How Research Projects Get Funded

We seek out and fund a diverse research portfolio including clinical trials, preclinical drug development, target identification and validation, gene discoveries, environmental and occupational risks, assistive technologies, patient/caregiver burden measurements, telehealth research, natural history studies, fellowships, databases, capacity building and research infrastructure. We encourage researchers to apply for funding through our Requests for Applications (RFA’s).

ALS Association research projects get selected through a rigorous, transparent, and deliberative process. Grant applicants submit a letter of intent (short proposal). Selected applicants are asked to submit a full proposal. Full proposals are peer-reviewed, critiqued, and scored by a Review committee of independent external experts.Review Committees are selected ad hoc based on the expertise needed to review that grant program, and these committees determine the top list of grants and provide recommendations for funding. These recommendations are presented to the Research Committee of the Association’s Board of Trustees. The Research Committee is comprised of volunteers including people living with ALS, current and former caregivers, scientists, clinicians, and business professionals and it provides the final approval for funding and budget.