Pre-Clinical Research Request for Applications

About this program

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, in partnership with Spinal Research, funds 1–2 years of preclinical research on new or repurposed drugs, biologics, and medical devices for spinal cord injury neuroprotection, regeneration, and plasticity at the pre-IND or pre-IDE stage. Awards provide up to $250,000, including indirect costs capped at 10%, for studies such as proof-of-concept, mechanism-of-action, pharmacology, toxicology, biomarker, and benchtop investigations; full drug screens, IND/IDE-enabling studies, and clinical research are excluded. Applicants must be doctoral-level investigators beyond the postdoctoral stage from academic, private, or industry institutions in any country, with one designated PI per application and only one submission allowed per PI, laboratory, or company. Applications must be in English, include a data-sharing plan, and accept milestone-based funding with regular progress reporting.