Exploratory Research Grant (NJCSCR)

About this program

The New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research (State of New Jersey Department of Health) offers the Exploratory Research Grant to support independent investigators applying innovative, high‑risk/high‑reward approaches to spinal cord injury research and to accelerate development of treatments. Awards provide up to $100,000 per year for two years (maximum $200,000 total, with indirect costs capped at 10%) and are issued as one‑year contracts to generate preliminary data that enable follow‑on funding. Eligible applicants are independent investigators—priority is given to those bringing expertise from outside the field, early‑career researchers and postdoctoral fellows, and to collaborative inter‑institutional or inter‑state teams—whose proposals focus on spinal cord repair, regeneration, prevention or treatment of secondary conditions. Projects are expected to be conducted within the State of New Jersey and applicants should demonstrate familiarity with the state‑of‑the‑art spinal cord research context.