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Funding Opportunities

The Children’s Tumor Foundation is dedicated to funding research that will prevent, reverse, or manage the complications of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and all types of schwannomatosis (SWN), including NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN), formerly called neurofibromatosis type 2.

Grant Schedule

Requests for Applications (RFAs)

The Children’s Tumor Foundation has historically acted as a ‘seed funder’ to provide funding, especially to early-career NF researchers and early-stage NF research, which require additional time and support before becoming eligible for larger governmental or industrial funding.

CTF established the Discovery Fund as a mechanism to support researchers and clinicians engaged in novel and fundamental NF investigations. The Discovery Fund encompasses the following award programs: Young Investigator Award (YIA), Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI), and Clinical Research Awards (CRA). Additional award mechanisms and funding opportunities include our Contract Awards and funding for our upcoming Preclinical Hub.

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2024 Grants Schedule

  • Preclinical Hub
    • Applications will open March 18 – due May 20, 2024
  • Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI)
    • Open January 8 – February 5, 2024; Application closed
  • Clinical Research Award (CRA)
    • Open January 16 – February 12, 2024; Application closed
  • Young Investigator Award (YIA)
    • Open November 1 – 30, 2023; Application closed

Preclinical Hub (PCH) Program

The goal of the Preclinical Hub (PCH)  Program is to stimulate NF drug discovery by funding the development of relevant and translational preclinical tools to support drug screening efforts as part of the Preclinical Hub model. The Preclinical Hub will serve to provide access to NF-focused tools and resources for the purposes of accelerating drug development efforts.

Specifically, the aims of the PCH Program are to support the generation of clinically-relevant in vitro (cell-based) or in vivo (whole animal) model systems for NF. Topics of specific interest to CTF will include in vivo and in vitro models of non-NF2-related SWN, cutaneous neurofibromas as well as genetically modified models of  NF1-related learning and cognitive deficits or pain in schwannomatosis.

Apply Now

Eligibility

  • MD, PhD, or equivalent
  • Must have full access to or identified collaborators with required resources, including in vivo and in vitro models
  • Applications are welcome from both academic and private sectors
  • No citizenship requirement

Funding Amount and Duration

Applications can range from one to three years with the goal of delivering a validated model. 

For the development or validation of a cell-based model, funding of up to $75,000 per year will be provided. For the development and/or validation of an in vivo model, funding of up to $125,000 per year will be provided. Please note that funding amounts are INCLUSIVE of up to 10% indirect costs.

Application and Guidelines

  • One-stage applications requiring a full application
  • March 18, 2024 – Application form goes live
  • May 20, 2024 – Applications are due by 4:00 pm EST
  • Week of September 9, 2024  – Decision notification
Application GuidelinesApply Now

Young Investigator Award (YIA)

The Young Investigator Award is CTF’s longest running award program, and provides two-year salary support to early career NF researchers, such as senior doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers, to help them get established as independent NF investigators. Since its inception, several YIAs have made groundbreaking research findings and notable publications through this program, and many have advanced to become leaders in the NF research and clinical communities. The main function of the YIA program has been to serve as a ‘seeding mechanism’ for researchers to secure larger grants, such as from the NIH and CDMRP NFRP.

For questions, contact Proposal Central at ctfgrants@altum.com.

Eligibility

  • Applicants should have an MD, PhD, or an equivalent degree from a recognized US or non-US institution.
  • The application’s principal investigator (PI) should not have received more than $200,000 in total direct costs for previous NF or SWN research as a PI of one of more federally or privately funded, non-mentored peer-reviewed grants at the time of application submission.
  • Co-investigators who have received funding in NF or SWN research are allowed only if their role in the project is secondary and limited.
  • Applicants must be willing to consult with experts in NF or SWN in the definition of their application and have access to expertise throughout the duration of the award. CTF can provide a panel of experts who will mentor the applicant.

Funding Amount and Duration

  • The program provides funding for TWO YEARS. Funding requests have a maximum of $200,000 total for the entire two-year period. Please note this funding amount is INCLUSIVE of up to 10% of indirect costs.

Application and Guidelines

This application is now closed.

Program Chairs

A black and white photo of a woman smiling.Andrea “Andi” McClatchey is the Poitras Family Professor of Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and was named the 2011 Scott and Patricia Eston MGH ECOR Research Scholar in 2011. Dr. McClatchey received her PhD in Genetics from Harvard Medical School and completed postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Tyler Jacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the faculty at MGH and Harvard Medical School. In addition to running a research program, Dr. McClatchey is co-leader of the Landry Cancer Biology Consortium for graduate students at Harvard Medical School and devotes considerable time to the training and mentoring of graduate students. Dr. McClatchey’s research is dedicated to understanding the molecular basis of the familial tumor syndrome neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and using that insight to develop and test new treatments for NF2. Her work has uncovered key aspects of how the NF2 protein Merlin functions and revealed fundamental rules by which all cells organize their outer membrane so as to appropriately interface with their environment. She actively engages in translating these fundamental scientific discoveries toward new therapeutic strategies for NF2 patients.

A black and white photo of a woman in a white shirt.Helen Morrison, PhD, Professor Neurobiology of Aging
Helen Morrison studied in the United Kingdom and received her PhD degree in Germany. After research stays in the USA and Germany, she moved to Jena to pursue her scientific career as a group leader at the Leibniz Research on Aging (FLI) where she was tenured in 2015 and was appointed Professor Neurobiology of Aging at Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena in 2020. Dr. Morrison is on national and international review panels, is an elected German Research Foundation study section member, and has initiated mentoring measures targeting young scientists and clinicians. She has also been a spokesperson for the Leibniz-funded postdoc network ‘RegenerAging’ since 2015 and a spokesperson for the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliance ‘Healthy Aging’ since 2017. Dr. Morrison’s research interest lies in the nature of cell communication and the mis-wiring of signaling pathways in disease and ageing. Her research group is specifically interested in delineating the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and in disease mechanisms for disorders of myelinating cells. These disease areas represent a great medical need and Dr. Morrison collaborates nationally and internationally with the aim to perform translational work in each area. Dr. Morrison has worked and collaborated on NF2 research for more than 15 years, focusing her efforts on dissecting merlin’s mechanism of action.

A black and white photo of a man in a t - shirt.Eduard “Edu” Serra is a researcher at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona (Barcelona), Spain. He received his PhD in Biology from the University of Barcelona and performed a postdoctoral training at the Molecular Sciences Institute, Berkeley, California. Dr. Serra started working on Neurofibromatosis type 1 in 1995 in the lab of Dr. Conxi Lázaro, and has continued in the NF field since then, except the postdoctoral period at Berkeley. At IGTP, he combined the running of a Neurofibromatosis research lab with the genetic diagnostics of NF patients (2009-2019). Recently he focused his efforts only in research, especially in the NF1-associated peripheral nervous system tumors. His group is interested in the origin, progression and therapeutic response of neurofibromas and MPNSTs; in the molecular bases of NF pathogenesis and on finding new therapeutic approximations. His group uses genomics and integrative biology analyses and generates and uses cell-based model systems, like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and 3D systems. Dr. Serra participates in the Neurofibromatoses Clinical Reference Center in Spain and is a close collaborator of different local and international NF Patient Associations.

Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI)

The goal of the Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI) program is to stimulate NF drug discovery by funding researchers proposing to investigate novel or repurposing therapies for NF or to validate new NF targets. Proposals are expected to be short and concentrated on obtaining key preliminary data needed to quickly advance to the next step of drug discovery.

Specifically, applications must fall into one the following two categories: 

  1. Support early-stage testing of therapeutic compounds for the treatment of NF. Shelved compounds (compounds having successfully undergone clinical testing but not being actively developed further despite this) will be prioritized. For compounds against a specific target (where multiple compounds exist), a strong rationale, also based on safety data, must be provided upon submission.
  2. Support the validation of a novel NF target. Targets may have been described as potentially relevant in NF or may be de novo. To that end, we encourage the mining of existing publicly available datasets. Target validation experiments should not be limited to the testing of compounds of limited or unknown specificity and should include target engagement experiments using direct biochemical methods or genetic interactions.

Eligibility

  • MD, PhD or equivalent
  • Must have full access to or identified collaborators with required resources including in vivo and in vitro models
  • Applicants from industry can apply
  • No citizenship requirement

Funding Amount and Duration

The DDI program provides funding for up to two years with a $200,000 budget overall. In order to proceed to the second year of funding, clear milestones (approved at initiation) must be met and data reviewed. 

Please note that funding amounts are INCLUSIVE of up to 10% indirect costs.

Application and Guidelines

VIEW APPLICATION GUIDELINES

  • One-stage applications requiring a full application
  • January 8, 2024 – Application form goes live
  • February 5, 2024 – Applications are due by 4:00 pm EST
  • Week of May 13, 2024  – Decision notification

The DDI application form can be accessed by logging into ProposalCentral, clicking on Grants Opportunities, and either filtering by Children’s Tumor Foundation or typing in the foundation name in the Search box.

This application is now closed. 

Program Chairs

A black and white photo of a man wearing glasses.NADER FOTOUHI, PhD
Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, TB Alliance

As Chief Scientific Officer for the TB Alliance, Dr. Nader Fotouhi guides and oversees the organization’s research and preclinical development activities.

Dr. Fotouhi has 24 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with significant research and early development expertise in a variety of therapeutic areas. Prior to joining the TB Alliance, Dr. Fotouhi held various leadership positions at Hoffmann-La Roche, including the head of the Discovery Chemistry group at the Nutley New Jersey site, the global head of Discovery Technologies, and served as the Nutley New Jersey Pharma Research and Early Development Site Leader.

Dr. Fotouhi holds a Ph.D. and Post Doctoral fellowship in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Fotouhi has authored or co-authored more than 50 articles and presentations and holds 20 patents.

A man wearing a blue sweater and white shirt.GEORG C. TERSTAPPEN, PhD
Executive Vice President, Drug Discovery, Cambrian Biopharma

Georg Terstappen is the Executive Vice President of Drug Discovery at Cambrian Biopharma. He has nearly 30 years of experience in big pharma and biotech, holding R&D leadership positions at Bayer, GW/GSK, and Abbott/AbbVie – most recently as Head of Preclinical CNS Drug Development with GSK. Georg was also co-founder and CSO of the CNS drug discovery company Siena Biotech and, more recently, CSO of OxStem (a University of Oxford spin-out focused on regenerative medicine).

In addition, Georg has led EU R&D framework organizations as Vice-Chair of the Innovative Medicines Strategy group in the context of EFPIA and IMI. He was also adjunct Professor at several European universities for more than ten years and leader of European-wide research programs funded by the EC. Georg has published 90 scientific articles and is an inventor/coinventor of 15 patents. He has a first-class honours degree in Biology and conducted research at the Max-Planck-Institute in Cologne and the Federal Research Centre Juelich for which he has received a PhD in natural sciences.

Past Awardees

CTF has awarded more than 70 DDI awards since the inception of the program in 2006.

2023 DDI Awardees
2012-2022 DDI Awardees

Clinical Research Award (CRA)

The Clinical Research Award program supports early stage pilot clinical trials of candidate therapeutics or interventions for the treatment of physical or psychosocial manifestations of NF1, SWN, or NF2-SWN. This grant mechanism also includes adjunct studies, such as the development of biomarkers, imaging protocols, and other clinical trial tools.

Eligibility

  • MDs, PhDs, research fellows, and holders of MS, GC, NP, and equivalent degrees
  • No citizenship requirement

Funding Amount and Duration

  • Two years funding of up to $150,000 total inclusive of 10% indirect costs
  • Can request up to $1,500 travel allowance

Application and Guidelines

VIEW APPLICATION GUIDELINES

  • Two-stage application requiring a Letter of Intent (LOI) and a full application
  • January 16, 2024 – Letter of Intent (LOI) form goes live
  • February 12, 2024 – LOI’s due by 4:00 pm EST
  • February 29, 2024 – Invitation to full application
  • April 1, 2024 – Full applications due by 4:00 pm EST
  • Week of July 1, 2024 –  Decision notifications

This application is now closed. 

 

Program Chairs

The CRA program is chaired by the members of the Clinical Care Advisory Board.

Past CRA Awardees

View Awardees

Contract Award (CA)

The Contract Awards are by invitation-only special awards that the Foundation assigns to academic researchers or for-profit entities to run special projects. The Contract Award is not a typical award, but rather an objective and task-oriented project that allows the recipient to access funding otherwise not obtainable through the other grant mechanisms because of scope or requirements. The Contract Awards are regulated by a contract with milestone-based payments and ad-hoc negotiation.

Applicants invited to submit their Contract Award application will be informed about the application process in their invitation letter. Please email grants@ctf.org for any questions.

Eligibility

  • MD, PhD or equivalent
  • No citizenship requirement

Funding Amount and Duration

Variable depending on the scope of the proposal

Application and Guidelines

By invitation only.

Please see Contract Award Guidelines for more information.

Email grants@ctf.org for more information.

Apply Now

Past Funding Mechanisms

The award mechanisms below will not open for the 2024 grant cycle.

NF1 Gene Therapy Awards

The Children’s Tumor Foundation launched the NF1 Gene Therapy Initiative in 2019 with the objective of exploring gene therapy as a potential therapeutic tool for NF1. The focus of the Initiative is to fund proof of principle studies to investigate the feasibility of gene therapy approaches to correct pathogenic mutations in the NF1 gene and consequently treat NF1-associated plexiform neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

The NF1 Gene Therapy Initiative has funded five projects so far, each of which is investigating a different aspect of gene therapy and its applicability to NF1.

Application and Guidelines

This RFA is currently closed.

Past Awardees

View Past Awardees

Special Call on Pain in NF and SWN

The Special Call on Pain in neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis launched in collaboration with the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) and sought applications focused on pain in NF1 and SWN, including NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN), from basic biology to innovative clinical management. A special focus is on SMARCB1-related and LZTR1-related schwannomatosis pain where significant differences in pain intensity and quality of life are reported, but the reasons for these differences remain unknown.

CTF hosts the NF Registry (nfregistry.org) and can help identify patients to participate in research studies.

Eligibility

  • Applicants should have an MD, PhD, or an equivalent degree from a recognized US or non-US institution.
  • The application’s principal investigator (PI) should not have received more than $200,000 in total direct costs for previous NF1 or SWN research as a PI of one of more federally or privately funded, non-mentored peer-reviewed grants at the time of application submission.
  • Co-investigators who have received funding in NF1 or SWN research are allowed only if their role in the project is secondary and limited.
  • Applicants must be willing to consult with experts in NF1 or SWN in the definition of their application and have access to expertise throughout the duration of the award. CTF can provide a panel of experts who will mentor the applicant.

Funding Amount and Duration

  • The program provides funding for TWO YEARS. Funding requests have a maximum of $200,000 total for the entire two-year period. Please note this funding amount is INCLUSIVE of up to 10% of indirect costs.

Application and Guidelines

This application is closed. 

Search CTF-Funded Research Projects

Search the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Award Database to discover investigators and projects driving key advances in NF research.