BrightFocus Foundation – Macular Degeneration Research Request for Proposals

Deadline
LOI: May 29, 2025
Final Submission: By Invitation Only

Macular Degeneration Research, a BrightFocus Foundation program, provides research funds for U.S. domestic and international researchers pursuing pioneering research leading to greater understanding, prevention, and treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

Macular Degeneration Research offers three types of awards:

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
    This fellowship program is intended to support young postdoctoral researchers during their final stages of mentored training. The award provides salary support for a young scientist to conduct postdoctoral studies in an established laboratory focused on research contributing to understanding the biological causes and/or new clinical treatment of macular degeneration and should also serve as the basis for the applicant’s independent research career.

Proposal Length: Two-page description of the proposed research
Award Amount: $100,000 per year (total value $200,000)
Duration: 2 years

  • New Investigator Grant Program
    This research grant is intended to support investigators during their early years as an independent investigator involved in studies that have an impact on the causes and/or treatment of macular degeneration.

Proposal Length: Two-page description of the proposed research
Award Amount: $150,000 per year (total value $450,000)
Duration: Up to 3 years

  • Innovative Research Grants
    This program is intended to provide support for high-risk/high-gain age-related macular degeneration research. We hope to attract established investigators to apply for this support, but the aims of the application must contain outside-the-box ideas that are novel in the field. Applicants who are experts in another field are encouraged to apply their talents to proposing innovative research in the macular degeneration field.]

Proposal Length: Three-page description of the proposed research
Award Amount: $200,000 per year (total value $600,000)
Duration: Up to 3 years

 

For more detailed information, please see the Foundation website.