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Parkinson's Launch Award

Parkinson's Foundation

Nearly 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson's, with numbers expected to increase by 20% by 2030. The need to solve PD is acute and requires a continued influx of talented scientists dedicated to PD research. The Parkinson's Foundation identifies and supports talented postdoctoral fellows who have demonstrated a vision to help us solve, treat, and end PD to ensure the PD community has the ideas and people necessary to address the causes, symptom progression, consequences and treatments of this disease. The Foundation aims to help these young scientists transition and succeed in independent careers to maximize their impact in PD research.

The Launch Award cultivates a strong cohort of new and talented independent investigators dedicated to PD research. The award provides research support to outstanding postdoctoral researchers that will enable them to complete needed mentored training and transition promptly to independent research careers in the PD field. This award is a two-stage program consisting of a Mentored Stage (1-2 years) and an Independent Stage (2-3 years). The strongest applicants will propose a well-conceived plan for 1-2 years of mentored research training and career development to help them become competitive candidates for independent faculty positions, preparing them to launch robust, innovative research programs in PD.

The Launch Award seeks to attract the best and brightest individuals conducting research in the U.S. or internationally. At the end of the funding period, it is expected that awardees will become independent research group leaders with their own research space and research team.

Level of Support

The Launch Award is a two-stage program that tracks the awardee's career stage, providing a total of $400,000 for up to 4 years. The support during the two stages is as follows:

Mentored Stage. The Mentored Stage is intended to last a minimum of 12 months and no more than 2 years. The award will provide salary support up to $60,000 per year, and a research allowance, typically $20,000 annually, for a total of up to $160,000 over two years. An expected 75% of the applicant's time is to be dedicated to research. The remaining 25% effort is for additional training, postdoctoral projects, and publishing of results. There is no provision for the fringe benefits or deduction of indirect cost during the Mentored Stage of the award. Funds are awarded for two years, subject to annual review of progress.

The Foundation recognizes that healthcare expenses remain a challenge for many awardees, who often pay these costs out of pocket. Therefore, if requested in writing prior to the start of the award, awardees may allocate up to $2,500 per year of their research allowance to offset their out-of-pocket costs for health insurance premiums (this provision does not apply to awardees who have their health insurance premiums fully covered by their institution).

Independent Stage. The Independent Stage follows directly after the Mentored Stage of the award and provides 2-3 years of support (depending on the length of the Mentored Stage), contingent upon securing an independent research position at an independent academic or research institution. The Independent Stage phase has a total cost limit of $120,000 per year. Applicant salary support is permitted up to 40% of awarded funds, including fringe benefits. Deduction of indirect costs, not exceeding 10 percent of direct costs, from the total is allowed. Funds are subject to annual review of progress. Applicants may not hold concurrent research awards from the Foundation but are encouraged to leverage Launch Award funding for additional grant support. Ideally, the applicant will be ready to submit an NIH R01 or equivalent grant by the conclusion of a Launch Award.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Clear, Explicit Focus on Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

High-scoring proposals directly advance:

PD pathogenesis mechanisms

Therapeutic development (drug, device, neuromodulation)

Disease progression / neuroprotection

Biomarkers (fluid, imaging, digital)

Cognition, mood, and neuropsychiatric symptoms

Gait, balance, and falls

Sleep, autonomic symptoms

Health equity & access to care

Patient-centered quality-of-life research

❗ Generic movement disorder or general neurodegeneration projects must strongly justify PD relevance.

2. Mechanism Alignment (Critical)

Each PF award is designed for a specific stage and purpose:

Mechanism	Ideal Candidate	Strong Predictors
Postdoctoral Fellowships	Trainees in PD research	Strong mentorship + feasibility
Early-Career Investigator Awards	Junior faculty	Preliminary data + PD independence
Impact Awards	New ideas	High innovation + rapid feasibility
Clinical Research Awards	Clinician-scientists	Access to PD cohorts + measurable outcomes
Community Grants	Programs serving PwP	Patient impact & sustainability

Predictor: Align career stage + scope + expected outcomes with the right funding line.

3. Innovation + Patient Impact

PF strongly prioritizes ideas that change lives, including:

New symptomatic or disease-modifying therapies

Digital health monitoring & telehealth

Behavioral interventions improving mobility or cognition

Models enabling translation to clinic

Interdisciplinary strategies (engineering, AI, rehab science)

Predictor: Show how your work will improve patient outcomes within the foreseeable future.

4. Strong Preliminary Data

Especially important for Investigator and Impact Awards:

Pilot data demonstrating feasibility

Early mechanistic or therapeutic signal

Reliable access to PD biospecimens or datasets

Analytics validated in small patient/animal studies

Predictor: Preliminary data significantly increases competitiveness.

5. Access to PD Cohorts, Samples, or Real-World Data

High-impact proposals leverage:

Parkinson’s Outcomes Project data

PD GENEration or genetic cohorts

Imaging and biospecimen repositories

Clinical trial networks

Movement disorder clinics with recruitment capacity

Predictor: Human relevance = strong review scores.

6. Robust Mentorship & Environment (for Trainees/Early Investigators)

Reviewers expect:

Mentor with strong PD expertise & funding record

Structured training plan and regular contact

Protected research time

Institutional support for independence

Predictor: Mentorship quality is one of the highest-weighted criteria in trainee programs.

7. Patient-Centered Design

PF is highly stakeholder-driven:

Outcomes meaningful to People with Parkinson’s (PwP)

Engagement of patient advisory groups

Practicality and real-world translation plans

Clear metrics for functional benefit (e.g., falls, fatigue, speech)

Predictor: Patient voice must be prominent.

8. Collaboration & Multidisciplinary Teams

Strengthens both scientific rigor and clinical feasibility:

Neurologists + neuroscientists + rehab/engineering

Multi-site clinical studies

Partnerships with PD consortia and data networks

Predictor: Collaboration boosts reviewer confidence and impact.

9. Feasible, Focused Specific Aims

Best-performing proposals have:

2–3 straightforward aims

Measurable milestones

Statistical analysis plans

Go/no-go criteria and backup strategies

Fit within funding period (often 1–2 years)

Predictor: Feasibility and clarity = top scoring category.

10. Clear, Compelling Writing

High-scoring PF proposals are:

Well-structured

Supported by visual preliminary data

Explicit about significance, milestones, and impact

Easy for clinicians and scientists to evaluate

Predictor: Strong communication improves enthusiasm and scoring.

🏆 Summary Table — PF Proposal Success Predictors

Predictor	Why It Matters
PD-specific significance	Core eligibility
Mechanism alignment	Ensures reviewers see correct scope
Innovation + patient relevance	Central priority
Preliminary data	Demonstrates feasibility
Access to PD cohorts/models	Human relevance
Strong mentorship/environment	Execution confidence
Patient-centered design	Mission alignment
Collaboration	Increases rigor and deliverability
Focused aims	Realistic progress
Clear writing	Helps maximize reviewer scores

Specialties

Clinical Trials

Neurosciences

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant must possess a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree and be within 18 months to 6 years of completing that degree or clinical training at the time of application, including resubmission. Applicant must currently be in a postdoctoral or other mentored position and must name and provide a letter of support from an established investigator who will serve as the mentor and supervisor. Applicants requiring less than 12 months of mentored research training and career development are not eligible for this award. Applicants may not have their own lab or equivalent. US citizenship or permanent resident status are not required. International applicants are welcome to apply.

Transition to the Independent Stage of the award is not automatic and will be subject to progress review. As a part of this progress review, an awardee will also need to submit a detailed proposal of research during the Independent Stage. The successful transition depends upon the applicant obtaining a full-time independent researcher position at the US or international institution, as recognized by their respective institutions. This position would make the awardee eligible to apply for an NIH R01 or equivalent grant as a PI and lead an independent research team. The Foundation will evaluate the evidence of independence and institutional support based on individual institutions’ regulations.

Applicants from groups that have been historically underrepresented or excluded in the scientific workforce, including but not limited to racial and ethnic groups, sexual orientation and gender identities, individuals with mental/physical disabilities, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, are especially encouraged.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Parkinson's Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1359 Broadway, Ste 1509, New York, NY 10018, USA

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