Deadlines
Full Proposal Opens: Monday, June 30, 2025
Full Proposal Due: Thursday, October 30, 2025
About
The goal of the BrightFocus Foundation research grants program is to advance innovative research promoting advances in the etiology, prevention, and treatments of Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Our is to help people live free from diseases of mind and sight. The Foundation is interested in supporting high risk studies that illuminate areas for which there currently is little understanding, helping to bring to light crucial knowledge about these three devastating diseases. This is accomplished by relatively small grants for investigator-initiated research that are designed to allow scientists the opportunity to develop the preliminary data necessary to be considered competitive for larger government or corporate types of sponsorship. The focus of the program is on projects that, although associated with high risks, will offer high yields in terms of growth of the field. More incremental proposals, or proposals that might be easily funded through existing resources, are discouraged. While prior awardees are welcome to submit new proposals following the conclusion of the previously-sponsored project, the new proposals should not be extensions of the prior project.
Standard Awards are open to tenure- and non-tenure track investigators of any career stage who are appropriately trained to lead an independent research study and are permitted by their organizations to manage grants and supervise key personnel.
The award provides significant funding for researchers who have already generated some amount of preliminary data, but are often required to demonstrate additional, significant progress before they can apply to governmental or industrial funding agencies.
- Award Amount: $150,000
- Duration: 2 years
Eligibility
• Candidates must hold an MD, PhD, DVM, DO, OD or equivalent degree
• Applicant must serve as the Principal Investigator on the project and have independent laboratory space. The applicant should use the indicated space on the application forms to clarify any position that is not immediately recognizable as an independent research position.
• While some of the grant can be used to support salary for the PI, the percent requested should be limited to the lesser of 25% of the total grant request, or 25% of the individual’s salary. Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) salaries are capped at the lesser of 15% of the total grant request, or 15% of the individual’s salary.
• Applicants may currently be working in a non-profit, governmental, academic research institution, or at a for-profit including start-up and biotech institution
For more information, please see the foundation website.