Impact Award

The FAST IMPACT grant welcomes proposals from researchers presenting innovative approaches, including the repurposing of approved or clinically proven safe therapies from other disease contexts, all with the aim of advancing Angelman syndrome research.

This program places particular importance on pharmacological and biologic interventions, disease-modifying treatments, and gene-editing and gene replacement therapies. FAST is keen to entertain proposals where both clinical and pre-clinical strategies are firmly grounded in robust scientific and biological reasoning, directly targeting the core mechanisms underlying Angelman syndrome.

FAST is open to considering large-scale program proposals that hold the potential to significantly bolster progress within the Angelman syndrome community by reducing the risks associated with various therapeutic approaches. This reduction in risk could accelerate the transition towards IND-enabling studies or clinical readiness. The primary objective is to allocate funding to explore and validate groundbreaking ideas, supporting researchers as they conduct translational studies up to the point of IND-enabling investigations. The award amount for FAST IMPACT Grant is up to $1,000,000 per year. Final budgets will be determined based on review of proposed work and based on the extent of FAST’s role.

Letter of Intent

Applicants are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to FAST at science@cureangelman.org to determine the feasibility of a potential request prior to applying. LOI’s must be submitted as one PDF file containing the following information:

• A brief description of the project including objectives and rationale;

• An estimate of proposed budget and duration of the project;

• Preliminary data to support the project; and

• A CV/Biosketch

• The entire LOI (minus the CV) should be no more than 3 pages.

Eligibility

Institutions receiving grants must be recognized as nonprofit. In the US, this means institutions that do not operate to make a profit. Individuals should have training and experience at least equal to the PhD or MD level. Awardees are required to pursue their research and academia requirements on a full-time basis, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies.

Duration of Support and Allowable Costs

FAST-IMPACT Awards are allocated based on the proposed needs of the project. Expedited timelines are encouraged, which will be made in either one- or two-year allocations, pending on the scope of work. Either one or two year grants have a maximum recommended funding of $1,000,000 per year. In exceptional circumstances where larger grant amounts are needed, individuals may submit an inquiry, along with a letter of intent, to science@cureangelman.org. This letter should provide a justification for the increased funding requirement.

For one-year grants, recipients are required to furnish a financial report and bi-yearly progress report within six months of the award activation date, and a final report 60-days following the conclusion of the grant if no Year 2 funding is being requested. Quarterly updates at both 3 and 9 months will be provided via email, video, or audio call to share progress with FAST throughout the award period. Second year funding is non-competitive but is based on review of the first year’s progress report. For grants longer than 1 year, a grant renewal application must be submitted at least 8 weeks before the subsequent year of funding is requested along with a progress and financial report. For more information on renewal guidelines please click here.

Allowable Costs

Potential allowable costs include:

• Reagents and Materials: These may include but are not limited to: gene chips, chemical libraries, acquisition of cell lines, acquisition of animal model lines.

• Services: These may include, but are not limited to: deep sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics, mass spectrometry, antibody production, and drug/chemical manufacturing.

• Equipment: FAST will consider the purchase of specialized pieces of equipment or software purchases for specific purchases for specific projects when necessary.

• Personnel: Including salary and fringe benefits. Additionally, FAST will fund postdoctoral and graduate students at a salary equivalent to the current NIH guidelines.

• Indirect Costs: FAST allows up to 5% indirect cost rate to the budget’s modified total direct costs (less those costs specifically excluded) to be included in the total cost of the project. FAST will not pay any indirects on tuition, equipment, software or software licenses. Example: modified total direct costs of $100, 5% indirects would be $5; total cost of project is $105.

• Travel Costs: Each award will include a $3,000 travel stipend to allow for the PI and one trainee, when applicable, to travel to the annual FAST scientific symposium, where they may be required to present their current research progress.

Application and Submission Information

Write the research plan: Applicants should download the grant application form and prepare a Research Plan that emphasizes the methods and utilizes the following outline format:

• Abstract: A succinct description of the proposed work that includes the project’s broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, and a description of the research design and methods.

• Lay summary: This should include your research objectives and your preliminary work that can be easily interpreted by a lay person. The focus should be on the translational component of your research objectives. (1 page maximum). We are committed to educating the public about the importance of this research and this will be posted on the FAST website if the project is funded.

• Budget Justification: One page budget with justification is required.

• Other Support: Please list all active and pending support to ensure there is no scientific, budgetary, or commitment overlap.

• Facilities and Resources: This section should include any organizational resources available to perform the proposed studies. Identify the facilities to be used (Laboratory, Animal, Computer, Office, Clinical and Other). If appropriate, indicate their capacities, pertinent capabilities, relative proximity and extent of availability to the project. Describe only those resources that are directly applicable to the proposed work.

• Budget: Applicants must use the budget sheet provided in application materials. If the proposal is multi-year, Applicants must use separate budget sheets per year, fill in the start and end date and applicable amounts for each year of support separately, summing for total amount requested.

• Hypotheses and Specific Aims: Include specific research questions, objectives and hypotheses. The focus of the applications should be aligned with the FAST mission.

• Background and Significance: provide rationale for the research with emphasis on what is needed and why this project would benefit a translational therapeutic research program for Angelman syndrome.

• Preliminary studies: Include any preliminary data you have gathered which supports the specific research question(s).

• Research Design and Methods: Include study design, methods, and expected results. Limitations and Potential Pitfalls: Discuss potential difficulties and/or limitations in achieving aims and alternative approaches to achieving aims.

• Timeline: A research timeline will be provided with milestone goals to be reached during the funding period. These milestones will measure progress made throughout the award period and help determine Year 2 funding if applicable.

• Biosketch: The biosketch of the PI and any collaborative personnel for the project. Please use the current NIH Biosketch format.

Formatting

• Proposal in Arial or Times New Roman size 11 point font, single or 1.15 spacing;

• Margins no less than 0.5”;

• Include a header on each page indicating name of PI (Last, First), page number;

• Figures and figure legends included within the 5 page limit; and

• Only PDF files accepted for review.

Submit Application Materials:

Applications must be submitted electronically to science@cureangelman.org. Only PDF files will be accepted and reviewed. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Any questions about the application process should be directed to science@cureangelman.org.

Download a printable copy here.