The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) announced a number of new funding opportunities aimed to bolster MS research and training. Support originates both from the Society and outside entities.
The move comes as the White House continues to lobby Congress to significantly cut funding for public health and biomedical research in the 2026 fiscal year that begins in October. Scientists, physicians, and researchers not only severely criticize the plans but express fears about the future for Americans’ health.
“If the proposal is enacted, Americans today and tomorrow will be sicker, poorer, and die younger,” pointed out Mary Wolley, president and CEO of Research!America last month.
On March 18, NMSS learned the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) has been defunded for fiscal year 2025. Since then, MS activists have held more than 220 meetings with Members of Congress and have sent more than 16,000 emails and phone calls to Congress in support of medical research funding, according to officials at MSRS.
“The discontinuation of funding for the MS Research Program is not just a financial cut, but a blow to the hope that could have paved the way for breakthroughs in care and treatment for those affected by multiple sclerosis,” says Tim Coetzee, PhD, president and CEO of the NMSS. “We owe those who serve more than just words; we owe action.”
So today, the NMSS highlighted a number of new funding opportunities. Awards are summarized below along with individual links to learn more about the details of each award, eligibility, and application instructions.
The Society and partner organizations are offering funding opportunities to support the next generation of MS researchers and clinicians, as well as projects focused on advancing women’s health in MS:
The United States Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) is accepting applications for its FY25 Technology/Therapeutic Development Award and Clinical Trial Award:
The American Brain Foundation, with support from the NMSS and other organizations, is soliciting applications for Breakthrough Grants and Catalyst Grants as part of the 2025 Cure One, Cure Many Award in Neuroinflammation:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most widespread disabling neurological conditions of young adults around the world, affects almost one million people in the U.S., and about 2.9 million people worldwide, according to Healthline. There are relapsing-remitting and progressive types of MS, but the course is rarely predictable. Researchers still don’t fully understand the cause of MS or why the rate of progression is so difficult to determine.
There’s no national or global registry for new MS cases. Known figures are only estimates.
The post Multiple Sclerosis Society Announces MS Research and Funding Opportunities appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
The move comes as the White House continues to lobby Congress to significantly cut funding for public health and biomedical research in the 2026 fiscal year that begins in October. Scientists, physicians, and researchers not only severely criticize the plans but express fears about the future for Americans’ health.
“If the proposal is enacted, Americans today and tomorrow will be sicker, poorer, and die younger,” pointed out Mary Wolley, president and CEO of Research!America last month.
On March 18, NMSS learned the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) has been defunded for fiscal year 2025. Since then, MS activists have held more than 220 meetings with Members of Congress and have sent more than 16,000 emails and phone calls to Congress in support of medical research funding, according to officials at MSRS.
“The discontinuation of funding for the MS Research Program is not just a financial cut, but a blow to the hope that could have paved the way for breakthroughs in care and treatment for those affected by multiple sclerosis,” says Tim Coetzee, PhD, president and CEO of the NMSS. “We owe those who serve more than just words; we owe action.”
So today, the NMSS highlighted a number of new funding opportunities. Awards are summarized below along with individual links to learn more about the details of each award, eligibility, and application instructions.
Women’s health in MS
The Society and partner organizations are offering funding opportunities to support the next generation of MS researchers and clinicians, as well as projects focused on advancing women’s health in MS:
- Building a workforce of highly trained scientists and clinicians is crucial to finding cures for MS. Offered annually, advanced training fellowships and early-career awards are now accepting applications from MS researchers and physicians. The opportunities differ in duration (ranging from one to five years) and scope (covering both basic science and clinical research).
MS disproportionately affects women. They are approximately three times more likely to develop the disease than men. [Unaihuizi Photography/Getty Images] - Applications are also being accepted for awards to train board eligible/certified neurologists or physiatrists in specialized MS clinical care. All opportunities are designed to invest in emerging talent to build the skills needed to optimize clinical care and drive future breakthroughs in MS. Pre-applications are due August 6, 2025 (clinical care) and August 13, 2025 (fellowships).
- When Society staff identify gaps in the Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap, targeted funding opportunities are created to increase awareness and research in those specific areas. The Society recently highlighted priority research areas related to women’s health in MS that remain largely unexplored. In response, the Society is requesting grant applications for proposed research that addresses the knowledge gaps in women’s health issues for people with MS. Pre-applications are due August 20, 2025.
The United States Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) is accepting applications for its FY25 Technology/Therapeutic Development Award and Clinical Trial Award:
- The Technology/Therapeutic Development Award is a product-driven award intended to provide support for the translation of promising preclinical findings into products for clinical applications, including prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, or quality of life, for a disease or condition related to one of the FY25 PRMRP topic areas, which includes multiple sclerosis. Pre-applications are due June 9, 2025.
- The Clinical Trial Award supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of a disease or condition addressed in one of the congressionally directed FY25 PRMRP topic areas, which includes multiple sclerosis. Pre-applications are due June 9, 2025.
The American Brain Foundation, with support from the NMSS and other organizations, is soliciting applications for Breakthrough Grants and Catalyst Grants as part of the 2025 Cure One, Cure Many Award in Neuroinflammation:
- A total of at least $5.4M is available through this call. Two Breakthrough Grants of up to $2M each and at least two Catalyst Grants of up to $500k each are available for research proposals in Neuroinflammation.
- Breakthrough Grants are designed to support interdisciplinary teams investigating novel neuroinflammation mechanisms and the potential development of new biomarkers, therapeutic targets, or technologies. Catalyst Grants are intended to help researchers overcome critical research hurdles and offer flexibility to explore bold ideas that have the potential to lead to significant advances in diagnosis, treatment, or prevention.
Multiple sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata, is the most common demyelinating disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard imaging technique for the identification of demyelinating lesions (plaques). [Paul Biris/Getty Images] - Details are available in the full Request for Applications or by visiting the American Brain Foundation website. Pre-proposals are due July 15, 2025.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most widespread disabling neurological conditions of young adults around the world, affects almost one million people in the U.S., and about 2.9 million people worldwide, according to Healthline. There are relapsing-remitting and progressive types of MS, but the course is rarely predictable. Researchers still don’t fully understand the cause of MS or why the rate of progression is so difficult to determine.
There’s no national or global registry for new MS cases. Known figures are only estimates.
The post Multiple Sclerosis Society Announces MS Research and Funding Opportunities appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.