in Retina and its ties to AMD,” the study aims to investigate the relationship between an unseen layer of the retina and age-related macular degeneration. With Dr. Brandon Lujan as its mentor, this grant will run from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025.

Dr. Yongsu Kwon from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

One of the recipients of the $200,000 Postdoctoral Fellowship is Dr. Yongsu Kwon of UNC Chapel Hill. A treatment system based on nano antioxidants is his goal in his project “Dark Matter: Developing a Nanoantioxidant-Based Therapeutic System for AMD,”. The project is a kind of age-related macular degeneration. Your fellowship will run from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, with Dr. Zongchao Han as your mentor.

Dr. Samuel Barnes at Imperial College of Science

Along with Dr. Samuel Barnes of London, England’s Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, a $299,715 Standard grant will fund their research. The study, “Testing for Vulnerable Neuronal Connections in Early AD,”. The study, Dr. Johanna Jackson and I are working on together, will last from July 1, 2022, to 2025.

Dr. Kevin Beier from The University of California

“Mapping Brain Connectivity Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease” was the subject of a $300,000 Standard grant that went to Dr. Kevin Beier of the University of California, Irvine. June 30, 2025 is the end date of the award period that begins on July 1, 2022.

Dr. Leah VandenBosch at Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle

Leah VandenBosch, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Washington, has won a $200,000 postdoctoral fellowship to fund her research on “Machine Learning to Predict AMD-Associated Genetic Variant Impact.” From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, you will be working with Dr. Timothy Cherry on this fellowship.

Dr. Thomas Wubben from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

Dr. Thomas Wubben of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, was awarded a $450,000 New Investigator Grant for his study titled “Macular Degeneration, Metabolism, and a Novel Mitigation Strategy.” From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, is the duration of the award.

Dr. Charly Abi Ghanem at Albany Medical College in Albany

Albany Medical College’s Dr. Charly Abi Ghanem received a $200,000 Postdoctoral Fellowship for her thesis, “Influence of Testosterone on Dementia in Male Mice.” This fellowship runs from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, under Drs. Kristen Zuloaga and Sally Temple.

Dr. Antoine Anfray at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York

Postdoctoral Fellow Antoine Anfray of Cornell University’s Weill Medical College in New York, NY, received $200,000. In “Dysfunction of the Regulation of Cerebral Blood Flow in Alzheimer Disease,” he examines cerebral blood flow regulation in Alzheimer’s. Fellowship runs from July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2024.

Dr. Uri Ashery at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv

For his study “Revealing Early Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease,” Dr. Uri Ashery from Tel Aviv University received a $300,000 Standard award. This grant, with Dr. Shahar Alon, runs from July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2025.

Patsy Nishina, PhD, at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor

Patsy Nishina, PhD, The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, ME, is a co-Principal Investigator for a $600,000 Innovative Research grant. In partnership with Dr. Juergen Naggert, “Mouse Models for Subretinal Fibrosis,” develops animal models to examine the disease. Award duration is July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025.

Dr. Lev Prasov from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

Lev Prasov of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, received a $450,000 New Investigator Grant for his study, “Gene Regulation of RPE Maintenance.” From July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2025, Dr. Prasov receives the Inaugural Joe Hollyfield Award.

Dr. Przemyslaw Sapieha at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montréal

Dr. Przemyslaw Sapieha of Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montréal, Canada, received a $600,000 BrightFocus Foundation Innovative Research Grant. The research, “The Molecular Events in Early Life that lead to AMD,” studies the molecular processes that cause AMD. The grant runs from July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2025.

Dr. Thomas Brett at Washington University

Dr. Thomas Brett of Washington University in St. Louis received a $300,000 Standard grant for “Understanding TREM2 Signaling as an AD Target.” The grant runs from July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2025.

Conclusion 

The BrightFocus Foundation advances research and fights Alzheimer’s, Macular Degeneration, and Glaucoma. BrightFocus Foundation Grants granted approximately $300 million worldwide for studies on AMD medicines and Alzheimer’s biomarkers. BrightFocus remains hopeful for medicines and cures by encouraging innovation, supporting young scientists, and adapting to changing research environments. Health equity emphasizes its attention to solving complex mind and sight issues, advancing scientific discoveries.

If you are interested to know about more foundation grants, please check our website https://grantsbuddy.com/ 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are BrightFocus Foundation Grants ?

BrightFocus Foundation Grants fund world-class research into Alzheimer’s, Macular Degeneration, and Glaucoma treatments and cures. These awards advance neurodegenerative and vision-related illness research.

Who is eligible to apply for BrightFocus Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards?

BrightFocus Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards are open to young and senior postdocs. Applying applicants with outstanding appointments must have them concluded by the start of the award. The postdoctoral fellow should propose, not the supervisor.

What changes have been made to BrightFocus Foundation’s eligibility criteria for Standard Awards (National Glaucoma Research – NGR)?

Standard Awards were traditionally reserved for Principal Investigators (P.I.s) with academic ranks above Assistant Professor. However, BrightFocus now accepts excellent junior academics in non-tenure-track jobs who have undergone formal postdoctoral supervised research training and are intellectual leads for submitted initiatives. Non-tenure-track applicants must specify independent research positions on applications.

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