Grants for Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

Helping the Disadvantaged Become Self-Reliant

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Global Impact Cash Grants

Cisco welcomes applications for Global Impact Cash Grants from community partners around the world who share our vision and offer an innovative approach to a critical social challenge.

We identify, incubate, and develop innovative solutions with the most impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We’re looking for programs that fit within our investment areas, serve the underserved, and leverage technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services. We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. An initial information form is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application.

Social Investment Areas

At Cisco, we make social investments in three areas where we believe our technology and our people can make the biggest impact—education, economic empowerment, and crisis response, the last of which incorporates shelter, water, food, and disaster relief. Together, these investment areas help people overcome barriers of poverty and inequality, and make a lasting difference by fostering strong global communities.

Education Investments

Our strategy is to inclusively invest in technology-based solutions that increase equitable access to education while improving student performance, engagement, and career exploration. We support K-12 solutions that emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as well as literacy. We also consider programs that teach environmental sustainability, eliminate barriers to accessing climate change education, and invite student engagement globally to positively affect the environment.

What we look for:

• Innovative early grade solutions using the internet and technology to bridge the barriers preventing access to education for underserved students globally.
• Solutions that positively affect student attendance, attitudes, and behavior while inspiring action by students to improve learning outcomes, whether they participate in person, online, or in blended learning environments. 
• Solutions with high potential to replicate and scale globally, thereby increasing the availability of evidence-based solutions that support student-centricity, teacher capacity in the classroom, and increased parental participation to help students learn and develop.

Economic Empowerment

Our strategy is to invest in early stage, tech-enabled solutions that provide equitable access to the knowledge, skills, and resources that people need to support themselves and their families toward resilience, independence, and economic security.

Our goal is to support solutions that benefit individuals and families, and that contribute to local community growth and economic development in a sustainable economy.

We target our support in three interconnected areas:

• Skills development to help job seekers secure dignified employment and long-term career pathways in technology or other sectors, including environmental sustainability/green jobs.
• Inclusive entrepreneurship with small businesses as engines of local growth as well as high growth potential start-ups as large-scale job creators nationally and internationally, in technology or other sectors, including environment sustainability/green businesses.
• Banking the unbanked through relevant and affordable financial products and capacity building services.

Cisco Crisis Response

We seek to help overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence and achieve a more sustainable future through strategic investments. We back organizations that successfully address critical needs of underserved communities, because those who have their basic needs met are better equipped to learn and thrive.

What we look for:

• Innovative solutions that increase the capacity of grantees to deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently
• Design and implementation of web-based tools that increase the availability of, or improve access to, products and services that are necessary for people to survive and thrive
• Programs that increase access to clean water, food, shelter, or disaster relief and promote a more sustainable future for all
  • By policy, relief campaigns respond to significant natural disaster and humanitarian crises as opposed to those caused by human conflict. Also by policy, our investments in this area do not include healthcare solutions.

Climate Impact

Our strategy is to invest US$100 million in Cisco Foundation funds over the next decade to help reverse the impact of climate change, working toward a sustainable and regenerative future for all.

The commitment includes both grant and impact investment funding for early-stage climate innovation. Both categories of support will be focused on bold climate solutions, and the grants side will also concentrate on community education and activation. Grants will go to exceptionally aligned nonprofit organizations, while impact investments will go to highly promising for-profit solutions through the private sector and climate impact funds.

Funding comes from the Cisco Foundation and will focus on:

• Identifying bold and innovative solutions that:
  • Draw down the carbon already in the atmosphere
  • Regenerate depleted ecosystems and broadly support the transition to a regenerative future
• Developing curricular initiatives to spur community engagement that can lead to measurable behavioral change and collective action

We will prioritize organizations that can achieve, measure, and report outcomes such as:

• Reduction, capture, and/or sequestering of greenhouse gas and carbon emissions
• Increased energy efficiency and improved mapping and management of natural resources, such as ecosystem restoration, forest treatments, reforestation, and afforestation that also will help repair our water cycles
• Transition to inclusive, just, coliberatory, and regenerative operating models, ways of being, and ways of organizing economies
• Creation of, and increase in, access to green jobs and job training
• Changes in community and individual behavior that lead to carbon footprint reduction, community climate resilience, and localized roadmaps to a sustainable shared climate future for all

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Research Grants

Funding

We are currently accepting applications for research projects with a budget limit of $200,000 per year total costs (including indirects) for up to 3 years in length, and budget must be justified based on the aims of the proposal.

About

The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Every year we select and nurture a group of big, bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges, and with the support of an inspiring group of donors and supporters, come together to get them launched.

Housed at TED, the nonprofit with a long track record of surfacing ideas worth spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, the funding collective is comprised of several respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy.

Our goal is to match bold ideas with catalytic resources.

• We encourage the world’s inspirational changemakers to dream bigger than ever before.
• Help shape their best ideas into viable multi-year plans.
• Present those solutions in a compelling way to potential supporters.

The Process

Every year, The Audacious Project works with proven change-makers to surface their best, boldest ideas for tackling global problems.

Sourcing & review

Projects are sourced from public applications and a global network of partners and donors. They are narrowed down to a group of finalists whose ideas are representative of a broad range of geographies and issue areas while elevating leaders with proximity to the communities they serve.

Idea shaping & investment support

Each finalist project goes through a rigorous ideation, due diligence, and investment support process, to ensure their proposal is achievable and compelling.

Funding & launch

Finalist projects are presented privately to groups of donors and are then publicly unveiled at TED. Funded projects then pursue their plans and share regular updates on key milestones reached with donors and the public.

Is Your Idea Audacious?

• Are you a changemaker with a bold vision?
• Are you a non-profit with an experienced team equipped to receive large scale philanthropic support?
• Is your idea a proven concept that aspires to create a better world?
• We look for ideas that cover a wide range of issues, from global health and climate change, to social justice and education.

What Makes An Idea Audacious?

Inspire

• Transformative vision
  • Your idea should capture a bold vision for tackling one of the world's most urgent topics.
• Creating a better world
  • It is your opportunity to take a giant leap forward; you may be tempted to think incrementally, but remember for it to be bold, your idea should offer significant, enduring impact.
  • This vision should bring us much closer to your version of an ideal world in a matter of years rather than generations.
• Innovative and original
  • There should be a unique aspect or creative element to your approach that challenges convention or status quo or changes the narrative for the greater good.

Convince

• Proven concept
  • There should be evidence that the idea will have impact based on a track record of past success, a demand from those that would be affected, and justified confidence that results can be sustained in the future.
• A bold vision that has clear outcomes
  • There should be a sense of where you will be at the end of a multi-year funding term and the strategy, resources and timeline required to achieve it. We want to hear about the changes that would take place because of your idea, not just the components that go into implementing it.

• Established support
  • You and your capable and confident team have the backing of a nonprofit, NGO, or institution (or is part of a collaboration between multiple such entities). This organization should be able to receive philanthropic funds and have the core infrastructure necessary to support the work. (Note: Past projects have had an annual operating budget of $1 million or more.)

Please refer to FAQ for additional guidelines.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Background

Our healthcare system is failing too many patients, so we’re doubling down on bold new ideas to root out inequities for good.

As the pioneers of the biotech industry, it’s our responsibility to catalyze change and help build a healthcare system where all patients can benefit equally from groundbreaking medical advances. That’s why we launched the Genentech Health Equity Innovation Fund in 2019 to invest in game-changing ideas with the potential to transform healthcare.

Through the Innovation Fund, we are working to eliminate the unjust inequities that force patients of color to navigate a broken system. But our impact also extends much further. Racial and ethnic health disparities currently cost our society almost $500 billion annually, and by addressing them, we can improve the lives of everyone..

Why We Invest: Patients Deserve Better

Though our industry has known for decades that racism negatively impacts health outcomes for people of color, there has been little progress to fix it – and patients deserve better. Stark inequities persist, including:

• Black and Latinx/Latine people are 2-3 times more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, and are less likely to have access to screening.
• Black and Indigenous people remain underrepresented in the healthcare workforce, meaning healthcare providers aren’t as diverse as their patients.
• Fewer than 20% of new drugs between 2014 and 2021 had clinical study data on benefits or side effects for Black patients.

2024 Innovation Fund

We are at a critical inflection point in our efforts to eliminate health inequities. Across the conditions that our medicines treat, there are significant barriers for patients at every point in the care journey. Often, these unjust and avoidable barriers are the result of systemic racism, and cannot be overcome by individual behavior change alone.

At Genentech, we prioritize health equity in everything we do – from clinical study design to our access/policy priorities to our philanthropic investments. That’s why, in 2019, we launched the Genentech Health Equity Innovation Fund to catalyze efforts to eliminate inequities in patient health outcomes. Through the 2024 Innovation Fund, we are seeking to fund teams focused on measurably and sustainably closing racial/ethnic inequities in healthcare to create a future where:

• All patients – especially those marginalized by our healthcare system – define and attain their highest levels of health supported by a system that is accountable for delivering high-quality competent care.
• The medical/scientific workforce is diverse, inclusive, thriving and accountable to all patients.

Grant periods are flexible, though generally range from 18 months to 3 years. 

See FAQs for more informations.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here. 

The focus area for this year is Wildlife Conservation. We believe it's our duty to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. We envision a world where everyone works in harmony to protect what is important so that all life on this planet can thrive.

The Foundation was established in December 2013 by Kathryn B. McQuade, after retiring from 33 years of working in the business community. I was blessed to have been born into a loving middle class family. My father worked very hard to insure that all of his children were given an opportunity for a good education and my mother, “a stay at home Mom’ was always there for us. My world was safe and comfortable. My life is in stark contrast to how much of the rest of the world lives. I continue to read of the terrible injustices waged against women and children globally and hope that this foundation can provide them the opportunity and resources to succeed. We will support organizations that help us achieve our goal of Striving to make sustainable improvements in women and children’s rights education and welfare.

Kathryn McQuade Foundation Grant

The Foundation will make timely decisions on your grant request and provide clear communications on our expectations of reporting progress.

Women

The Foundation’s goal is to provide women assistance and provide them an opportunity to succeed. Assistance can take many forms, however our goal is to help them become self sufficient and enable them to lift themselves out of poverty and provide for their children. Access to education, job training and professional skills, even access to capital in order to build a business are possible ways we will consider helping women to succeed. Grant requests should focus on enabling the women to sustain financial independence.

We look forward to hearing of the many creative ways organizations are working on helping women succeed through out the world. To help women is to help their children and the communities they live in.

Children

Too many children in the US and across the world live in poverty and lack the access to education. Education and/or appropriate skills training are necessary to break the cycle of poverty and crime. While the assistance to women may take many forms, the foundation’s focus for children will target education and/ or skills training. The Foundation is open to many ideas on how to accomplish this goal and look forward to receiving proposals to help all children achieve their potential.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Clinician Scientist Development Awards

The National MS Society seeks to attract and train promising young investigators and physicians into the field of MS by supporting the training of postdoctoral fellows in studies related to MS. The Society’s research goals are to stop disease progression, restore function, and end MS forever through prevention. The Clinician Scientist Development Award supports the training of outstanding post-residency clinicians committed to careers in academic medicine with an emphasis on MS clinical research. This program supports three years of research training in an environment where talented young clinicians address problems in multiple sclerosis with the most current scientific tools.

Base salary scale is determined according to post-graduate year and is supplemented by an institutional allowance.

Through the generosity of the American Brain Foundation (ABF) one meritorious applicant will be chosen by the ABF to receive The National MS Society-ABF MS Clinician Scientist Development Award. This Awardee will receive the benefits described for the Clinician Scientist Development Award as well as an additional $25,000 annual salary supplement sponsored by the ABF (paid through the National MS Society).

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Harry Weaver Scholar Awards

Harry Weaver, Ph.D., known worldwide for his contribution to neurosciences and multiple sclerosis research, was the Society’s Director of Research from 1966-1977. Throughout his tenure with the Society and throughout his career, Dr. Weaver continued to encourage young investigators to enter and pursue MS research, and to broaden our understanding of basic and clinical aspects of MS. In recognition of Dr. Weaver’s contribution to the neurosciences and MS research, and to his dedication to young researchers, the Society named this prestigious award in his honor.

A limited number of awards will be offered to highly qualified candidates who have concluded their research training and begun academic careers as independent investigators in an area related to multiple sclerosis. The awards are designed to provide salary and grant support for a five-year period, thus permitting the awardee to establish competence in his/her chosen research area. Application must be made jointly by a candidate and the institution in which an appointment is held.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Mentor-Based Postdoctoral Fellowship In Rehabilitation Research

The Society welcomes applications for support of mentors and institutions that provide training of postdoctoral fellows in research related to multiple sclerosis rehabilitation that may serve to advance the mission of the Society.

This program provides support for a mentor-institution combination that is responsible for the recruitment, selection, and training of postdoctoral fellows to pursue a career in rehabilitation research applied to multiple sclerosis and similar disorders. The mentor should be an established and active researcher in MS or a related field. The fellowship will provide for support of a postdoctoral fellow who will work closely with the mentor. The mentor and fellow may come from a variety of different fields including medicine, physical, occupational, or speech therapy, psychology, rehabilitation engineering, nursing, or other fields. The research training may focus on fundamental as well as applied studies but must be relevant to both rehabilitation of individuals with MS and to the Society’s mission.

The program of training to be supported should enhance the likelihood that the trainee will:

• perform meaningful and independent research relevant to multiple sclerosis rehabilitation and
• obtain a suitable position that will enable him or her to do so.

This award is made to a mentor-institution combination and not directly to the postdoctoral fellow. The award is designed to emphasize opportunities for new research training and broadening scientific competence of the postdoctoral fellow.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Medical Student Mentorship Program

The National MS Society offers a four week MS clinical mentorship program to students who have completed at least one year of medical school by the start of the program. The experience will expose students to the diagnosis and comprehensive management of MS under the tutelage of MS experts.

Our goals:

• to raise awareness of the challenges experienced by people with MS
• to generate interest in a career in MS care

The student will work with neurologists and other clinicians specializing in MS (e.g., urologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, physiatrists, nurses, radiologists, rehab therapists, etc.) and observe most aspects of MS specialty care.

Over the course of the 4 weeks the student will spend time at one or more Centers for Comprehensive MS Care and may spend time at community practice locations and other settings (e.g. rehabilitation, long term care, clinical trials research). Students are placed at prestigious MS clinics spanning across the country from Boston to Seattle to Denver to Chicago to New York and more. Applicants will have the opportunity to indicate site preferences in the application.

The mentorship is full-time and takes place during regular business hours, with possible evening hours. The MS Society provides $3,000 to the student awardee.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowships

With the increasing number of new therapies being developed for use in MS, there is a need for physicians trained in conducting clinical trials. Clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of therapies for multiple sclerosis are highly complex and require special expertise and knowledge to monitor this highly variable disease.

It is the intent of this program that the individual with an MD or equivalent medical degree will acquire formal training, under the tutelage of an established investigator, in a broad range of key elements associated with conducting clinical trials in MS. These may include design of study protocols, recruitment of patients, power calculations, randomization procedures, use of controls, identification of appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, identification of primary and secondary outcome measures, maintenance and assessment of blinding, informed consent, safety monitoring and evaluation, and data access and statistical analysis. These elements must be integrated in the plan of training.

The proposal must provide documentation that:

• the clinical fellow will be actively trained in multiple ongoing MS clinical trials, preferably at various phases to provide exposure to the recruitment stage through data analysis.
• a formal curriculum appropriate for clinical trial training, including courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, or other related courses is available at the institution and will be part of the fellowship experience.
  • Although it is not required, the review committee looks favorably on a training plan that includes the completion of a Master’s degree in clinical research or another related research topic

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Commercial R&D Funding

The mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is to cure multiple sclerosis (MS) while empowering individuals affected by MS to live their best lives. To achieve this mission, the Society has developed the Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap. This Roadmap was developed in consultation with global scientific experts and people affected by MS and outlines a vision of the most promising research that will ultimately lead to cures for MS. This RFA invites applications to establish research partnerships with the Society’s commercial development program, Fast Forward, LLC, to accelerate and support development of therapeutic strategies specifically relevant to the Roadmap priority of addressing MS progression and progressive forms of MS. This RFA is open to applicants from for-profit commercial organizations and not-for-profit research institutions worldwide (see Mechanisms of Support section for additional important details).

Examples of research and development to be supported by this RFA include, but are not limited to:

• Proof of concept studies using sufficiently characterized compounds or biologics.
• Studies to measure target engagement or target-related pharmacodynamic effects, particularly those involving endpoints with clinical utility.
• Medicinal chemistry or biologic product development optimization.
• PK/ADMET studies
• IND-enabling studies such as GLP toxicology, compound scale-up, process method validation

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research

The Barancik Prize for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research recognizes an exceptional scientist or a team of scientists whose work in MS research has demonstrated outstanding innovation and originality. This annual prize, made possible by the generosity of the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, is $100,000 to be used at the discretion of the recipient.

The goal of the prize is to recognize innovation in scientific research in the field of multiple sclerosis. Nominations must be submitted on behalf an individual, or team of individuals, by one or more colleagues or mentors. Nomination letters should include current institution and contact information of the nominee, and should address the nominee’s scientific accomplishments with an emphasis on citing the innovative and impactful aspects of the nominee’s work. A selection committee comprised of leaders in science, medicine, and MS advocacy will review nominees.

The committee will evaluate:

• Exceptional innovation and originality in scientific research relevant to MS
• Impact and potential of the research to lead to pathways for the treatment and cure for MS
• Scientific accomplishments that merit recognition as a future leader in MS research

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Outside Meeting Support

To foster communication and sharing of data and ideas, the National MS Society offers modest grants to support meetings, workshops and conferences that are open to all participants and whose topics have clear relevance to research on multiple sclerosis. Grants to successful applicants go to the organizers to help finance meeting costs.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Institutional Clinician Training Award

Consistent with its mission to move toward a world free of multiple sclerosis, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society supports the professional development and training of physicians in the comprehensive care of people with MS. The Society welcomes applications for support of mentors and institutions that will provide training for board- certified/eligible neurologists and physiatrists in new patient consultations, treatment and follow-up evaluations under the direct supervision of an MS specialist physician, as well as participation in multidisciplinary team activities, lectures, and professional meetings. The goal is for fellows to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to provide personalized, high-quality care for individuals with MS.

This program provides support for a mentor-institution combination that is responsible for the recruitment, selection, and training of postdoctoral fellows to pursue a clinical career specializing in the care of individuals with multiple sclerosis and similar disorders. The mentor should be an established and active clinician in the MS field. The fellowship will provide for support of postdoctoral fellows who will work closely with the mentor.

The fellow selected by the mentor must hold an MD, DO or equivalent degree, be licensed to practice medicine in the United States, have completed a residency in neurology or physiatry in the U.S., and plan on practicing medicine in the U.S. following the fellowship.

The program of training to be supported should enhance the likelihood that the trainee will:

• Establish or join an active MS clinical practice in the United States to provide high quality, state-of- the-art, comprehensive clinical care to patients with MS and
• become an active participant and future leader in the MS clinical community, including volunteer activities with the Society at a local chapter or the home office (e.g., as a member of the Clinical Advisory Committee, Chapter Programs Committee, or Board of Trustees, as a speaker at a patient or professional education program, etc.)

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Clinical Care Physician Fellowship: Adult Care

Consistent with its mission to move toward a world free of multiple sclerosis, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society supports the professional development and training of physicians in the comprehensive care of people with MS. The MS Clinical Care Physician Fellowship program offers a one-year, post-residency program designed to train board eligible/certified neurologists or physiatrists in specialized MS clinical care. The program provides fellows with the opportunity to perform new patient consultations and follow-up evaluations under the direct supervision of an MS specialist physician. The fellows will also participate in multidisciplinary team activities, lectures, and professional meetings, leading to the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary to provide personalized, high-quality MS care.

The applicant and mentor are expected to propose a program that involves direct, supervised MS patient care, with other activities that will expose the applicant to a multidisciplinary healthcare team and didactic activities. Keep in mind that the focus of this fellowship is clinical care. This is not a research-focused fellowship.

Although the MS Clinical Care Physician Fellowship program is intended to provide a single year of clinical training, current clinical fellows may apply for an additional year of adult or pediatric clinical fellowship training but must provide a clear plan that describes the need, purpose and expected outcomes for the additional year of fellowship training.

After completing the fellowship program, the fellows will have acquired the skills and experience necessary to develop into physicians who:

• Provide high-quality, state-of-the-art, comprehensive clinical care to patients with MS
• Become an active participant and future leader in the MS clinical community

Within two years of the fellowship experience, the fellows are expected to:

• Establish or join an active MS clinical practice in the United States
• Volunteer with the Society (e.g., as a member of the local Healthcare Provider Councils or Board of Trustees, as an advocacy activist, or as a speaker at a patient or professional education program, etc.)
• Actively participate in related professional associations

This fellowship is for a period of 12 months.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Clinical Care Physician Fellowship: Pediatric Care

Consistent with its mission to move toward a world free of multiple sclerosis, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society supports the professional development and training of physicians in the comprehensive care of people with MS. The MS Clinical Care Physician Fellowship program offers a one-year, post-residency program designed to train board eligible/certified neurologists or physiatrists in specialized MS clinical care. The program provides fellows with the opportunity to perform new patient consultations and follow-up evaluations under the direct supervision of an MS specialist physician. The fellows will also participate in multidisciplinary team activities, lectures, and professional meetings, leading to the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary to provide personalized, high-quality MS care.

The pediatric neurology applicant and mentor are expected to propose a program that involves direct, supervised MS and related demyelinating disease patient care, with other activities that will expose the applicant to a multidisciplinary healthcare team and didactic activities. Keep in mind that the focus of this fellowship is clinical care. This is not a research-focused fellowship

Although the MS Clinical Care Physician Fellowship program is intended to provide a single year of clinical training, current clinical fellows may apply for an additional year of adult or pediatric clinical fellowship training but must provide a clear plan that describes the need, purpose and expected outcomes for the additional year of fellowship training.

After completing the fellowship program, the fellows will have acquired the skills and experience necessary to develop into physicians who:

• Provide high-quality, state-of-the-art, comprehensive clinical care to pediatric patients with MS  and other related demyelinating disorders
• Become an active participant and future leader in the MS clinical community

Within two years of the fellowship experience, the fellows are expected to:

• Establish or join an active MS clinical practice in the United States
• Volunteer with the Society (e.g., as a member of the local Healthcare Provider Councils or Board of Trustees, as an advocacy activist, or as a speaker at a patient or professional education program, etc.)
• Actively participate in related professional associations

This fellowship is for a period of 12 months.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Career Transition Fellowships

The National MS Society’s National Board of Directors has determined that ending the devastating effects of MS will require a cadre of well-trained scientists engaged in MS related research. The Society’s Career Transition Fellowship addresses this need by fostering the development and productivity of young scientists who have potential to make significant contributions to MS research and help ensure the future and stability of MS research.

The Career Transition Fellowship targets current postdoctoral trainees who demonstrate both commitment and exceptional potential to conduct MS-related research. The award provides funding over five years to support a two-year period of advanced postdoctoral training in MS research and the first three years of research support in a new faculty appointment.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. The Pathways to Cures Roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high-priority research questions.

Our research awards align with the three Pathways outlined in the Roadmap:

• STOPPING MS
• RESTORING function
• ENDING MS by prevention

MS research is a high priority for the Society, and we strategically invest in research worldwide to drive solutions for every single person with MS.

Applicants must clearly state the relevance of their proposals to at least one of the research questions outlined in the Roadmap.

The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes.

We value studies that:

• promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
• adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
• focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations (Please consult this toolkit for strategies regarding Minority Engagement in MS Research).

Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Society welcomes applications for support of training of postdoctoral fellows in studies related to multiple sclerosis that may serve to advance the mission of the Society.

The Society supports fundamental as well as applied studies, non-clinical or clinical in nature, including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation. To be considered for funding, all projects must show relevance to the Society’s research priorities.

The Society offers postdoctoral fellowship grants to unusually promising recipients of M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degrees when it appears that the program of training to be supported by the grant will enhance the likelihood that the trainee will:

• perform meaningful and independent research relevant to multiple sclerosis in the future, and
• obtain a suitable position that will enable them to do so.

The fellowship is for salary support only. The proposed postdoctoral program should emphasize opportunities for new research training and broadening scientific competence of the applicant.

Fellowship support will not be provided for more than three years.