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Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Objective:

Our flagship funding initiative accelerates Parkinson’s disease therapy development by prioritizing opportunities where our funding supports generation of meaningful evidence informing critical development milestones.

Fast Facts

Funding to accelerate pre-clinical and clinical development of disease-modifying or symptomatic interventions for Parkinson’s disease
Program additionally supports integration and analysis of decision-informing biomarker tools
Funding ranges of $1M-$5M for 2-3 years contingent on program scope and development stage
Open to industry and academic + industry partnerships to foster clearer paths to commercialization; eligibility exemptions for academic-led projects in certain cases (access Overview document in sidebar for details)
Pre-proposals accepted on a rolling basis for rapid initial exchange with MJFF on proposed therapeutic ideas
Multiple annual review cycles for applicants invited to submit a full proposal
Office hours are available to address questions and partnerships after invite to the full proposal round

Deadlines and Review Schedules

The program will be divided into two stages with the goal of offering applicants frequent opportunities to propose novel and promising PD therapeutics:

Applicants may submit a pre-proposal application at any time. Pre-proposals will be reviewed by MJFF within three weeks of submission. This stage is your first and best opportunity to determine if MJFF is the right partner for you.
Applicants whose pre-proposal is selected for further consideration will be invited to submit a full proposal through one of the five review cycles (full proposal due dates in the sidebar). MJFF staff will work with applicants to define the most flexible and fastest option for review. Invited applicants will have the opportunity to consult with MJFF on proposal development. Funding decisions will be communicated within three months of full proposal submission.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Clear relevance to Parkinson's disease and patient needs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the most important predictor.

Competitive proposals should clearly address:

Parkinson's disease biology
Disease progression
Diagnosis
Biomarkers
Therapeutic development
Clinical trials
Symptoms and quality of life
Prevention or risk reduction
Patient needs and unmet clinical problems

MJFF specifically looks for a sound scientific rationale with clear relevance to people with Parkinson's.

2. Significant unmet need and potential patient impact ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Strong proposals should explain:

What important Parkinson's problem remains unsolved
Why existing approaches are insufficient
How the proposed research addresses that gap
How successful results could improve treatment or understanding of PD

MJFF's formal review criteria specifically consider the impact on patients and whether a project addresses a critical unmet need.

3. Strong scientific rationale and experimental design ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Competitive applications need:

Clear research questions
Strong biological/clinical rationale
Well-defined aims
Appropriate methodology
Appropriate controls
Sound statistical analysis
Clearly described experimental plans

MJFF states that reviewers assess scientific rationale, experimental design, investigator expertise, and overall feasibility.

4. Innovation and originality ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

MJFF explicitly welcomes novel ideas and states that no idea is too novel for consideration.

Competitive projects may:

Test new therapeutic targets
Develop novel biomarkers
Apply new technologies
Challenge existing assumptions
Develop new disease models
Identify new mechanisms of Parkinson's
Create innovative treatment strategies

Innovation should ultimately have a credible connection to advancing Parkinson's research or treatment.

5. Clear pathway toward therapeutic development ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is particularly important for translational and therapeutic programs.

Strong proposals explain how the work can move through the development pathway:

Discovery → validation → preclinical evidence → clinical development → patient treatment

MJFF's research strategy emphasizes speeding promising therapies toward patients and funding projects that generate meaningful evidence for critical development milestones.

6. Investigator expertise and track record ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviewers consider:

Relevant research experience
Publications
Technical expertise
Previous accomplishments
Ability to execute the proposed work
Appropriate collaborators

MJFF specifically lists investigator expertise among its general review criteria.

Importantly, MJFF funds both academic and industry researchers, including biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

7. Feasibility and likelihood of successful completion ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Competitive proposals should demonstrate:

Achievable objectives
Appropriate resources
Realistic timelines
Risk-management strategies
Appropriate expertise
Adequate preliminary evidence where necessary

MJFF explicitly evaluates overall feasibility as part of its review.

8. Alignment with the specific MJFF funding program ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is extremely important.

Applicants should choose the program that best matches the stage and immediate objective of the project. MJFF advises applicants not to submit the same idea to multiple programs and notes that proposals may be redirected to a more appropriate program.

For example, current programs include:

Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program
Targeted research programs
Biomarker and disease-progression initiatives
Early-career research opportunities
Other targeted and supplemental funding mechanisms

The exact criteria vary by program.

9. Collaboration and use of complementary expertise ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

MJFF encourages multi-investigator collaborations, particularly where one research group does not have all the expertise needed for a project.

Strong teams may combine:

Neurologists
Neuroscientists
Geneticists
Computational scientists
Biomarker experts
Clinical researchers
Drug-development specialists
Biotechnology companies

This can strengthen feasibility and accelerate translation.

10. Clear, logical, and responsive application ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

MJFF emphasizes applications that are:

Clear
Logical
Well crafted
Complete
Responsive to the funding announcement
Detailed enough for reviewers to understand the methods

Applications undergo administrative and scientific review, generally with at least two independent reviewers.

Specialties

Neurosciences

Eligibility Requirements

As the primary focus of TPP is to advance new therapeutic interventions, MJFF will NOT consider proposal submissions to this program that focus on the following areas:

Early-stage target discovery (e.g., genomic/transcriptomic analyses)
Validation studies using tool compounds or manipulation methods that lack a clear and viable path to therapeutic development
Standalone biomarker discovery or therapy platform development without an existing application to a specific PD-relevant therapeutic program
Simple reformulation of an approved therapy without strong rationale for addressing a current unmet patient need
Evaluation of dietary and other nutritional supplements given challenges in defining mechanism, establishing interpretable biomarker strategies and limited regulatory pathway clarity which are key pillars of this funding program
Natural history studies or similar exploratory clinical data collection

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: P.O. Box 4777 New York, NY 10163-4777

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