Nixon Visions Foundation/Foundation Fighting Blindness: PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases (PARD) Science Award

Grant Amount: Up to $500,000, up to three years
Deadline: Letter of Intent Due September 7, 2023

Additional Information -
The Nixon Visions Foundation, in collaboration with the Foundation Fighting Blindness, has committed funding to advance research towards potential treatments for PRPH2-associated retinal diseases. The Foundation will make awards for meritorious research proposals that advance our understanding of the biology and pathophysiology of PRPH2 in the retina. To address gaps in knowledge, proposals that focus on the following topics are strongly encouraged:

  • Fundamental PRPH2 biology and biochemistry, including, but not limited to:
    • PRPH2 protein-protein interactions
    • The differential role(s) of PRPH2 in rod and cone photoreceptors
  • Development of high throughput and/or saturation assays to determine the functional consequences of PRPH2 variants on protein structure and/or function and to assign pathogenicity.
  • Creation and characterization of precise, accurate animal models, including, but not limited to:
    • Systematic natural history studies of mouse disease models on standardized genetic backgrounds
    • Generation and characterization of gene-edited large animal disease models.
  • Studies demonstrating proof-of-concept for therapeutic approaches, particularly mutation-agnostic approaches.
  • Improved understanding of disease heterogeneity, through understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships or identification of genetic and/or environmental modifiers.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness expects to fund a limited number of PARD Science Awards with an anticipated start date of April 1, 2024. Each award will provide research support up to $500K dispersed over one to three years.
 
To be eligible, applicants must hold a Ph.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.O., O.D., or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or equivalent at a domestic or foreign: non-profit organization, or public or private institution, such as a university, college, medical school, hospital, research institute, or laboratory. Applicants do not have to be U.S. citizens. Individuals from underrepresented racial, ethnic and gender groups, as well as individuals with disabilities, are always encouraged to apply.

Link to Complete RFP

Please contact Lynn Wong if you are interested in applying to this opportunity.