+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Not Verified

Breakthrough T1D Request for Applications: In vitro Disease Modeling: Type I Diabetes-on-aChip Platforms for Translational Research

Breakthrough T1D

Summary • Breakthrough T1D is launching a new funding opportunity to support advancement of cuttingedge organoid- and organ on a chip-based disease models of Type I Diabetes (T1D).

• This initiative aims to validate and refine existing human-relevant in vitro models of T1D as tools for evaluation of pharmacological and genetic interventions with the goal of accelerating translation to clinical studies.

• This Request for Applications (RFA) will provide grants to academic investigators and industry partners of up to $300,000 over one year.

Funding Opportunity Description

Advancement of Islet Cell and Disease-Modifying Therapies (DMTs) for T1D is often constrained by the limited availability of in vitro and in vivo models that accurately recapitulate human disease mechanisms and predict treatment responses. Traditional two-dimensional cultures show limited physiological relevance, while animal studies are costly, time-intensive, and frequently fail to predict human outcomes. Thus, there is an urgent need for human-relevant, validated experimental systems that can support the evaluation of novel interventions at higher throughput and lower cost.

Breakthrough T1D seeks Letters of Intent (LOIs) focused on validating the predictive power of already established advanced in vitro models of T1D pathophysiology and therapeutic response, including organ-on-chip, 3D tissue constructs, and multi-cellular co-culture systems incorporating human stem cell-derived islets, immune and/or vascular components, and relevant tissue microenvironments.

This RFA aims to support accelerated translation and regulatory pathways of Disease Modifying and Islet Cell Replacement Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes by prioritizing the use of validated and standardized organ-on-chip systems and other New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and in this fully aligns with the NIH's commitment to advancing human-relevant research while reducing reliance on animal models. Validated NAMs, including organ-on-chip and integrated human-cell models, could cover all critical safety and efficacy endpoints. Conventional animal testing would only be considered when a specific scientific question cannot yet be addressed with NAMs, and even then, only with minimal use and strong justification.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

While competitive specifics can vary by mechanism, proposals that win funding consistently share these strengths:

✅ 1) Alignment with Strategic Priorities

Your project must clearly connect to Breakthrough T1D’s mission — curing T1D and improving lives — or to a specific funding opportunity’s focus area (e.g., tolerance in islet replacement, monitoring technologies, clinical relevance). Breakthrough T1D+1

Tip: Explicitly justify which strategic goal(s) your work addresses in both the LOI and full proposal.

✅ 2) Clear, Impactful Scientific Rationale

Successful applications present:

A strong, evidence-based rationale for why the research matters,

Well-defined hypotheses or objectives,

Direct significance to T1D biology, clinical outcomes, or technology gaps.

Breakthrough T1D prioritizes work likely to accelerate translation toward therapy development. Breakthrough T1D

✅ 3) Feasible Study Design With Realistic Milestones

Proposals that are clearly executable in the funding timeframe—with thoughtful experimental design, milestones, and contingency planning — score higher during review.

Include:

Detailed methods

Milestones tied to measurable outcomes

A realistic timeline

✅ 4) Strong Team and Institutional Capacity

Breakthrough T1D often reviews:

Investigator track record,

Institutional resources and support,

Collaborations that enhance feasibility and reach.

Demonstrate that your team has the expertise and facilities to deliver on the proposal. Breakthrough T1D

✅ 5) Meaningful Translation and Clinical Relevance

Even for basic science, reviewers value work that lays clear groundwork for translation — for example:

Biomarkers predictive of disease progression,

Platforms or tools that shorten clinical testing,

Approaches ready for next-step clinical studies.

Make translational potential explicit in aims and impact statements.

✅ 6) Balanced Budget Justification

Grants like Innovative Awards (~$200 k/1 yr) and SRAs (up to ~$900 k/3 yrs) require budgets that are justified and aligned with deliverables. Overly optimistic or under-budgeted proposals are less competitive. Breakthrough T1D+1

✅ 7) Engagement With Stakeholders & Ethics

Where relevant (especially clinical research or novel technologies), strong ethics planning and stakeholder engagement (including patient populations) boost confidence in feasibility and impact.

✅ 8) Clear Communication & Strategic Positioning

Given the volume of submissions and variety of expert reviewers, clarity of narrative with defined aims and outcomes is crucial. Strong summary sections (abstract and lay summary) effectively ‘sell’ the project.

🧠 Grant Review Structure

Breakthrough T1D typically uses a two-stage review:

LOI screening – checks alignment and concept strength.

Full proposal review – detailed scientific and feasibility assessment. Breakthrough T1D

Some calls (e.g., Innovative Awards) may go directly to full proposal.

📌 Typical Funding Amounts & Duration

Mechanism	Award Size	Duration
Innovative Awards	Up to ~$200,000	1 year Breakthrough T1D
Strategic Research Agreements	Up to ~$900,000	Up to 3 years Breakthrough T1D UK
Mechanism-specific Calls	Varies by topic	Varies by program Breakthrough T1D

🧠 Final Summary: Breakthrough T1D Success Predictors

Top predictors of funding competitiveness:

🔹 Strong fit with Breakthrough T1D’s mission and specific call focus. Breakthrough T1D

🔹 Science with clear impact on cure pathways or life improvement. Breakthrough T1D

🔹 Feasible design with milestones and measurable outcomes.

🔹 Experienced research team and institutional support.

🔹 Translational vision connecting bench progress to real-world outcomes.

🔹 Well-justified, realistic budget.

🔹 Communicative clarity and strategic narrative.

Specialties

Diabetes

Others

Eligibility Requirements

• Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals and laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the federal government. Applicants must hold an M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.O., Ph.D., or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or equivalent at a college, university, medical school, or other research facility.

• For-profit entities, or industry collaborations with academia, are welcome to submit applications in response to this RFA. Please contact the Breakthrough T1D scientific contact below prior to submitting the application. Additional information will be requested from for-profit entities if invited to submit a full proposal.

• For clinical studies, applicants must hold an appointment or joint appointment in a subspecialty of clinical medicine and conduct clinical research.

• To assure continued excellence and diversity among applicants and awardees, Breakthrough T1D welcomes proposals from all qualified individuals and encourages proposals from a broad cross section of researchers and scientists

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Breakthrough T1D

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 200 Vesey Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10281

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity