Opportunity Has Closed
The ALS Association’s Assistive Technology Grants support efforts to develop or adapt technologies that can help maintain or improve the health, independence, and/or quality of life of people living with ALS.
Overview
Our goal is to make ALS livable for everyone, everywhere, until we are able to find a cure. This means not only searching for new ways to treat the disease but also finding ways to empower people with ALS to live their lives to the fullest. The needs of people living with ALS can vary from person to person and throughout the course of the disease. As ALS progresses, diverse assistive technologies play a crucial role in helping manage symptoms and maintain independence. These devices can make it easier for people with ALS to communicate, move, breathe, and perform daily activities, making life better for both the person living with the disease and their caregivers.
Assistive Technology Grants provide a maximum of $400,000 over 2 years to accelerate the development of innovative technologies or the adaptation of existing technologies that can help maintain or improve the health, independence, and/or quality of life of people living with ALS. This funding opportunity is intended to support work after the exploration and discovery phase.
Given that technologies at different stages of development could receive funding through this opportunity, successful project outcomes could include advancement of the technology, adaptation of existing finished products to the particular needs or requirements of the ALS community, or deployment of the technology to a meaningful number of end users. For most recipients, this award will constitute a minority of the funding needed to reach commercial launch, but the Association’s support should catalyze follow-on funding that will enable further development or commercialization activities.
To view the full funding announcement, click here.
Scope
For this funding opportunity, we will accept applications from all scientific disciplines that are focused on developing novel assistive technologies or integrating or repurposing existing technologies to create new solutions for people living with ALS. Types of assistive technology supported could include, but are not limited to:
- Technologies to assist with activities of daily living, such as call bells and other devices that enable calling for help, transfer devices (i.e., devices to more easily and safely move people with mobility challenges to and from a wheelchair, chair, bed, car, bathtub, toilet, etc.), home monitoring systems or automation that allow an individual to control appliances, electronics, or other aspects of their environment.
- Devices that can help individuals with ALS communicate more effectively (i.e., augmentative and alternative communication devices), such as eye-tracking technology, customized speech-generating devices, or brain-computer interfaces.
- Mobility aids and assistive devices that can help individuals with ALS move around and perform daily tasks more independently, such as powered wheelchairs, wheelchair-mounted robotic arms, or bathroom mobility aids.
- Innovative technologies that can improve breathing, such as more effective tools for non-invasive ventilation.
- Technologies that can increase access to and participation in recreational activities and environments.
- Technologies that address pressing health service delivery issues relevant to the lives of people living with ALS, including telehealth, remote monitoring, and the coordination and provision of home- and community-based health services.
Both technologies that are designed specifically for people living with ALS and technologies that cater to a wider customer base (but still have important benefits for people living with ALS) are suitable topics for this funding opportunity.
Since this funding opportunity emphasizes development, validation, and translation over exploratory studies, applications focused on exploration and discovery work are out of scope and may be administratively withdrawn. Please see the full funding announcement for definitions of these stages of assistive technology development.
Funding and Eligibility
Budgets for total costs up to $400,000 (inclusive of both direct and indirect costs) may be requested for a period of 2 years. Indirect costs are limited to 10% of total direct costs. All funds must be expended within the approved period of performance.
Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research may apply as principal investigator. Applicants do not need to have a scientific background in ALS research. Established investigators, early career investigators, and investigators from outside the ALS field are all encouraged to apply. Junior postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to apply as principal investigators.
Deadlines
- Letter of Intent Due Date: July 13, 2023, 5 p.m. U.S. EDT
- Full Proposal Due Date (by invitation only): September 7, 2023, 5 p.m. U.S. EDT
- Anticipated Award Decision: October 2023
- Anticipated Earliest Start Date: November 2023
Our expectation is that contracting will be completed within 60 days of the award offer. If not, we reserve the right to rescind the award offer and redirect the funds to other projects.
Submissions
All application materials must be submitted electronically. To register for a Proposal Central account, create a new Letter of Intent or access an existing saved Letter of Intent, please visit proposalcentral.com.
Instructions for Proposal Central:
Questions
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity. Please submit your questions and other related correspondence to ResearchGrants@als.org.
